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Tony Slattery, the celebrated British comedian and actor, passed away at the age of 65 following a heart attack on Sunday evening, as confirmed by his partner of over 40 years, Mark Michael Hutchinson. Renowned for his quick wit and versatility, Slattery became a household name in the late 1980s and early 1990s, most notably through his appearances on the Channel 4 improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.
Born on November 9, 1959, in North London, Slattery rose from humble beginnings to become a key figure in British comedy. He studied medieval and modern languages at the University of Cambridge, where he joined the renowned Cambridge Footlights alongside contemporaries Dame Emma Thompson, Sir Stephen Fry, and Hugh Laurie. In 1981, their group won the inaugural Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival for The Cellar Tapes. Slattery later served as Footlights' president, a position previously held by luminaries like Eric Idle and Peter Cook.
His career flourished on stage and screen, with roles in films such as The Crying Game and Peter's Friends and theatrical performances like Neville's Island, which earned him a 1995 Olivier Award nomination for Best Comedy Performance. He also made a name for himself in television comedies, hosting Just A Minute and appearing in Have I Got News for You.
Despite his professional success, Slattery openly battled addiction and mental health issues. He suffered from bipolar disorder and faced significant struggles with cocaine and alcohol, at one point spending £4,000 a week on drugs. In a 2020 interview, he revealed that his substance abuse was partly a response to being raped by a priest at the age of eight, an experience that led to lifelong depression. "The isolation that comes with bipolarity and depression alienates people. You don't know where the alcohol stops and the depression begins," he explained in a candid documentary, What's the Matter with Tony Slattery?.
In recent years, Slattery had been rebuilding his career, launching a podcast titled Tony Slattery's Rambling Club in October and touring a comedy show across England. His partner, Hutchinson, described him as "erratic but brilliant" and credited their enduring relationship with saving Slattery's life during his darkest moments.
