Theatre, film and TV actor Sir Donald Sinden has died at his home aged 90 following a long illness, his son has confirmed.
He made his name on stage as a Shakespearean actor and appeared in more than 70 film and TV productions.
He had been suffering from prostate cancer for several years, and died of the disease at his home in Kent.
Sir Donald's family described his death as a "huge loss" and asked for their privacy to be respected.
He was appointed a CBE in 1979 and then knighted in 1997 for his services to drama.
Although
renowned for his theatre work, he was arguably best known to the masses
for his TV appearances - in the sitcom Never the Twain and the BBC
crime drama Judge John Deed.
His son, actor Marc Sinden, said that his career was "probably unique in our business".
"He worked out that he only had a total of five weeks' unemployment between 1942 and 2008," said Mr Sinden of his father.
"Even though his death was expected, it is still a huge loss
to his family and we, his brother, his son, his four grandchildren and
great-grandchild will all miss his humour and knowledge.
"We would all like to share our appreciation for the Pilgrims
Hospice and the carers that looked after him and us with such dignity,
consideration and care until the end."
According to Marc Sinden, Sir Donald was the last person
living to have known Oscar Wilde's lover Lord Alfred Douglas and was one
of only two people to attend his funeral.
Sir Donald trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
He made his film debut in 1953 with The Cruel Sea and went on to make about 30 films.
He also performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in leading roles such as King Lear and Malvolio in Twelfth Night.
Sir Roger Moore was among those to pay tribute to "a wonderful actor" with whom he had worked on 1975 film That Lucky Touch.
"Sad to wake up to news another mate has left us," wrote the former James Bond star on Twitter. "Awful week."
