Terence Rigby loses his battle with lung cancer

(ITV)

Stage and screen actor Terence Rigby has died at 71, his spokesman announced yesterday.

Rigby died at his London home last night and had been suffering from lung cancer.

The star's film credits included Mona Lisa Smile in 2003, Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The Dogs of War (1980), Get Carter (1971), and Scandal in 1989.

On TV, Rigby was best known for his role as PC Snow in the TV series from the 1960s and 1970s, Softly, Softly: Task Force.

More recently, he appeared on the small screen in Our Friends in the North, Midsomer Murders, Holby City, Heartbeat and Doctors.

TV credits from the 1970s include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and in the 1980s The Beiderbecke Affair.

Rigby appeared in several National Theatre productions, including No Man's Land, directed by Harold Pinter, which featured John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson.

Catherine Sparks, Rigby's sister, said on behalf of the actor's family: "We are so proud of Terry and are going to miss him terribly.

"He was true to his art and respected by all the industry - he was the actor's actor."

The actor's spokesman Peter Charlesworth said: "He will be sorely missed. There are not so many like him anymore.

"He was a very powerful character actor, able to play villains and nice roles with ease. He was particularly good at playing Pinter roles, which were very difficult."

In the theatre, Rigby appeared in The Cherry Orchard and Waiting for Godot at the National Theatre.

He appeared in Royal Shakespeare Company productions of Pinter's The Homecoming and 1977 play State of Revolution, in which he was cast as Stalin.

Rigby was also cast in several theatre productions in the US.

His last work there was in February this year in the Oscar Wilde play A Woman of No Importance.

The actor, who studied at Rada, had been living in London and New York since February.