Peter Wyngarde has passed away

Sadly, Peter Wyngarde, star of Department S and Flash Gordon has died at the age of 90.

He died at London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital after being unwell for a couple of months.

In 1946, Peter Wyngarde took his first professional roles in theatre productions. He appeared as Pausanias opposite Richard Burton in the film Alexander the Great (1956), played a lead role in the film The Siege of Sidney Street (1960). By the late 1960s, Wyngarde was guest starring in television series of the time, many of them were shown internationally, including The Avengers, The Saint, The Baron, The Champions and I Spy. He also appeared in The Prisoner (“Checkmate”, 1967) as the authority figure Number Two.

Wyngarde became a British household name through his starring role in the espionage series Department S (1969). After that series ended, his character, Jason King, was spun off into a new action espionage series entitled Jason King (1971), which ran for one season. Wyngarde appeared as the masked character Klytus in the film Flash Gordon (1980).

I always enjoyed watching Peter as Jason King. So over the top and always with a glass of wine close at hand. Mike Myers said the character was an inspiration for special agent Austin Powers.

Wyngarde’s agent and manager, Thomas Bowington, said, “He was one of the most unique, original and creative actors that I have ever seen. As a man, there were few things in life he didn’t know.”

“I sometimes nicknamed him ‘the King’ because he simply knew everything. He was a mentor on everything you can think of, from sports cars to how to make a good cup of tea and how to do a tie and shirt.

“He died at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (in London), and even then he was saying that you shouldn’t button the upper button on a shirt.

“As a person he was the most exceptional person I met in my life and a great mentor and teacher.”

Jason King is dead. Long live Jason King!

Via Sky, Wiki