Ben Keaton obit

Father Ted actor Ben Keaton has died

 He was not on the list.

Tributes are flooding in for the actor.

Father Ted actor Ben Keaton has died.

Tributes are flooding in for Keaton, who played Father Austin Purcell in the show from 1995.

He is also known for his roles in shows such as Casualty, Emmerdale, The Bill, Hububb, Doctors and Double Time, as well as films East Is East and Love Bite.

Keaton passed away unexpectedly at Lincoln County Hospital on Friday, March 20.

"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," reads his death notice.

The Dublin man was also well known in the theatre space having appeared at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester in productions of Animal Crackers, American Buffalo, Harvey, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Hay Fever.

He was also a finding member of the improv group South Of The River, and a director of the Creative Academy.

Furthermore, he also did work as a comedian and won an array of awards like the Perrier Comedy Award at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival, two Manchester Evening News Best Actor Awards and a prestigious Laurence Olivier nomination.

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

Filmography

Year     Programme      Role     Notes

1989    The Bill           Harry   Episode: "Powers of Exclusion"

1995    Father Ted       Father Austin Purcell  Episode: "Think Fast, Father Ted"

1996    Jack and Jeremy's Real Lives             Episodes: "Paranormal Researchers" and "Writers"

1997–

2000    Hububb           Mr Tight / Priest / Mayor / Patrick /

Ralph / Inventor 1 / Hung Lo Pants    Writer – 47 episodes

1999    East Is East      Priest  

1999–

2002    Casualty          Spencer           51 episodes

2002    Balamory                     Writer – episode: "The Boat"

2002    Doctors            John Hampton Episode: "Unfinished Business"

2002    Harry Hill's TV Burp  Spencer           Series 1, episode 5

2007    The Bill           Ed Abraham    Episode: "Killing Me Softly"

2007    Double Time   Eddie   TV film

2012    Love Bite        Father John    

2015    Cook Like a Priest       Father Austin Purcell  Web series – also writer