As reported by the Associated Press, actor Paul Ritter – best known to the American public for the crazy and impatient role of nuclear engineer Anatoly Dyatlov on HBO Chernobyl and the wizard Eldred Worple of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince– died of a brain tumor. He was 54 years old.
In England, Ritter was probably better known for his work on the comedy series Friday night dinner, which he played Martin Goodman, the patriarch of a Jewish family living in north London, who was to have his weekly Friday dinner derailed by mad hijinks. In a statement, Friday night dinner creator Robert Popper referred to Ritter as a “wonderful and wonderful human being,” adding that he is kind, funny, super thoughtful and the greatest actor I’ve ever worked with. ”
Ritter left an undeniable impression on HBO Chernobyl, standing out even in its distribution of stars. His character, Dyatlov, utterly unpleasant, has been described as the man who was largely responsible for the Chernobyl disaster after ignoring the warning signs and effectively embodying the general themes of limited failures about leadership failures and defending an ideology on defense of people. Chernobyl writer Craig Mazin also shared a statement about Ritter, calling him “one of the most gentle, graceful and brilliant” he has ever known.
Paul Ritter is survived by his wife and sons.