Whose Line Is It Anyway? stalwart Richard Vranch has issued a heartbreaking tribute following the death of his co-star and friend, Tony Slattery.
The comedian’s death at the age of 65 was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon following a statement from his partner, Mark Michael Hutchinson.
A statement on behalf of Hutchinson said: “It is with great sadness we must announce actor and comedian Tony Slattery, aged 65, has passed away today, Tuesday morning, following a heart attack on Sunday evening.”
Tributes from far and wide have since flooded in for the comedian, including Whose Line Is It Anyway? pianist and improv expert Vranch on social media.
“Devastating news about Tony,” Vranch penned on X. “We did our first show together in 1981 and we giggled like kids whenever we met up over the years. RIP.”
Vranch issued a slightly longer tribute on the social media site Bluesky as he continued to reflect on Slattery’s death.
Devaststing news about Tony. We did our first show together in 1981 and we giggled like kids whenever we met up over the years. RIP. https://t.co/vguE4Fe14J
— Richard Vranch now posts on Bluesky (@richardvranch) January 14, 2025
He wrote: “Terrible news. Me and Tony first performed together as ‘Ben Hur on Ice’ in 1981.
“He was hugely talented in many fields, and a very good friend. We giggled like kids whenever we met up over the years. RIP.” (sic)
Slattery was best known for his quick-witted improvisations on the Channel 4 comedy improv show from 1988 onwards, as well as appearances on Just A Minute and Have I Got News For You.
Born November 9, 1959, Slattery was a contemporary of Dame Emma Thompson, Sir Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie at the University of Cambridge.
Tony Slattery also appeared opposite Clive Anderson on Whose Line Is It Anyway?
GETTY
He served as president of the university’s prestigious Footlights Drama Society, which has produced many of Britain’s most celebrated comedians.
The comedy group would prove to be a launching pad for his career, alongside his Cambridge contemporaries who would go on to become household names in British entertainment.
Outside of stand-up, Slattery appeared in several notable films during the 1980s and 1990s, including crime thriller The Crying Game, Peter’s Friends alongside Laurie and Fry, and the black comedy How to Get Ahead in Advertising with Richard E Grant.
He earned an Olivier Award nomination for best comedy performance as Gordon in Tim Firth’s play Neville’s Island.
In recent months, Slattery had been touring a comedy show across England and launched a new podcast, Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club, in October.
In 2020, Slattery – who regularly spoke openly about his bipolar disorder – revealed he went bankrupt following battles with substance abuse and mental health issues.
So sorry to report we are deverstated our lovely Tony has passed away .https://t.co/WHoGSCxivq
— Tony Slattery LIVE (@SlatteryLive) January 14, 2025
He told the Radio Times his “fiscal illiteracy and general innumeracy” and “misplaced trust in people” had contributed to his financial problems.
The same year, he featured in BBC Two Horizon documentary What’s The Matter With Tony Slattery?, which saw him and Hutchinson consult leading experts on mood disorders and addiction.
Slattery is survived by his partner of more than three decades, the actor Hutchinson.
The couple had shared both personal and professional lives, appearing together in the 2020 documentary exploring Slattery’s mental health journey.
