BBC Death in Paradise star Adrian Schiller's cause of 'sudden' death confirmed

The entertainment world is mourning the loss of former Death in Paradise actor Adrian Schiller, who passed away at the age of 60. His cause of death has now been confirmed by his agent as a 'major ischaemic stroke'.

The sad news comes after Schiller died "unexpectedly" on Wednesday 3 April. Adrian Schiller's agency, Scott Marshall Partners, had previously announced the actor's passing earlier this month.

They expressed that Adrian's family and friends were left "devastated by the loss". In a statement to PA Media, they said: "He has died far too soon, and we, his family and close friends are devastated by the loss. His death was sudden and unexpected and no further details about its cause are yet available.

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"A prodigiously talented actor, he had just returned from Sydney, where he had been appearing in The Lehman Trilogy and was looking forward to continuing the international tour in San Francisco.", reports the Express.

In a recent update, however, it has been disclosed by the agency that Schiller suffered a major ischaemic stroke. According to the Mayo Clinic, such a stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is obstructed or lessened, leading to rapid decay of brain cells as they are deprived of oxygen and nutrients.

Scott Marshall Partners also shared information regarding the late actor's funeral arrangements. They mentioned that a memorial service is planned for May, with a larger "celebration of his life" expected to take place later in 2024.

The statement ended on a heartfelt note: "While his death has left his family and friends shocked and grief-stricken, it is of some comfort to know that he will have died almost instantly and not felt any pain." Adrian's claim to fame revolves around his role in the popular BBC crime comedy, Death in Paradise, where he played Pasha Verdinikov, and as Cornelius Penge in ITV's Victoria.

However, the Oxford lad began making waves in the acting world as early as 1992 with an appearance in the famous series, Prime Suspect. A significant phase of his TV career started in 2010 when he joined the Being Human cast, followed by a Doctor Who episode the next year.

In addition to his solid TV career, the actor from Oxford starred in a number of well-known feature-length films. This includes noteworthy performances in The Danish Girl (2015), the live-action revamp of Beauty and the Beast, and Tolkienreleased in 2019.

From 2018 until this year, he had been playing Ealdorman Aethelhelm in the period drama series, The Last Kingdom. Adrian was also esteemed in theatre circles, with last year witnessing him perform in the WWII play The White Factory at Marylebone Theatre.

Upon receiving news of Adrian's demise, condolences flooded social media platforms. Rufus Norris, director of the National Theatre, penned a touching tribute,: "We are deeply saddened and shocked to have lost our company member and friend, Adrian Schiller. Adrian was a wonderful actor, and the National Theatre had the pleasure of working with him throughout the breadth of his career."

"His recent performance as Henry Lehman in the Australian premiere of The Lehman Trilogy was superb and his presence within the company will be greatly missed," he continued. "Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."