Comedian Tony Slattery has died aged 65 after a heart attack, his partner has said.
The actor is best known for his appearance on Channel 4’s stand-up comedy show, Whose Line Is It Anyway? And other series such as Just One Minute and Do I Have News for You?
He’s recently been touring as a comedy show and launched his own podcast, Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club, just a few months ago, in October.
A statement issued on behalf of his partner, Mark Michael Hutchinson, said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of actor and comedian Tony Slattery, at the age of 65, this Tuesday morning, following a heart attack on Sunday evening.”
Born in 1959, Slattery attended Cambridge University along with his contemporaries Mrs. Emma Thompson, Sir Stephen Fry And Hugh Laurie.
While there, he served as president of the legendary improv group Cambridge Footlights.
Along with Sir Stephen and Lady Emma, he was the winner of the first Perrier Prize at the Edinburgh Fringe. He was also one of the original patrons of the Leicester Comedy Festival, along with Norman Wisdom and Sean Hughes, and was Chancellor of the University of Dundee.
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Slattery has spoken regularly about his bipolar disorder and revealed in 2020 that he went bankrupt after a battle with substance abuse and mental health issues.
He told Times Radio that his “financial illiteracy and general ignorance of arithmetic” as well as his “misplaced trust in people” also contributed to his financial problems.
He released a BBC documentary called What’s the Matter with Tony Slattery? The same year saw him and Hutchinson visit leading experts on mood disorders and addiction.
Comedians pay tribute to “dazzling talents”
Sir Stephen paid tribute to his friend, describing him as “the kindest, sweetest soul I have ever known… not to mention a very funny and extremely talented clown”.
“It is a cruel irony that fate snatched him from us just as he was already emerging from his ongoing battle with many dark demons,” he wrote on Instagram.
“It is nice, at least, that in the past year he has found to his happy surprise that he is still remembered and held in great affection. Love and condolences to Mark, his strong and loyal life partner of almost 40 years.”
Comedians, including Richard K. Herring and the Murrays are among those who also paid tribute.
“Really sad news about Tony Slattery,” Murray wrote on X. “Such an amazing talent.”
Tom Walker, best known as satirical journalist Jonathan Bye, said news of Slattery’s death was “absolutely heartbreaking” and described the comedian as a “genius”.
In addition to stand-up comedy performances, Slattery appeared in films in the 1980s and 1990s, including the crime thriller The Crying Game, the black comedy How To Get Ahead In Advertising, alongside Richard E. Grant, and Peter’s Friends, in which he also starred. Laurie, Sir Stephen, Lady Emma.
His film and television credits also include Carry on Columbus, Robin Hood, Red Dwarf, The English Harem, Cold Blood, The Royal, Just a Gigolo, Tiger Bastable and Coronation Street.
On stage, he received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Comedic Performance in 1995, for Tim Firth’s play Neville’s Island, which was later made into a film starring Timothy Spall. He also starred in Privates On Parade, based on the film of the same name, as impersonator Captain Terry Dennis, and made his West End debut in the 1930s-style Radio Times musical.
Slattery has survived actor Hutchinson and his partner by more than three decades.