'Lethal Weapon 2', 'White Mischief' actor Joss Ackland passes away at 95

WASHINGTON: British actor Joss Ackland, known for his roles in the films ‘Lethal Weapon 2; and ‘White Mischief’, passed away on Sunday at the age of 95.

“Joss was a long term client and great friend who remained lucid, erudite and mischievous to the very end, he died peacefully with his family this morning,” said his rep, Paul Pearson, as per Variety, a US-based media outlet.

Ackland has over 130 credits in cinema and television. He starred with Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin in ‘K-19: The Widowmaker,’ ‘Bill & Ted,’ and ‘The Hunt for Red October,’ among other films. He portrayed C.S. Lewis in the television series Shadowlands, and he also starred in Midsomer Murders.

He was born in 1928 in the Ladbroke Grove area of London, but grew up in Kilburn, north London. Ackland attended London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, making his professional stage debut at 17 in the 1945 production of ‘The Hasty Heart.’ He joined a variety of regional theater troupes to develop his acting skills and eventually joined London’s Old Vic, as per Variety.

Ackland was married to his wife Rosemary for 51 years before she died in 2002. He is survived by his seven children, 34 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren, Variety reported.