Friday Night Dinner actor Paul Ritter has died aged 54

Actor Paul Ritter, who played dad Martin Goodman in Channel 4 comedy Friday Night Dinner, dies aged 54s.

Veteran actor Paul Ritter has passed away aged 54 from a brain tumour, at home with his wife and two sons.

“It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away last night,” said his agent. “He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah by his side. He was 54 and had been suffering from a brain tumour.

“Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill. He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly.”

Actor Tom Rosenthal who played one of his sons Jonny (Below Paul in the photo) in the show said “Anyone who’s seen Friday Night Dinner knows the amount of shit we put him through and I never once heard him complain. I’ll be forever thankful for working with someone who was so supportive and who taught me so much about professionalism and humility in acting.” Adding “It was a total pleasure an honour.”

Known to many as family patriarch Martin in CH4 comedy series Friday Night Dinner, the star of the screen and the stage had been known to take on a multitude of unique roles, adapting his performance with perfection dependant on exactly which character he was playing.

His theatre work had seen him nominated in 2006 for an Olivier Award following his performance in Coram Boy, whilst his 2009 starring role in The Norman Conquests earned him a Tony Award nomination.

Ritter had already filmed a 10th anniversary retrospective for Friday Night Dinner, which is expected to air on Channel 4 later this year.

Fans of the TV series and the star have been taking to social media to remember some of his character’s funniest moments, which of course include his iconic catchphrase, “SH*T ON IT!”, and of course his random obsessions with new hobbies and ideas.