British actor John Wood, who received the CBE in 2007 for his services to drama, has died at the age of 81.
The former Royal Shakespeare Company regular passed away in his sleep on Saturday.
A Derbyshire-born, Oxford-educated son of a surveyor, Wood performed many of the great theatrical roles for the RSC, including Prospero in The Tempest and the title role of King Lear, for which he received an Evening Standard Theatre Award in 1991.
His career, which also took in a wealth of screen performances, was inextricably linked to the work of Tom Stoppard. He made his Broadway debut in Stoppard’s Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead before going on to win a Tony Award for his performance as Henry Carr in Travesties, a part that the playwright had written specifically for him.
Speaking about the actor, his agent said: “John was a distinguished classical actor, who was much loved and respected by his colleagues, and will be greatly missed.”
Wood is survived by his wife and four children.
MA