Much-loved actor Gary Waldhorn dies

Shakespearean actor and TV star Gary Waldhorn died peacefully at home, aged 78, his family announced on Tuesday.

Famous for playing uptight Parish chair David Horton in The Vicar of Dibley, he appeared in every episode from 1994 to 2007, as well as many other prime time TV shows.

The classically trained actor had a love of Shakespeare and most recently appeared at the RSC in 2003’s All’s Well That Ends Well, directed by Gregory Doran. He played the King of France alongside Judi Dench who played the countess.

In the same season, 2002, he played Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing, again directed by Gregory, and with Harriet Walter and Nicholas Le Prevost as Benedick and Beatrice.

His first performance with the RSC saw him join the cast of Good in 1981.

A statement by his son, Josh Waldhorn, said: “Classically trained, it was the theatre where he truly flourished and he leaves a legacy of entertainment that saw him frequent the boards of Broadway, the West End and our living rooms on the telly.”