In pictures: Sir Nigel Hawthorne

The illustrious acting career of Sir Nigel Hawthorne proved he was equally adept at comedy and tragedy.

Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey in Yes, Minister, with Derek Fowlds (left) and Paul Eddington in 1982

Performing a comedy sketch for Yes, Prime Minister with Margaret Thatcher in 1984

Hawthorne won an Oscar nomination for The Madness of King George in 1994

He could pick his roles after the Oscar nomination

Winning a BAFTA in 1996 with Emma Thompson

In 1999, he returned to Cape Town where he spent his childhood

Hawthorne proved his talent at tragedy in King Lear in 1999

Hawthorne and Kate Winslet attending a charity concert in 2000