Death in Paradise star Adrian Schiller dies, aged 60

Death in Paradise actor Adrian Schiller has died at the age of 60.

The actor appeared in two episodes of the BBC crime drama in 2021, where he played concert pianist Pasha Verdinikov.

Schiller's sister announced the sad news on his account on X, formerly Twitter, and said: "Dear all. This is Ginny. I'm so sorry to let you all know that our beloved brother Adrian died suddenly at home yesterday (April 3). 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."

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In a statement, Schilling's agent said: "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."

In his career, Schiller played Cornelius Penge in all three seasons of ITV royal drama Victoria, an Aethelhelm in three seasons of Netflix series The Last Kingdom.

Schiller was also a renowned theatre actor and was regularly on stage at the National Theatre, and last year he was part of the cast of The White Factory at Marylebone Theatre. He most recently appeared in an episode of Apple TV+ series The New Look, as well as an episode of BBC show Father Brown.

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Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman paid tribute to Schiller on social media, writing: "Absolutely gutted to hear about the sudden passing of Adrian Schiller – the most wonderful actor, ally and mensch. So sorry to hear this news. May your memory be a blessing."

Tilly Steele, who worked with Schiller on Victoria, wrote: "I cannot believe that Adrian Schiller has died. He was a remarkable actor and person. I'm completely in shock and I'm thinking of everyone who knew him and was close to him."

Whilst, Fool Me Once star Richard Armitage shared: "Oh Ginny, I'm so sorry to hear about Adrian. My thoughts are with you and your family."