Nicky Henson, who appeared in Fawlty Towers, EastEnders, and Downtown Abbey, has passed away after a long battle with cancer at the age of 74.
Henson was diagnosed with cancer almost 20 years ago. His family said in a statement, “Nicky Henson has died after a long disagreement with cancer.”
He was famous for playing Mr. Johnson in one of the episodes of Fawlty Towers called “The Psychiatrist.” He was also best known for playing Charles Grigg in Downton Abbey and Honey Edward’s father, Jack, in EastEnders.
He also appeared in over 30 films, including Psychomania, Witchfinder General, Vera Drake and Syriana.
Henson continued to work even after the cancer diagnosis, which he received almost 20 years ago on Christmas day.
Last year, he told PA Media, “For the last 18 years, I’ve regarded myself as ‘being in extra time’, which I never expected to have, so I’m very thankful for it. I got my first cancer on Christmas Day 18 years ago and didn’t think I was going to survive, after I was told I had a large tumor and would have to be operated on.”
“To get rid of the first tumor, I had to have half my colon and a third of my stomach removed. I was fine, but a routine scan a few years later revealed I had another tumor. I was prescribed a drug, Gleevac, for six months, to reduce it to an operable size,” he continued.
“During that time, I got my dream part as Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night at the RSC, but the physical strain of the part and the side-effects of the drug meant I had to give it up. I knew then I’d never act on stage again, which broke my heart,” he added.
Thanking his wife, Marguerite, for helping him cope with the disease, Henson said, she had “probably saved my life at least five times over the last few years with her quick thinking and caring for me.”
“It was love at first sight when I met her, but I couldn’t get up the nerve to ask her out. In the end, a friend got us together. We’ve been married for 32 years and have one son. Altogether I have three wonderful sons, all composers, and four grandchildren,” he added. Talking about any regrets in his life, Henson said, “Not about my career. I’ve done pretty well for someone with no ambition. The only regrets are the upsets I’ve given people in my life, particularly ladies when I was young. I’ve said sorry to Una [ex-wife]. I was always very, very immature – in fact, I’ve only grown up recently.
