Actor John Mills has passed away

[Christiern]

Actor John Mills dies



LONDON: One of Britain’s best known and best loved actors, Sir John Mills, died on Saturday aged 97 after a short illness, a member of his staff said.

The former song-and-dance man, who starred as Pip in the 1946 classic “Great Expectations” and won an Oscar in 1971 for best supporting actor in the film “Ryan’s Daughter”, was one of the most significant of all British film stars. “Sir John Mills died peacefully at home after a short illness,” a member of his staff confirmed.

The actor’s family was travelling to Britain from the United States and was expected to arrive by Monday, the BBC reported.

A funeral service would be held for family and friends at St Mary’s Church in his home village in Denham, just outside London, on Wednesday, it added. Mills is survived by his second wife, the playwright Mary Hayley Bell, his son, Jonathan, and daughters Juliette and Hayley, both actresses. The couple wed in 1941 and remained devoted to each other. afp