‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ Comedian Was 65

Tony Slattery, a British actor and comic identified for his improv expertise on Channel 4’s “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” died on Tuesday. He was 65.

Slattery’s longtime accomplice, Mark Michael Hutchinson, confirmed the information to the BBC and mentioned the reason for dying was a coronary heart assault. “It’s with nice disappointment we should announce actor and comic Tony Slattery, aged 65, has handed away right now, Tuesday morning, following a coronary heart assault on Sunday night,” Hutchinson mentioned in a press release.

Slattery was a daily on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” which options performers taking part in short-form improvisation video games primarily based on strategies from a dwell viewers, from 1988 to 1995. He additionally held roles in movies like comedies “How you can Get Forward in Promoting” (1989) and “Peter’s Buddies” (1992), in addition to crime thriller “The Crying Recreation” (1992).

Born on Nov. 9, 1959 in Stonebridge, North London, Slattery received his begin in theater whereas learning on the College of Cambridge. It was there that he met Stephen Fry, who invited him to hitch the scholar sketch comedy group the Cambridge Footlights. Throughout his time within the group, of which he finally turned president, Slattery’s contemporaries included Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Sandi Toksvig, Jan Ravens and Richard Vranch.

Slattery’s TV breakout got here in 1983 on Chris Tarrant’s late-night comedy present “Saturday Stayback,” the place he turned a daily performer earlier than gaining recognition on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” in 1988. Within the ’90s, he additionally guested on the comedy panel present “Have I Acquired Information for You” and quiz program “Only a Minute.” He offered his personal movie criticism present, “Saturday Night time on the Motion pictures,” and appeared in sitcoms equivalent to “That’s Love” and “Purple Dwarf.” From 1993 to 1994, he hosted “Trivial Pursuit” on the Household Channel.

Slattery made his final common look on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” in 1995, and saved a low profile over the following decade as a consequence of well being points. In 2005, his profession started to select up once more, and he made appearances within the TV movie “Forward of the Class” in addition to ITV drama collection “Dangerous Ladies” and “Life Begins” and was solid within the cleaning soap “Coronation Avenue.” He was additionally a daily on the ITV collection “Kingdom” via 2009. In 2011, he participated in a “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” reunion particular.

His final TV look was in 2020, when he featured in BBC’s “Horizon” collection to look at his psychological well being, childhood trauma and wrestle with dependancy. Slattery had been open about this previously, discussing the “mid-life disaster” that ensued after leaving “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” throughout which he struggled with cocaine and alcohol dependancy and was finally recognized with bipolar dysfunction.

Fry remembered Slattery in a heartfelt Instagram submit alongside a photograph of them from their Cambridge days, writing: “So very unhappy to have misplaced the great Tony Slattery, simply in regards to the gentlest, sweetest soul I ever knew. To not point out a screamingly humorous and deeply gifted wit and clown. A 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. He had began dwell “evenings with” and his personal podcast collection. Beautiful, at the least, this previous 12 months for him to have discovered to his joyous shock that he was nonetheless remembered and held in nice affection. Love and condolences to Mark, his staunch, devoted life accomplice of just about 40 years.”

Slattery is survived by Hutchinson, his accomplice of practically 4 many years.