Gary Waldhorn, the actor best known for playing Councillor David Horton in The Vicar of Dibley, has died at age 78.
His son Josh Waldhorn confirmed the sad news to the BBC, saying in a statement: "Classically trained, it was the theater where he truly flourished and he leaves a legacy of entertainment that saw him frequent the boards of Broadway, the West End and our living rooms on the telly! He leaves behind his two grandsons, Cooper and Bayley, and his son Josh. We will all miss him terribly."
Born in London and trained at the Yale School of Drama, Waldhorn began his acting career at the end of the 1960s and worked extensively on stage and TV. From 1986 to 1991, he starred in the popular BBC sitcom Brush Strokes, having previously made guest appearances in numerous British drama series including The New Avengers, The Professionals, and Minder.
In 1994, he was cast as David Horton, a pompous parish councillor who wields considerable influence on the local community, in the hugely successful sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. Over three seasons and a number of specials, the most recent of which aired in 2007, Waldhorn's staunchly traditional character proved to be the main comic foil for Dawn French's title character, the forward-thinking vicar Geraldine Granger.  You can relive their sparring in the show's first ever scene below.Marking her co-star’s passing on Twitter, French shared a photo of Waldhorn with a broken heart emoji. French and James Fleet, who played David’s son Hugo Horton, are now the only main cast members from The Vicar of Dibley still with us following the passing of Waldhorn, Roger Lloyd-Pack (Owen Newitt), Trevor Peacock (Jim Trott), John Bluthal (Frank Pickle), Emma Chambers (Alice Horton), and Liz Smith (Letitia Cropley).

Waldhorn's many stage credits include a 1998 West End production of Black Comedy, in which he starred opposite David Tennant, and the title role in 1997 West End production of Henry IV. Samuel West, who acted alongside Waldhorn in the latter, paid tribute on Twitter, hailing him as a "lovely man and terrific actor."
Rest in Peace, Gary Waldhorn, and thank you for your contribution.