By THERESA BRAINE | tbraine@nydailynews.com | New York Daily News
Ian Gelder, who played stoical “Game of Thrones” warrior Kevan Lannister, has died, his husband announced Tuesday. He was 74.
The actor died months after being diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December, his spouse, actor Ben Daniels, wrote on Instagram.
“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,” Daniels wrote. “I’d stopped all work to be his carer, but neither of us had any idea that it would all be so fast.”
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Gelder was as inspiring in death as in life, his spouse said, describing his partner of 30-plus years as “my absolute rock” and a “wonderful, wonderful actor” who touched everyone with “his heart and light.”
Gelder approached his “dreadful illness” with bravery and a complete absence of self-pity, Daniels added.
Born in 1949, the British actor was also known as Mr. Dekker in 2009’s “Torchwood: Children of Earth,” the sci-fi spinoff of the “Dr. Who” revival of 2005. In “Game of Thrones” he played Lord Tywin’s younger brother Lannister, appearing in 12 episodes before his character’s demise.
The actor has appearances in two more series in the pipeline, with roles in season two of “Interview With the Vampire,” which premieres this Sunday on AMC, and in Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” coming out this summer, according to TV Insider.
Gelder was also a prolific stage actor, appearing frequently with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
“We are saddened to hear of Ian Gelder’s death,” co-directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey said on X, mourning “one of the most kind and gentle people in the business” and noting him as a “regular on the RSC stage” starting in the 1970s.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends,” they added.
Gelder’s reps also paid tribute.
“It was a pleasure to represent Ian Gelder for the latter part of his career,” agent Daniel Albert posted on X. “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.”