As tributes flood in for Paul Ritter who died on Monday, Channel 4 announce that a special being made titled You Look Nice: The True Story of Friday Night Dinner, will be dedicated to the late actor. The special is expected to run for 90 minutes and feature never-before-seen outtakes, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast members, including Tamsin Greig, who played Ritter’s on-screen wife Jackie Goodman and Tracy-Ann Oberman, who played Auntie Val.
Tamsin Greig: “I am eternally grateful that our paths crossed. His kindness, attention to detail and phenomenal memory, his passion for music and football, his devotion to his beautiful family, his complete inability to accept a compliment, and his quiet, loyal, compassionate friendship will stay with me for ever.
The world is a less brilliant place without Paul in it. Go lightly, my friend. You are deeply beloved.
Friday Night Dinner creator Robert Popper has also paid tribute to Ritter, writing: “Devastated at this terribly sad news. Paul was a lovely, wonderful human being. Kind, funny, super caring and the greatest actor I ever worked with.
Stephen Mangan tweeted “Trying to find a way to talk about Paul Ritter and struggling. My friend since we were students together. So much talent and it shone from him even as a teenager. I was so lucky to know him and lucky too to work with him many times over the years. Wonderful man. RIP.”
Matt Lucas: “I was lucky enough to tour with Paul Ritter in a play in 2000. He was the wisest man in the company and the finest actor. We all watched his performances with awe. He was also incredibly sweet and humble. What an enormous loss to our profession his passing is.
Tracey-Ann Oberman: “I loved Paul. He was the most brilliant clever and truthful actor. Some of the funniest times of my life was working on night shoots with him on Friday Night Dinner shoving a fox in a car , or watching him stand on a dustbin trying to get a plastic bag off a tree top or sitting in a cage watching him saw through raw metal topless, He was the most humble yet brilliant actor. And his legacy to help younger actors is pure Paul Ritter l. He was a true artist and a true mentor. Love to all his family . Such a terrible loss x
Con O’Neil: “I worked with Paul Ritter on Chernobyl. I used to sit in awe of him scene after scene. We would sit and talk and he would gently regale us with stories of his life, his wife, his kids. A good, proud, incredibly funny, intelligent man and one of our finest character actors. #Love
Jason Watkins: “So sad that Paul Ritter has passed away. He was unassuming and brilliant in conversation-A sharp mind, that was always pointed to kindness and humour. The rewards of his humour, seemed all the greater by gentleness and generosity-all brought to his peerless acting. Admired &loved RIP
