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John Bird, the prolific British actor, comedian, and satirist, has died at age 86.

The BBC reports that he passed away "peacefully" at a care home in West Sussex, southern England, on Christmas Eve. Bird's extensive career stretched from the early 1960s to the late 2010s, a period in which he became a pillar of the British satirical comedy scene.

In 1997, he and longtime collaborator John Fortune jointly won a BAFTA award for their performance on the sketch comedy series Rory Bremner... Who Else?. This show eventually evolved into the increasingly satire-focused Bremner, Bird, and Fortune, in which he and Fortune shared top billing with Rory Bremner.

You can check out a classic Bird and Fortune sketch set during the 2007–2008 financial crisis below.

On Twitter, Bremner hailed Bird as "one of the most modest of men and most brilliant of satirists." Recalling his work with Bird and Fortune – who passed away in 2013 – Bremner added: "I used to watch from the wings and marvel at how the two friends made it look so effortless, so blissfully funny, their skill and enjoyment in the moment making light of the seriously detailed research that went into each piece."

Bird's TV career began in 1962 when he served as a writer on the highly influential BBC satirical series That Was the Week That Was. In addition to his prolific comedy work, he also appeared as a "straight" actor in episodes of Midsomer Murders, Inspector Morse, and Jonathan Creek.

He and Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire starred in the BBC sitcom Chambers, in which Bird played an egotistical lawyer, between 2000 and 2001. Bird is survived by his wife, Libby, a concert pianist, as well as by his stepsons Dan and Josh.

Rest in Peace, John Bird, and thank you for your contribution.