'The Crown' and 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' actor Ronald Pickup passes away at 80

Ronald Pickup, who was best known for the hit Netflix drama The Crown, died on February 24, 2021. He was 80 years old and passed away after a long illness. Confirming the news to BBC on February 25, his agent released a statement that read, “He passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness surrounded by his wife and family. He will be deeply missed.”

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Ronald played the role of Archbishop of Canterbury in the first season of The Crown. He played the role of Neville Chamberlain in 2017’s Darkest Hour. The Gary Oldman starrer received a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

Ronald also portrayed Norman Cousins in John Madden’s 2011 romantic dramedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. He shared a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel and others. He later appeared in the sequel in 2015’s The Second Best Exotic Hotel.

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Ronald Pickup was born on June 7, 1940. He was born in Chester, England. He performed across film, television, radio and theatre. He graduated from the University of Leeds in 1962 with a degree in English.

Ronald had his big break after his first television role as a physician in an episode of Doctor Who. The episode was titled The Tyrant of France and Ronald was paid £30 for the episode back in 1964. He played many television roles. His well-known television work includes the 2015 episode of Downton Abbey and 2014's Call the Midwife Christmas special. He was also seen in Vera, Coronation Street, Doc Martin, Parade's End, Holby City, The Bill and Silent Witness.

As a theatre artist in 1964, he played Octavius in Julius Caesar under the direction of Lindsay Anderson at the Royal Court Theater in London.  He also worked with Laurence Olivier on multiple dramas. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1998 for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for his role in Amy’s View.

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National Theatre expresses grief over Ronald Pickup's death 

As soon as the news of Ronald Pickup's death spread, the National Theatre took to Twitter and expressed grief. Sharing pictures of him, they wrote, ‘We're very sad to hear that Ronald Pickup has died. Ronald was an exceptional actor and had a long history with the NT, starting with 1964's The Royal Hunt of the Sun. He went on to feature in 36 of our productions, and was a regular at The Old Vic under Laurence Olivier.”

His film credits include movies such as The Day of the Jackal, Zulu Dawn, The Mission, Secret Passage, The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby and many more. He played a small role in Never Say Never Again which was the last movie featuring Sean Connery as James Bond. In 2020, Ronald starred in the horror movie End of Term.

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