Family explains Line of Duty star Brian McCardie's cause of death

Line of Duty star Brian McCardie died after suffering a tear in a major artery to his heart, his family has revealed. The actor was known for playing underworld boss John Thomas 'Tommy' Hunter in the ITV drama.

He also starred as Sir Marcus MacRannoch in Outlander and had joined the cast of the Outlander prequel Blood of My Blood. His wife Sarah announced his sudden death in April, writing: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Brian James McCardie, beloved son, brother, uncle and dear friend to so many.

“Brian passed away suddenly at home on Sunday 28 April. A wonderful and passionate actor on stage and screen, Brian loved his work and touched many lives, and is gone much too soon. We love him and will miss him greatly; please remember Brian in your thoughts. Funeral arrangements will be announced in the days ahead.” Producer Peter Broughan added: "Shocked to hear that. Great memories of working with him on Rob Roy. Requiescat in pace.”

Brian's sister has now revealed the cause of the actor's death and said his funeral will be held on Thursday.

She confirmed that Brian suffered an aortic dissection - a rare and deadly condition where the weakened wall of the aorta tears. The social media post read: "Hi all, the McCardie family would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming support regarding the sudden passing of Brian James McCardie, beloved son, brother, uncle and friend.

"Brian died due to an aortic dissection, causing short pain and a sudden death. There will be a funeral mass held on Thursday 23 May at 11.30am at St Mary's Church, 70 Bannatyne Street, Lanark.

"We then move on at 1.30pm to Holytown Crematorium, Memorial Way, Holytown, Motherwell, where we will celebrate Brian's life before he takes his final bow. There will be links available to both the mass and the cremation service for those who cannot attend in person."

She concluded the post: "We will feel your support from afar. With love and thanks, The McCardie family, Eddie, Moira, Martin, Ed, Liz and Sarah. Xxx."

Author Paul Larkin tweeted: “Shocked and devastated to learn of the passing of Brian McCardie. Brian was a brilliant friend and we had many discussions about mental health issues where he was a fantastic help to me. As well as that; he was a phenomenal actor. Sleep tight Brother.”

George Clark responded: “Aw sorry to hear this. Was a presence on everything he was in. Especially Filth and Crime. RIP.”

Director Alan Bowman Clarke posted: I'm saddened to hear about the death of legendary actor #brianmccardie. I spoke to him a few times about projects & always found him genuine, passionate, generous & funny. I wrote a part for him in a future project. My thoughts go out to his family, friends & colleagues.”

Scottish Culture Secretary Angus Robertson wrote on X: “Tremendously sad news. Brian McCardie was a terrific actor and lovely guy. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.”

A statement from Line Of Duty producers Jed Mercurio and Simon Heath and the team behind the hit show, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of Brian McCardie’s death. We feel honoured to have worked with Brian on Line Of Duty. Brian was an incredibly talented actor, and the lasting impact he had as Tommy Hunter is testament to the power of his performance. Off screen, Brian couldn’t have been more different from the character he played – he was warm, funny and charming. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this difficult time.”

Brian has numerous acting credits over his 35-year career on TV and the big screen. He starred opposite Sean Bean in the 2021 BBC prison crime drama Time and in Irvine Welsh's TV series Crime. His film appearances included Rob Roy, Irvine Welsh’s Filth and the thriller Low Winter Sun alongside Mark Strong.

In Rob Roy, Brian starred as Alasdair MacGregor, the brother of the title character, who was played by Northern Ireland actor Liam Neeson. He also had roles in 2019 Netflix series The Last Czars, along with BBC shows 2021’s Time, opposite Sean Bean, Dundee-set Dog Days and 2023’s Agatha Christie’s Murder Is Easy.

He was filming alongside the likes of Sara Vickers, Harriet Slater, Jamie Roy and Peter Mullan in the upcoming series, which centres around the lives of Outlander character Jamie Fraser’s parents. Brian was born in Motherwell, Scotland and moved to the town of Carluke when he was at school. It was there he developed an interest in theatre, starring in a production of the musical Godspell with a local drama group consisting of youngsters from local schools.