Britain lost a veteran star this week as Ron Moody has passed away. According to the BBC, the acclaimed actor died at the age of 91.
The late Moody boasts decades of stage, film, and television work and rose to fame with his impressive portrayal of the antagonist Fagin in 1968's big-screen adaptation of Oliver! The English thespian earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for the role and nabbed the Golden Globe at the 1969 ceremony.
Moody went on to appear in EastEnders, Murder Most Foul, and The Twelve Chairs, and even played Kris Kringle in the 1978 TV special Benji's Very Own Christmas Story and Sir Isaac Newton in 2001's Revelation. He continued to act well into his eighties, making a cameo in the BBC series Holby City in 2012.
The prolific actor is survived by six children and his wife of more than 20 years, Therese Blackbourn. "He brought joy to his family and to the hearts of many and will be greatly missed," she told the BBC of her husband. "He was singing until the end."
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Moody's renaissance late in life was not just confined to his career, as he had children in his seventies and took on life with vigor as he aged.
"I never thought about settling down," he said in a 2006 interview with The Independent. "I was obsessed with my career — I was blinkered. I finally met a woman who was worthy of me. Then we settled down and had many children. I had to meet this partner and have these particular children. When a baby is born everything that came before it is justified."
"The age you're at [is the best age] because that's what you are," Moody added. "Make the most of it. Every age has got problems and compensations… The world is always reinventing itself, and so should you. I used to say 'I haven't started yet.'"
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