British actor Adrian Schiller has died ‘suddenly and unexpectedly,’ aged 60.
The star was best known for his roles in The Last Kingdom and three series of ITV drama Victoria, in which he played Cornelius Penge, a member of the royal household.
News of his death came from his agent Scott Marshall Partners on Thursday, with a statement reading: ‘He has died far too soon, and we, his family and close friends are devastated by the loss.
‘His death was sudden and unexpected and no further details around its cause are yet available.
‘A prodigiously talented actor, he had just returned from Sydney, where he had been appearing in The Lehman Trilogy and was looking forward to continuing the international tour in San Francisco.’
Schilling leaves behind his partner Milena and young son Gabriel.
The actor’s sister Ginny also confirmed the news in a message posted on Schiller’s Twitter account, writing that they were focused on supporting Schiller’s partner and son:
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‘Dear all. This is Ginny. I’m so sorry to let you all know that our beloved brother Adrian died suddenly at home yesterday.’
‘He had so many very dear friends – sorry to those of you who are learning about this here. We will say more about funeral and/or memorial plans in due course.’
Ginny added that a trust has been set up in Schiller’s son’s name: ‘For now, we’re taking things one step at a time, supporting Milena and Gabriel as best we can and trying to get our heads around the unimaginable.
Please don’t send flowers but if anyone wants to make a gesture, we will be setting up Trust for Gabriel and there’s a link below.’
The actor rarely shared photos of his family, but in 2018, shortly after his son Gabriel was born, he posted photos of his baby boy after he underwent open heart surgery, writing: ‘Two weeks ago he had open heart surgery.
And he’s back, and he’s fighting, and my heart is so full. It’s personal, but I want to share it with the world. #GoGabriel.’
Schiller was best known for his role in The Last Kingdom, joining the third season of the historical drama series in 2018 to play the antagonistic ruler Aethelhelm.
The TV star had also made appearances in Doctor Who and starred alongside Harry Potter actress Emma Watson in the Disney live-action version of Beauty and the Beast in 2017.
In 2021 Adrian appeared in episodes of the mystery series Death in Paradise.
His other TV credits include Prime Suspect, in 1992 and 1993, Ghosts, the following year and the TV movie RKO 281 in 1999.
In the noughties Schiller appeared in notable British dramas including The Musketeers, The Devil’s Whore, A Touch of Frost, My Family, Judge John Deed and Silent Witness.
His last credited role before he died in an episode of BBC detective series Father Brown in which he played a criminal Drake Underwood in an episode, titled The Father, The Son.
He was also known for his stage work, and last year was cast in The White Factory at Marylebone Theatre.
Just prior to his death, Adrian had been starring in an international tour of three-hour play The Lehman Trilogy.
The official X account for The Lehman Trilogy shared: ‘We are deeply saddened and shocked to have lost our company member and friend, Adrian Schiller.’
‘Adrian played Henry Lehman in the international production of The Lehman Trilogy. He was a highly respected and much-loved part of the company.’
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Rufus Norris, Director of National Theatre, said: ‘We are deeply saddened and shocked to have lost our company member and friend, Adrian Schiller. Adrian was a wonderful actor, and the National Theatre had the pleasure of working with him throughout the breadth of his career.
‘His recent performance as Henry Lehman in the Australian premiere of The Lehman Trilogy was superb and his presence within the company will be greatly missed.’
‘Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.’
source: dailymail.co.uk/adrian-schiller-dead-suddenly-kingdom-victoria-actor
