David Ryall, Harry Potter’s Elphias Doge, Dies On Christmas Day At Age 79
The Harry Potter films may have come to a close, but the love and obsession for young and old wizards has not show any signs of waning. Though many of its actors moved on to other projects, one has seen his last. Tragedy struck the former Harry Potter franchise on the most unfortunate of days. Variety reports that veteran British actor and Albus Dumbledore boyhood confidant, David Ryall, passed away on Christmas day.
The news came over twitter from Sherlock writer Mark Gatiss, who tweeted a heartfelt remembrance and announcement that the Harry Potter actor had passed.
“The great David Ryall left us on Christmas Day. A twinkling, brilliant, wonderful actor I was privileged to call a friend. RIP.”
His daughter Charlie Ryall, who is also an actor, followed a few hours later with her own emotional statement and tribute. In it she reminded everyone that David Ryall has a 50 year acting career behind him, not just his more recent appearance in the Harry Potter series.
“Please take a moment to remember his huge five-decade-spanning career outside of the more well-known TV & film. Not just Harry Potter.”
David Ryall played the Order of the Phoenix member for only one of the Harry Potter franchise in the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Despite this fact, he managed to maintain a memorable role in the series. However, according to US Weekly, the Harry Potter actor had 149 film and TV credits under his belt. He had a reoccurring role on the 2013 British drama The Village for its two seasons thus far.
He was also known for City Of Ember, Around the World In 80 Days, and other reoccurring TV roles in the partially improvised British comedy Outnumbered.
This is not the first time tragedy has struck the Harry Potter series. In fact, death hit them very early on in the film series. In 2002, Dumbledore actor Richard Harris passed away, leaving the franchise in search of a leading character. Michael Gambon played the Harry Potter leading elder wizard for the remainder of the films.
Sadly, this comes less than two weeks after the potential for another film just came down the pike. The Inquisitr reported that J.K. Rowling released several new stories earlier this month. The “new” stories are sometimes merely three paragraphs, and diehard Harry Potter fans needed to solved puzzles to get to the new stories. However, as reported, the puzzles would not be very hard for Harry’s fans.
It is safe to say that its a sad time for David Ryall’s family, his fans, and the film world at large.
[Image Via Creative Commons/Tumblr & Warner Bros.]
