‘Game of Thrones’ star Ian Gelder dead at 74
Actor Ian Gelder, who famously starred as Kevan Lannister in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones, has died at the age of 74 following a bile duct cancer battle. Gelder only received his diagnosis five months ago.
The British star’s acting career had rolled on for several decades and featured a role in Torchwood: Children of Earth as Mr Dekker, plus further efforts in the likes of His Dark Materials, Doctor Who, Snatch and The Bill.
Gelder’s husband and fellow actor Ben Daniels announced the passing of his life partner on Instagram, beginning, “It is with huge, huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder. Ian was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December, and yesterday he passed at 13.07.”
Daniels had stopped working in order to look after Gelder but admitted that neither he nor the late actor had realised that his death would come so quickly after his diagnosis.
“He was my absolute rock and we’d been partners for more than 30 years,” Daniels continued. “If we weren’t together, we spoke to each other every day. He was the kindest, most generous spirited and loving human being.”
According to Gelder’s widow, Gelder had “touched” every person he had worked with with his “heart and light”, adding that he had “coped with his dreadful illness with such bravery, with no self pity. Ever.”
Daniels had shared a picture of him and his late husband shortly after his cancer diagnosis, and responding to the image, he shared, “This pic was taken at Christmas time after I’d got him out of hospital and even though he’d gone through the worst three weeks there you can still see his joy and love shining through.”
Fellow actor Richard E. Grant had responded to Daniels’ Instagram post with the message, “I am so SO sorry for the incalculable loss of your beloved Ian.”
Meanwhile, DPA Management, who managed Gelder as a client, also announced his passing, writing on Twitter, “It was a pleasure to represent Ian Gelder for the latter part of his career. The world will be a lesser place without him in it. Ian was such a lovely person and a wonderful actor. I know he will be hugely missed by all those that loved him and worked alongside him.”
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