Pirates Of The Caribbean Actors You May Not Know Passed Away

There’s a major movie franchise most viewers recognize Richard Griffiths from, and it’s perhaps even bigger than «Pirates of the Caribbean.» Many young people of a certain generation were introduced to the character actor via his role as Vernon Dursley, the Boy Who Lived’s frequently cruel uncle in the «Harry Potter» films. Griffiths also played King George II in «Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,» the 2011 entry in the «Pirates» franchise. In the film’s early moments, the King apprehends Jack Sparrow and recruits him to guide the expedition which drives the movie’s plot. 

A prominent English actor, Griffiths was known for his roles in Tim Burton’s «Sleepy Hollow,» acting alongside Richard E. Grant in the cult classic «Withnail & I,» and as the voice of «Jeltz» in «The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.» He also could be seen in such classics as «Chariots of Fire,» «The French Lieutenant’s Woman,» «Gandhi,» and 1995’s «Funny Bones.» For comedy fans, it’s hard to forget Griffiths as Dr. Meinheimer in «The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear,» where Leslie Nielsen’s inept Lt. Frank Drebin subjects him to all sorts of humorous indignities.

Griffiths worked steadily until his death on March 28, 2013, when he died at age 65 following complications caused by heart surgery. His final appearance was an uncredited one in the Richard Curtis time travel rom-com «About Time.»