Bruce Montague has died aged 83, his agent has confirmed.
The showbiz legend, who is best known for his work on Butterflies, Doctor Who and Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, will be 'sorely missed' by his family, friends and fans, writes the Mirror.
Talent Agency Belfield and Ward announced Bruce's passing earlier this week, writing: "We are very sad to report that the glorious Bruce Montague has passed away. Such a gentleman and he will be sorely missed. What a talent and what a career on stage and screen! From Butterflies to more recently Funny Girl and 42nd St. Rest well darling man!"
The late actor was best known for his role as Leonard Dunn in the sitcom Butterflies, but also appeared in over 300 productions throughout his impressive career. In 2000, he made his Doctor Who debut in the audio adventure The Genocide Machine, and followed up his initial appearance the next year in the story Sword of Orion, starring alongside Paul McGann.
In the later stages of his acting days, Bruce enjoyed a brief stint in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, playing the guest role of Derek Clough in 2015. Bruce would also be reunited with his Butterflies co-stars in his later years on TV - starring alongside Nicholas Lyndhurst in a 2013 episode of New Tricks, and sharing the screen with Wendy Craig in 2019 when they both appeared on BBC show Doctors.
Alongside his glittering career on television, Bruce also treaded the boards - playing Mr. Brownlow in Oliver! directed by Sam Mendes at the London Palladium for 3 years. Tributes have already begun pouring in for the much loved-star, with one fan taking to Twitter to write: "Sorry to hear that Bruce Montague, who played Abner Dillon in this production, died a couple of days ago."
American film actor Maxwell Caulfield paid tribute on Thursday, telling his Twitter followers: "A truly darling man #BruceMontague and the very essence of an actor laddie "So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see/so long lives this, and this gives life to thee"
Another fan sweetly said Bruce goes from "the stage to the sky", as they wrote: "I have great memories of watching Butterflies with my parents. Beautifully written by Carla Lane, and a fabulous cast. "Very sad that Leonard - Bruce Montague has gone to the stage in the sky. RIP Sir, and thank you."
One fan shared a sweet anecdote when remembering the late star, telling their Twitter followers: "Sorry to hear this. When I first met Bruce Montague, he recorded an answering machine message for my mother along the lines of the ones his character used to leave in Butterflies. It made my mum's day. A lovely man."
Another referenced the recent death of Darius Campbell Danesh in their tribute, writing: "First Darius Campbell and now another cast member from Funny Girl the musical has died Bruce Montague who was Florenz Ziegfeld." Bruce is survived by his wife, actress and novelist, Barbara Latham.
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