Acclaimed Jewish actor Antony Sher, who was well known on stage and on screen, has died at the age of 72.
His death was announced by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in a statement saying that he had been suffering from terminal cancer.
Sher was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents in Cape Town, South Africa. He gained fame as a member of the RSC, which he joined in the early 80s, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for his performance starring in Richard III.
Besides classical theater, he was also known for playing Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman in 2015.
Sher was in several movies, including Yanks (1979), Superman II (1980) and Erik The Viking (1989), and also appeared on TV.
In a statement, RSC executive director Chatherine Mallyon and acting artistic director Erica Whyman said: “We are deeply saddened by this news, and our thoughts and sincere condolences are with Greg, and with Antony’s family and their friends at this devastating time.”
They continued: “Antony had a long association with the RSC and a hugely celebrated career on stage and screen… Antony’s last production with the company was in the two-hander Kunene And The King, written by his friend and fellow South African actor, writer and activist, John Kani.”
They added: “Antony was deeply loved and hugely admired by so many colleagues. He was a ground-breaking role model for many young actors, and it is impossible to comprehend that he is no longer with us.”
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)