Richard Griffiths Dies: Harry Potter's 'Uncle Vernon' Dursley Dead At 65 After Surgery

Richard Griffiths has died. The British actor best known for playing Uncle Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter film series, passed away at age 65. Richard Griffiths reportedly died of complications from recent heart surgery.

Richard Griffiths was born in 1947 in Thornaby-on-Tees, Yorkshire, England, to the family of a steelworker. Both of his parents were deaf, so Griffiths became proficient in sign language when he was young. He later attended the Manchester School of Theatre and soon was cast in a number of supporting roles in Shakespeare plays, culminating in his portrayal of King Henry VIII. He later starred on the big screen in the British cult classic "Withnail and I."

Richard Griffiths soon found his way to the United States and was cast as the eccentric, wheelchair-bound energy policy wonk, Dr. Albert S. Meinheimer, in David Zucker's 1991 comedy "Naked Gun 2½", alongside Leslie Nielsen and O.J. Simpson. Though he offered a very memorable performance in that role, which included becoming the impromptu leader of a Mexican-styled brass quartet, Richard Griffiths is best known to fans as the grumpy Vernon Dursley.

In the Harry Potter films, Richard Griffiths portrays Harry's caregiver after his parent's death at the hands of Lord Voldemort, though the term "caregiver" is used lightly. Caring little for Harry's safety and contentment throughout the series, Richard Griffiths' character of Uncle Vernon is one of the most memorable supporting performances of J.K. Rowling's characters.

Despite their on-screen disdain for each other while in-character, Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe said of Richard Griffiths, "I was proud to say I knew him," remarking on his "encouragement, tutelage and humor." At one time, the Tony-award winning Griffiths himself commented on his signature role. He joked that he enjoys it "because that gives me a license to be horrible to kids."