‘We will miss him terribly’: Vicar of Dibley star Gary Waldhorn dies age 78

Vicar of Dibley star Gary Waldhorn has passed away at the age of 78, his family have confirmed.

As well as starring in a number of classic British TV shows, Waldhorn was an accomplished Shakespearean actor, who enjoyed performances on Broadway and the West End.

Who was Gary Waldhorn?

Waldhorn was an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles on classic British TV shows and on the theatre stage.

He was born in London on 3 July 1943 to mother Liselotte and father Siegfried. Waldhorn graduated from the Yale School of Drama in the US in 1967 and it was during his time at the school that he would meet his future wife, Christie Dickason.

Waldhorn and Dickason married on 2 April 1967, and together had one son, Josh, who was born in 1970.

What did he star in?

Waldhorn was best known as playing the councillor David Horton in every episode of Vicar of Dibley, which debuted in 1994.

He most recently appeared in the Christmas special for the sitcom, The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown, opposite Dawn French, who plays Rev Geraldine Granger, and James Fleet, who plays his on-screen son Hugo.

Vicar of Dibley has lost a number of its beloved stars, with six members of the main cast having now passed away - Trevor Peacock, Emma Chambers, Roger Lloyd-Pack, John Bluthal and Liz Smith.

Waldhorn also appeared in other classic British TV shows including The Sweeney, Brush Strokes, Hotel Babylon and in the comedy sketch show French and Saunders.

His other notable projects include All at No 20, Lovejoy, Gallowglass, The Chief, Campaign, Edward & Mrs Simpson and Softly Softly: Task Force.

He also provided voice overs for adverts including for Green Flag, Kwik Fit, Branston and Marmite.

Waldhorn was an accomplished Shakespearean actor and had performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company including in Much Ado About Nothing.

Waldhorn was a regular Royal Shakespeare Company actor, also appearing in productions like Good and All’s Well That Ends Well. His other theatrical credits include starring alongside David Tennant on the West End in 1998 in Black Comedy, as well as playing the title role in Henry IV at the Old Vic.

Speaking about the theatre and Shakespear, Waldhorn once said: “I liked acting as a child and I remember as a first-former in London we were given tickets to the Old Vic to see a Shakespeare play.