The Professionals star Lewis Collins
has died aged 67, his agent said.
The actor, who played Bodie in the
crime drama alongside co-star Martin Shaw, died in Los Angeles yesterday after
a five-year struggle with cancer.
His agent said: 'He died peacefully
at his LA home surrounded by his family. Privacy is asked for at this very sad
time.'
Speaking today, Shaw paid tribute to
his co-star.
'I was very sad to hear today that
Lewis has died,' he said.
'We spent a very tough four years
together in making The Professionals, and shared in the production of what has
become an icon of British Television.
'He will be remembered as part of
the childhood of so many people, and mourned by his fans. I send my love and
condolences to his family, and the great many who will miss him.'
Father-of-three Collins, who was
born in Merseyside, lived with his wife Michelle and sons Oliver, Elliot, and
Cameron in Los Angeles in the years before his death.
Known for his role as tough-guy Bodie,
Collins was a popular character in The Professionals, which was famed for its
Ford Capris, tight trousers, and 1970s rule-free approach to policing.
The Professionals made stars of
Collins and Shaw, was based around the adventures of a fictional crime fighting
unit called CI5, which had been instructed by the Home Secretary to use any
means necessary to deal with serious crime.
Former paratrooper and SAS solider
William Bodie, played by Collins, was a keen partier and ladies man, more
relaxed than his on-screen partner Raymond Doyle, who was brought to life by
Shaw.
Starring role: Collins starred as British military-trained mercenary Bodie in the popular drama
Father: Collins had three sons, Oliver, Elliot and Cameron amd was
photographed picking one of his children up from a sports event in Los
Angeles in 2011
Its memorable theme tune and
action-packed plots made it a huge hit on ITV in the late 1970s and early
1980s.
Born in Birkenhead, Wirral, Collins
started out as a hairdresser before he started playing drums and guitar in pop
groups, and had a number of other jobs before he decided to become an actor.
After training at the London Academy
of Music and Dramatic Art and performing on numerous theatre tours, he won the
role that would make him famous in 1977, continuing until the series ended in
1981.
In 1982 he auditioned for the role
of James Bond but his audition was deemed 'too aggressive'.
Outside of The Professionals, his
best known role came playing SAS officer Captain Peter Skellen in the 1982 film
Who Dares Wins.
On the job: Filming The Professionals with co-stars Gordon Jackson and Martin Shaw on the River Thames
He subsequently applied to join the Territorial SAS, a unit open to
part-time reservists but was rejected because of his fame, despite passing the
entrance tests.
Lewis had another taste of on-screen
policing when he played Dr Peter Alan, a research scientist in need of police
protection, in a 2002 episode of The Bill.
In early 2012, Lewis was cast to
play Earl Godwin in the historically based feature film production of 1066,
although in June 2013 it was reported that he had withdrawn from the
production.
He married teacher Michelle Larrett
in 1992, and the couple went on to have their three sons.
Daredevil: Collins vaulting a railing above the streets of London in
1981. The auditioned for James Bond, but was told he was 'too
aggressive' for the part
Soldier: Outside of The Professionals, his best known role came playing
SAS officer Captain Peter Skellen in the 1982 film Who Dares Wins,
alongside Judy Davis
Return to screens: Lewis Collins in ITV police drama The Bill
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