As reported by the Associated Press, actor Paul Ritter – best known to American audiences for playing haggard and impatient nuclear engineer Anatoly Dyatlov on HBO’s Chernobyl and the wizard Eldred Worple inside Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince– died of a brain tumor. He was 54.
In England, Ritter may have been better recognized for his work on the comedy series Friday night dinner, on which he played Martin Goodman, the patriarch of a Jewish family living in North London whose weekly Friday dinner would be derailed by crazy jokes. In a statement, Friday night dinner creator Robert Popper referred to Ritter as a “lovely, wonderful person”, adding that he was “nice”, funny, super caring and the best actor I’ve ever worked with. “
Ritter has left an undeniable impression on HBOs Chernobyl, who even stands out among its all-star cast. His character, the totally obnoxious Dyatlov, was portrayed as the man largely responsible for the Chernobyl disaster after he ignored warning signs, and he effectively embodied the overarching themes of the limited series on leadership failure and defending an ideology above defending people. Chernobyl writer Craig Mazin also shared a statement about Ritter, calling him “one of the gentlest, most gracious, and brilliant people” he has ever known.
Paul Ritter leaves behind his wife and sons.