Timothy West: Actor dies in his sleep at 90

He was always the suspect: The actor Timothy West, known from many British crime films, is dead. This was reported by the British news agency PA, citing his family. He is known to German audiences through guest appearances in the popular crime series “Inspector Barnaby” and “Agatha Christie’s Poirot”.

“After a long and extraordinary life on and off stage, our beloved father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep last night. He was 90 years old,” PA quoted relatives as saying in a statement.

The Brit, who was born in Bradford in northern England, has appeared in numerous cinema and television productions since the late 1950s. He often masterfully played the role of villain or suspect.

But things were different in one of his most famous roles: in the British-French thriller “The Jackal” (original title: “The Day of the Jackal”) from 1973, West embodied a smart top police officer at the head of a team of investigators in a prominent appearance. The officers are hunting a contract killer who has targeted French President Charles de Gaulle. Nobody knows the killer’s face until shortly before the end. This version, directed by Fred Zinnemann, is considered the most successful film adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s bestseller.

West appeared in the soap operas “Coronation Street” (the British model of “Lindenstrasse”) and “Eastenders”. A TV documentary series called “Great Canal Journeys” was very popular in Great Britain, in which he traveled with his wife Prunella Scales and friends in houseboats through England, which is criss-crossed by canals. The character actor has repeatedly appeared on the theater stage in Shakespeare productions.