Actor Ben Keaton, best known for roles in Father Ted, Emmerdale and Casualty, has died aged 70. According to the notice published after his death, Keaton died in Lincoln County Hospital on Friday.
Career highlights
Keaton enjoyed a varied career across television and the stage. On television he was seen in the comedy series Father Ted, in which he played Father Austin Purcell, and appeared in long-running series such as Emmerdale and BBC One’s Casualty.
His stage work included productions at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, where he appeared in plays ranging from American Buffalo to Hay Fever. He co-established the improv group South of the River and held a senior role at the Creative Academy.
Keaton also wrote for television, contributing episodes to children’s programming including Balamory for BBC Digital, the series Gumtree for Channel 4 and five series of Hubbub for the BBC.
Over the course of his career he received several honours, including the 1986 Perrier Comedy Award and two Best Actor awards from the Manchester Evening News, and he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.
Tributes and family
A death notice read: “Ben will be forever greatly missed, loved and fondly remembered by his ex-wife Polly, son Waldo and daughter Daisy, brothers Des and Thom, sister Jeanette.”
Nottingham Playhouse paid tribute, saying: “We are so sorry to hear of the death of Ben Keaton, a wonderful actor who is fondly remembered in our 2008 production of Vertigo. Sending our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.”
Social posts from fans and colleagues also appeared. A Father Ted fan account on X posted: “Saddened to hear of the passing of actor Ben Keaton. We knew him as Father Austin Purcell (one of my favourite one-off characters). He was a regular at ComicCon events, so I imagine many got to meet him over the years. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and many fans.”
Keaton’s ex-wife Polly shared on Facebook: “So incredibly sorry to say Ben Keaton died last night. It was very sudden and we are all in shock. We had separated several years ago but we had half a lifetime together and infuriated and made each other cry with laughter in equal measure.”
Touching tributes have poured in for the actor following the announcement of his death.
Image Referance: https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/38599852/father-ted-emmerdale-casualty-ben-keaton-dead/