Sir Stephen Fry has led the tributes to British actor and comic Tony Slattery, who has died aged 65 following a coronary heart assault.

Slattery was identified for his quick-witted improvisations on the favored Channel 4 present Whose Line Is It Anyway?, from 1988 onwards.

Sir Stephen, who additionally featured on the present in addition to with Slattery in Cambridge College’s Footlights group, described his outdated good friend on Instagram as “the gentlest, sweetest soul” and “a screamingly humorous deeply proficient wit and clown”.

Londoner Slattery additionally performed comedic and critical roles in movies reminiscent of crime thriller The Crying Sport, Peter’s Associates and the darkish comedy How one can Get Forward in Promoting.

He earned an Olivier Award nomination for finest comedy efficiency for his function as Gordon in Tim Firth’s play Neville’s Island.

An announcement on behalf of Slattery’s longstanding accomplice, actor Mark Michael Hutchinson, mentioned: “It’s with nice unhappiness we should announce actor and comic Tony Slattery, aged 65, has handed away immediately, Tuesday morning, following a coronary heart assault on Sunday night.”

In his tribute on Instagram, Sir Stephen famous the “merciless irony that destiny ought to snatch him from us simply as he had actually begun to emerge from his lifelong battle with so many darkish demons”.

Slattery’s Whose Line co-star Josie Lawrence added: “Recollections of simply laughing quite a bit. Playing around and laughing. He was proficient sort humorous and exquisite. Sending love and condolences to great Mark. Relaxation in peace now Tony.”

Fellow comics Richard Okay Herring and Al Murray additionally paid tribute, together with Completely Fabulous actress and comic Helen Lederer.

Murray wrote: “Actually unhappy information about Tony Slattery. Such a stunning expertise,” whereas Herring merely posted: “Oh, Tony.”

Lederer supplied on social media: “My finest good friend in laughter, wit, love, absurdity, being my finest man (twice), we adored you – what is going to we do now.”

One other comic, Arthur Smith wrote: “RIP Tony Slattery. Good fast wit, sort, considerate.” Performer Tom Walker aka Jonathan Pie added: “Completely heartbreaking to listen to about Tony Slattery. A genius.”

Comic and author David Baddiel described the information as “so unhappy”, whereas presenter and actor Les Dennis remembered Slattery as a “great expertise and a pleasant man”.

Born right into a working class household in North London in 1959, Slattery gained a scholarship to review medieval and trendy languages at Cambridge College.

It was from right here that he entered the world of showbiz, assembly a younger Sir Stephen, who invited him to affix the Cambridge Footlights – the college’s well-known novice dramatics membership.

From then on, Slattery as soon as mentioned: “Getting up on stage and listening to laughter took over.”

At Cambridge, he was additionally a up to date of Dame Emma Thompson and Hugh Laurie.

In 1981, the group gained the inaugural Perrier Comedy Award on the Edinburgh Pageant, for his or her manufacturing of The Cellar Tapes.

And the next 12 months, Slattery was named Footlights’ President, following within the footsteps of Eric Idle, Clive Anderson and Peter Prepare dinner.

Slattery went on to seem on the London membership circuit doing “sort of a range act with weird turns” as he put it.

He made a number of TV appearances, together with a stint internet hosting kids’s programme TX.

However his huge break got here in 1986, when he landed a starring function within the West Finish musical Me and My Lady; earlier than happening to seem in Radio Occasions, Privates on Parade and Neville’s Island – to essential acclaim.

His different on display screen credit embrace To Die For, Up ‘N Underneath and The Wedding ceremony Deal with.

However he might be most fondly remembered for his work on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Channel 4’s flagship comedy present which noticed performers conduct a collection of quick improvisation video games, creating comedic scenes from ideas made by the host or the viewers.

Slattery tickled the nation, showing alongside the likes of fellow Comedy Retailer Gamers members Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence and Sandi Toksvig, in addition to Rory Bremner and Sir Stephen, in 48 episodes from 1988 to 1995.

The departure of Slattery – one of many present’s hottest performers – after collection seven, affected the present’s rankings.

He featured as soon as extra alongside his outdated college comedy sparring companions, Sir Stephen, Dame Emma and Lawrie, within the 1992 comedy romance movie Peter’s Associates; and reverse Richard E Grant in How one can Get Forward in Promoting.

Slattery additionally starred within the comedy spoof Tiger Bastable and sitcom Simply A Gigolo, in addition to making appearances within the remaining Carry On movie, Robin Hood, Crimson Dwarf and Coronation Avenue.

The comedian actor took a break from performing for private causes, earlier than returning to movie and TV – with a lot of initiatives for the BBC.

He had lately been touring a comedy present in England and launched a podcast, Tony Slattery’s Rambling Membership, in October.

Like many much-loved entertainers, Slattery had his demons. In 1996, aged 36, he had a bodily and psychological breakdown.

In an interview with the Guardian in 2019, he mentioned: “I had a really comfortable time till I went barely barmy”.

The star, who had issues with drink and medicines, flipped between “horrible isolationism and an nearly comatose state, after which horrible agitation, fixed pacing, sitting inside with ideas whirling spherical and spherical”.

He admitted himself to hospital on a number of events.

As soon as, he locked himself in his flat for six months and threw all of his furnishings into the Thames.

He was finally identified as being bipolar, which helped him to clarify “the mania, discovering issues too thrilling, then the withdrawal, apathy and bleakness”.

In 2020, Slattery informed the Radio Occasions that his “fiscal illiteracy and basic innumeracy” in addition to his “misplaced belief in folks” had led him to chapter.

The identical 12 months he was the topic of the BBC Two Horizon documentary What’s The Matter With Tony Slattery?, which noticed him and Hutchinson go to main specialists on temper issues and dependancy.

Slattery had beforehand spoken about his situation on the 2006 BBC Two programme The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive.

Slattery is survived by Hutchinson, his accomplice of greater than three many years, whom he met whereas performing in Me and My Lady within the mid Nineteen Eighties.

“He is saved with me when my behaviour has been so unreasonable and I can solely suppose it is unconditional love,” Slattery informed the Guardian. “He is definitely not with me for my cash – we haven’t any cash. It is the thriller of affection.”