Tony Slattery, British actor and comedian known for “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, dies at 65

Tony Slattery, the British actor and comedian known for his sharp improv skills on Channel 4's Whose Line Is It Anyway?, has died. He was 65.

Slattery died Tuesday morning after he suffered a heart attack on Sunday, his longtime partner, Mark Michael Hutchinson, told BBC.

Entertainment Weekly couldn't immediately reach a rep for Slattery.

The British comedian was a regular on the Clive Anderson-hosted Whose Line Is It Anyway? on Channel 4, appearing across seven seasons between 1988 and 1995 and becoming known for his quick wit and improv capabilities.

Born in Stonebridge, London, Slattery was a graduate of the prestigious University of Cambridge, where he met fellow comedian Stephen Fry and became a member of the institution's comedy troupe Cambridge Footlights alongside then-students Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, and Sandi Toksvig. He would even go on to appear in Kenneth Branagh's 1992 romance comedy Peter's Friends opposite his former peers Fry, Thompson, and Laurie.

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He made his television debut on 1983's late night comedy show Saturday Stayback, an offshoot of O.T.T. That was followed by appearances on Behind the Bike Sheds, Gems, This Is David Harper, That's Love, Coronation Street, and Kingdom. On the big screen, Slattery starred in The Crying Game, How to Get Ahead in Advertising, Heaven's a Drag, and Blackball.

Slattery also appeared on the stage, starring in London's West End with musicals Me and My Girl, Radio Times, and Neville's Island. He received an Olivier Award nomination for his work on Tim Firth's Neville's Island.

The comedian's last television appearance was a 2020 episode of BBC's Horizon, in which he explored his mental health struggles, past addiction struggles, and childhood trauma from abuse. In 2019, Slattery spoke candidly about suffering a mental breakdown at the age of 36, after years of nonstop work fueled by drug and alcohol use. "I had a very happy time until I went slightly barmy,” he told The Guardian.

Fry is one of the many British stars who've paid tribute to Slattery on social media, sharing a snapshot of them during their Cambridge years and remembering his pal as the "gentlest, sweetest soul."

"Not to mention a screamingly funny and deeply talented wit and clown," added Fry. "A cruel irony that fate should snatch him from us just as he had really begun to emerge from his lifelong battle with so many dark demons. He had started live 'evenings with' on his own podcast series. Lovely, at least, this past year for him to have found to his joyous surprise that he was still remembered and held in great affection. Love and condolences to Mark, his staunch, devoted life partner of almost 40 years."

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