British Stage Veteran Michael Byrne Dies at 86
British actor Michael Byrne, known for his extensive theatre work and supporting film roles, died at age 86.
Michael Byrne, a British actor with a career spanning more than five decades, died at the age of 86, his talent agency Conway Van Gelder Grant confirmed without providing further details. Byrne was born on Nov. 7, 1939, in London, the son of a cook named Helen, and began his stage work in the early 1960s. He performed at the Old Vic alongside Laurence Olivier and later appeared in the Royal Court Theatre's 1991 premiere of Ariel Dorfman's "Death and the Maiden," playing Dr. Roberto Miranda opposite Juliet Stevenson and Bill Paterson.
His repertoire included several Shakespearean parts, such as Polonius in "Hamlet," Cassius in "Julius Caesar" and Prince Hal in "Henry IV," and in 2010 he and Siân Phillips portrayed an elderly couple in the adaptation "Juliet and Her Romeo" at the Bristol Old Vic. Byrne also took on military roles in World War II films, appearing as a German soldier in "Force 10 From Navarone" and "The Eagle Has Landed," and as a British officer in "A Bridge Too Far." On television he portrayed Cicero in the 2005 series "Empire" and made numerous appearances on British programs including "Coronation Street" and "Casualty." Details about surviving family members were not immediately available.
