Former Dynasty star Christopher Cazenove dies

[dutchman]

British actor Christopher Cazenove, who was best known for his role in Dynasty, has died after a "valiant battle" with septicaemia, his family have said.

The actor, who played Ben Carrington in the 1980s soap opera Dynasty, was 66.

In a statement released by his agent, his family and girlfriend Isabel Davis said the actor "died peacefully surrounded by his loved ones".

He died on Wednesday at St Thomas's Hospital, London, after contracting septicaemia at the end of February.

The statement, released by Lesley Duff, his agent for the past 12 years, said: "Christopher died peacefully on April 7 surrounded by his loved ones, having contracted septicaemia at the end of February.

"Despite a valiant fight and the untiring efforts of the wonderful team at St Thomas's, he was overwhelmed.

"All who knew and loved him will be devastated by the loss of this incredible man who touched so many lives."

Three Men and a Little Lady

The actor, who was born in Winchester, Hampshire, first found fame as Charlie Tyrrell in the 1970s mini-series The Duchess of Duke Street.

He then went on to play The Baron in the television adaptation of Jeffrey Archer's novel Kane and Abel, and Captain Preston in the WWII drama Jenny's War, both released in 1985.

But it was the old Etonian's short time as Ben Carrington in Dynasty which made him a household name on both sides of the Atlantic.

He made a return to British TV from 2001 when he played Assistant Deputy Police Commissioner Row Colemore in the BBC drama Judge John Deed.

Although best known for his television work, Cazenove made a number of movie appearances over the years.

On the back of his Dynasty success, he landed a key role in the 1990 comedy Three Men and a Little Lady, the sequel to Three Men and a Baby.

He played the English scoundrel Edward Hargreave, who plans to marry the mother of the "little lady" at the centre of the storyline and move them both away from the characters played by Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson.

One of his other memorable movies roles came in 2001 when he played John Thatcher, the father of the late Heath Ledger's character William Thatcher, in A Knight's Tale.

Cazenove also regularly appeared on the stage and in radio.

He was married to actress Angharad Rees for more than 20 years, and they had two sons together, Linford and Rhys.

Linford, the elder of the two, died in a car crash on the M11 in Essex in 1999, aged 25.