Actor Richard Briers, loved by millions for his years in TV sitcom The Good Life, has been praised as a "national treasure" after his death at the age of 79.
His co-star in the hit 1970s BBC show, Penelope Keith, said he was "the most talented of actors" and his death was an "enormous loss".
Briers, who also played a number of Shakespearean roles on screen as well as starring in hit shows such as Ever Decreasing Circles and Monarch Of The Glen, had battled a serious lung condition for many years.
He died peacefully at his London home on Sunday only weeks after he told how smoking had left him with emphysema.
Tributes flooded in yesterday. Sir Kenneth Branagh, who cast him in a number of productions on screen and stage, said: "He was a national treasure, a great actor and a wonderful man. He will be deeply missed."
Alastair McKenzie, who starred alongside Briers in Monarch Of The Glen, said he was utterly heartbroken.
He said: "I adored him and will miss him terribly. He taught me a great deal. He will be so very fondly remembered."
Prunella Scales, his co-star from Marriage Lines, said: "He was just a wonderful colleague and a dear friend."
Briers will be best remembered for his role as Tom Good, alongside Felicity Kendal, in the The Good Life, about a couple who drop out of the rat race to enjoy a life of self-sufficiency.
But his varied career saw him narrating the 1970s children's cartoon series Roobarb And Custard, as well as adding his voice to the animated version of Watership Down.
Although long known for his comedy performances in film and TV, a new strand to his career unfolded when he joined Sir Kenneth's Renaissance Theatre Company in 1987, performing a number of classical roles.
They worked together on Henry V, Peter's Friends, Much Ado About Nothing and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein during their lengthy association.
In a recent interview, the actor told how his health had suffered after his emphysema diagnosis.
He attributed it to smoking, despite giving up the habit 10 years ago.
He said: "I didn't think it would go as badly as it has.
"I used to love smoking. It's totally my fault.
"So, I get very breathless, which is a pain in the backside."
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