Sitcom star Olsen dies

Gary Olsen (right) with the cast of 2 Point 4 Children

Comedy actor Gary Olsen, who starred as the father in the hit sitcom 2 Point 4 Children, has died aged 42.

Olsen died in Australia on Tuesday after a long battle against cancer.

BBC One controller Peter Salmon paid tribute to Olsen, whose career took in TV, films and theatre.

"Gary was a lively, lovely man and an actor who brought pleasure to millions of viewers with his central role in 2 Point 4 Children," he said.

His ability to bring warmth and humour to everything he did means his loss at such an early age is even more tragic

Peter Salmon

"His ability to bring warmth and humour to everything he did means his loss at such an early age is even more tragic."

Olsen's played Ben Porter in 2 Point 4 Children, a layabout self-employed plumber alongside his angst-ridden wife Bill, played by Belinda Lang, and their two teenage children.

The programme began in 1991 and was into its ninth series.

Film credits

Olsen recently starred as a bleach blond crime boss in the British gangster movie 24 Hours In London - his first major film role.

Gary Olsen in 24 Hours In London

But before that, he had taken a number of minor movie parts including roles in in Peter Greenaway's film The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, with Helen Mirren.

Starting out as a bit part actor in the late 1970s, Olsen's earliest credits included "Guy In Bar" in Hazel O'Connor's Breaking Glass in 1980 and "Worker No 1" in Outland with Sean Connery.

Later he appeared in the Rocky Horror Show, Pink Floyd's The Wall.

On the BBC, Olsen also appeared in Paul Calf's Video Diaries with comedian Steve Coogan.

BBC head of comedy Geoffrey Perkins said: "It is desperately sad. Gary was one of Britain's great comedy actors. He was a real star in 2 Point 4 Children."

A BBC spokesman added colleagues were stunned by Olsen's death.

"He was a wonderful comedy actor and our thoughts are with his family," he said.