The showbiz world has paid tribute to Geoffrey Palmer after the actor died at the age of 93.
Palmer was well known for starring alongside Dame Judi Dench in the BBC sitcom As Time Goes By, playing Lionel Hardcastle opposite Dame Judi’s Jean for nine series between 1992 and 2005.
Palmer also appeared alongside Dame Judi in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, as well as the film Mrs Brown.
The prolific star also appeared in Butterflies, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers and The Madness of King George over the course of a career which spanned seven decades.
Jeremy Clarkson led the tributes to Palmer by quoting one of the actor’s famous lines from his appearance on Fawlty Towers, writing: ‘I’m a doctor and I want my sausages. RIP.’
Director Edgar Wright also tweeted: ‘The flight path gag wiping out the lines of Reggie Perrin’s brother in law is one of my favourite running gags in comedy. RIP to the brilliantly funny Geoffrey Palmer.’
There was also a tribute posted on the official Doctor Who account, which read: ‘We’re sad to report the death of Geoffrey Palmer, who starred in The Silurians, The Mutants and Voyage of the Damned.’
Actor Reece Shearsmith wrote: ‘RIP Geoffrey Palmer. An immaculate singular actor, always brilliant in everything, but my favourite was always Ben Parkinson in Butterflies.’
The BBC Press Office posted the message: ‘We are saddened to hear of the death of actor Geoffrey Palmer.’
Palmer is survived by his wife Sally Green, and their children Harriet and Charles.
