Nigel Hawthorne dead at 72

Dec 26, 2001 by Ian Evans

Sir Nigel Hawthorne, the veteran British actor who was an Oscar nominee and Tony winner, died Wednesday at age 72.

The stage, screen, and TV veteran, who had been battling pancreatic cancer, died of a heart attack at his home in Hertfordshire, England.

Britcom fans will know Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey Appleby, the controlling civil servant on the BBC’s political satires Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. He was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar® in 1995 for his title role in The Madness of King George. He had previously won an Olivier Award for the stage version in 1992.

Big screen credits included The Object of My Affection, Amistad and Gandhi. He won a Tony Award in 1991 for his portrayal of writer C.S. Lewis in Shadowlands.