Renowned Actress Haydn Gwynne Passes Away at 66

Haydn Gwynne, a renowned English actress known for her roles in various TV shows such as Drop the Dead Donkey, Peak Practice, Merseybeat, and The Windsors, has passed away at the age of 66. Throughout her impressive career, Gwynne also made a name for herself on stage and garnered recognition for her outstanding performances. She was nominated for both Tony and Olivier awards for her role in Billy Elliot the Musical on both the West End and Broadway. Gwynne notably portrayed Queen Camilla in The Windsors and took on the role of ex-PM Margaret Thatcher in the stage production of The Audience. Sadly, Gwynne had recently been diagnosed with cancer, which led her to withdraw from a play just last month. Her agent released a statement expressing their deep sorrow, informing that she passed away in the early hours of Friday 20 October in the hospital, with her loved ones by her side. The statement also acknowledged the exceptional care she had received from the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals during her recent illness. Gwynne's acting career took off with her role in the TV drama Nice Work in the late 1980s and she went on to receive a Bafta nomination for her portrayal of journalist Alex in Drop the Dead Donkey. Her television credits also include Dr. Joanna Graham in Peak Practice, Supt Susan Blake in Merseybeat, and Calpurnia, wife of Julius Caesar, in the BBC's Rome. Gwynne also appeared as former royal aide Lady Susan Hussey in the fifth series of Netflix's The Crown, a character who left the royal household amidst a racism controversy. On stage, she continued to earn acclaim and received further Olivier nominations for her performances in City of Angels in 1994, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown in 2015, and The Threepenny Opera in 2017. Gwynne was set to star in a new production of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends in London, but she had to withdraw from the project in early September due to sudden personal circumstances.