BREAKING: Iconic ‘Torchwood’ and ‘Phantom Of The Opera’ star passes away aged 90

Murray Melvin, known for his roles in ‘Torchwood’ and ‘Phantom Of The Opera’ passed away at the age of 90.

Murray Melvin, the iconic star of ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, and ‘Torchwood’, the Dr Who spinoff, passed away yesterday, Friday, April 14. The respected actor and author died aged 90.

His death was announced on Twitter by Kerry Kyriacos Michael, a Creative Director based in London. He tweeted: “He had a fall in December, from which he never fully recovered. He died at St Thomas’ Hospital on Friday, 14th April, aged 90. He was one of my closest friends and will be missed by so many of us who had the privilege to know him”.

It's with great sadness that I have to announce the death of Murray Melvin – actor, director and theatre archivist. pic.twitter.com/0PXn2sBbWp

— Kerry Kyriacos Michael MBE (@1KerryMichael) April 15, 2023

In a glittering career, he acted and worked with the likes of Joan Littlewood, Ken Russell and had a long-standing working relationship with the legendary Stanley Kubrick.

As an author, Murray also had two books published. These were ‘The Art of Theatre Workshop’ in 2006, and ‘The Theatre Royal, A History of the Building’, in 2009.

Paying tribute to the well-loved actor, Russel T Davies, the screenwriter and producer commented: “Murray Melvin, bless him, he played the wonderful villain in Torchwood, Bilis Manger, and he loved it! But what a career!”.

“He created the great, gay Geoffrey in ‘A Taste of Honey’, on stage and on film. Tons of work with Joan Littlewood and Ken Russell. Amazing. Such a gent. He lived through a century that saw the understanding of his identity change so profoundly, and he did so with dignity, class and wit”, he added.

Melvin will be fondly remembered for his role in the 2004 production of ‘The Phantom of The Opera’, as well as ‘A Taste of Honey’ in 1961 and in 1975 for ‘Barry Lyndon’.