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Actor and comedian John Sessions died at the age of 67. Sessions, best known for appearing on such television shows as Whose Line Is It Anyway ?, Have I Got News For You and QI, died after a heart attack at his home in south London.
Born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1953, Sessions trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London (Rada). He first earned accolades with a series of one-man live comedy shows in the 1980s, before becoming a panelist for the original radio version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? with Stephen Fry. He later went on to television with the show. In 1989, he hosted his first one-man television show, John Sessions, and filmed at London’s Donmar Warehouse.
In addition to his panel work, he was known for his role on Spitting Image playing, among others, Norman Tebbit and Sir Laurence Olivier, and the cult comedy Stella Street, which also saw him perform as an impressionist. Later roles included roles in Doctor Who, Victoria, and Skins.
In the film, he played two British prime ministers, playing Harold Wilson in Made in Dagenham in 2010 and Edward Heath in the 2011 film The Iron Lady.
Other film roles included Macmorris in Henry V, directed by his contemporary Kenneth Branagh in Rada, and Salerio in Michael Radford’s The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons.
Recent projects include a radio adaptation of the children’s book The Adventures of Captain Bobo and the Radio 4 comedy Quanderhorn.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2017, Sessions, who was gay, recounted being denounced by the press in 1994: “When I was on My Night with Reg at the Royal Court in 1994, it was all about homosexuality. I was interviewed by the London Evening Standard and they asked me very forcefully, ‘Are you gay?’ I said, ‘Yes, I am, but my parents don’t know and I don’t want them to find out by picking up a copy of the Evening Standard.’ The journalist said she thought I should tell her and she betrayed me. My mother died unexpectedly six weeks later and my father quickly developed dementia. It was never mentioned. “
A Eurosceptic, Sessions spoke in support of Nigel Farage’s Ukip in 2013. He was also a critic of Scottish independence, and was one of 200 celebrities who signed a letter to the Scottish people urging them to vote no in the country’s 2014 referendum. .
Leading the online tributes, radio writer and DJ Danny Baker described Sessions as “always a great company and a real talent. Their roles in the heart of [Beachcomber … By The Way], my favorite radio series, has given me infinite pleasure and I will continue to do so forever. Easy trip, buddy … ”The team behind QI praised his“ incredible wit and encyclopedic knowledge. [which] he played a very important role in the history of the program.
Robert Webb said: “Bobby Ball and now John Sessions! Two very different artists who absolutely inspired and delighted me at different times. Charming and funny men ”.
