Richard Griffiths, Uncle Vernon in ‘Harry Potter,’ Dies at 65

Richard Griffiths won a Tony for "The History Boys"

Richard Griffiths, the English actor best known for playing the oleaginous Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter series, has died.

He was 65, and the cause of death was complications from heart surgery.

Though best known for his role in the Harry Potter series as the boy wizard's indifferent guardian, he was also beloved for another avuncular supporting turn as the sexually carnivorous Uncle Monty in the 1987 black comedy "Withnail and I."

Other film roles included "Hugo" (2011), "Sleepy Hollow"(1999) and "The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear" (1992).

Griffiths, whose girth made him a popular and memorable character actor in films, confessed that because of his doughy appearance, he had a tortured relationship with the camera.

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