Tony award-winning actor Roger Rees, popular for his roles in Cheers and The West Wing, has died aged 71. The actor passed away on Friday after a brief illness.
The Welsh actor had lived in the US for over a quarter of a century and is survived by his husband, the playwright Rick Elice.
He had appeared in the Broadway musical The Visit until a few weeks ago, when ill-health obliged him to step down.
Rees was an artist before turning to acting in the 1960s.
"I was at a pretty rough school, and the only thing I was good at was art," he declared in a 2013 interview.
"I got out of this school and went to Camberwell College of Arts, a terribly prestigious thing to do. I was there to be a painter. And I sketched so well that a year later I was sent to Slade School of Fine Art, one of the great art schools."
He was asked to take a role in a play at Wimbledon Theatre when, in fact, he was there to paint a backdrop. "And I suddenly was an actor. I played the lead. I don't remember being nervous. I learned to be nervous later," he said.
He played Robin Colcord, a millionaire love interest for Kirstie Alley's Rebecca Howe in the 1980s sitcom Cheers. He played the role of British ambassador Lord John Marbury in The West Wing from 2000 to 2005.
