Character actor Tom Chadbon, whose decades-long career spanned "Doctor Who," the James Bond franchise and "Game of Thrones," has died at age 80.
"We are sorry to hear the news that Tom Chadbon passed away last weekend," the company wrote in its post, adding that he was "a familiar face to many from his numerous television and film credits, including Doctor Who, James Bond and Game of Thrones," and that "he was always a warm and friendly man to work with.”
Cavan Scott, a television writer who has worked on "Doctor Who," also posted a tribute on Facebook. "So sorry to hear the passing of the great Tom Chadbon who I shared many a happy studio session with while producing Blake's 7, not to mention the story-filled meals after recordings," Scott wrote. "An absolute gent. God speed, Tom," he added.
Chadbon's most recognized "Doctor Who" role came in 1979, when he played private detective Duggan opposite Tom Baker's incarnation of the Doctor in the four-part serial "City of Death." Chadbon later returned to the franchise in 1986 in "The Trial of a Time Lord," playing Merdeen, leader of an underground guard who helped the sixth doctor defeat a robotic villain, according to his IMDb biography.
Baker, now 92, recalled working with Chadbon in a 2009 interview with Doctor Who Magazine. "Tom Chadbon was terribly funny," Baker said. "Terribly funny! I used to love the other actors — I was always trying to help them make things funnier or more dramatic.”
Chadbon also appeared as a stockbroker in "Casino Royale," the first of Daniel Craig's five James Bond films, released in 2006. His final credited role came in "Game of Thrones," in which he portrayed High Septon Maynard in a 2017 episode.
Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Chadbon made his stage debut at the Phoenix Theatre in Leicester in 1967 before building a reputation in classical productions at the Bristol Old Vic, the National Theatre, and London's West End. He considered the jealous king Leontes from Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" his favorite role. On television, he was often cast in authority roles—police officers, military officers, aristocrats, physicians and attorneys—appearing in series including "The Bill," "Poirot," "A Touch of Frost," "Heartbeat," "Silent Witness" and "Rumpole of the Bailey.”
Chadbon was married twice: first to Deborah Elspeth Leathers from 1966 to 1970, and later to designer Jane Hennessy, whom he wed in 1977 and remained married to until his death this month.