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British actor Simon Fisher-Becker has sadly passed away. Best known for his roles in fantasy movies and TV series, fans might recognize him, especially from his iconic scenes in Harry Potterand Doctor Who.Fisher-Becker embodied some of the most timeless characters in the media, like Doctor Who's Dorium Maldovar. As such, people could often find him at different science fiction conventions. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Fisher-Becker portrayed the Far Friar, Hufflepuff's affable ghost, giving fans the only live-action adaptation of this amazing character so far.

The Fat Friar might be a small character in the Harry Potter franchise, but as with every personality in the series, his supportive role enriches the storytelling and world-building of the saga. The Fat Friar's background story, cheerful personality, and kindness show his powerful Hufflepuff roots. As brief as this role is, Ficher-Becker shines in it, adding the good-natured and...

Actor Simon Fisher-Becker, whose work included roles in the Doctor Who and Harry Potter franchises, has passed away. He was 63 years old.

Per Deadline, Fisher-Becker's husband announced the actor's death on social media in a post that noted, "I have some very sad news. At 2:50 this afternoon Simon passed away." The news was subsequently confirmed by his agent. No additional information was shared about the circumstances of Fisher-Becker's passing, such as a cause of death.

"Today I lost not only a client in Simon Fisher-Becker, but a close personal friend of 15 years standing. I shall never forget the phone call I made to him when he was offered the part of Dorium Maldovar in BBC’s Doctor Who," Jaffrey Management agent Kim Barry said in a statement. "Simon was also a writer, a raconteur and a great public speaker. He helped me out enormously and was kind, gracious and interested in everyone.

Simon Fisher-Becker, a British actor known for his roles in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and the series “Doctor Who,” died Sunday. He was 63.

Fisher-Becker’s death was announced by the actor’s husband on Facebook, with no cause of death or location revealed. In the post, he wrote: “I have some very sad news. At 2:50 this afternoon Simon passed away … I’m not sure at this point if I’ll be posting again. Thank you.”

Fisher-Becker appeared in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” as the Hufflepuff ghost Fat Friar. In three episodes of “Doctor Who,” he played Dorium Maldovar, a black marketeer who owed the Eleventh Doctor a big favor. Fisher-Becker went on to be cast in the ensemble of Tom Hooper’s “Les Misérables” for the song “Master of the House,” appeared in one episode of “Getting On” alongside Joanna Scanlan and played Dante Harper...

Simon Fisher-Becker, a British actor who had a recurring role in Doctor Who, died Sunday. He was 63.

His death was announced by his husband on Facebook. The actor’s agent confirmed the news in a statement shared with Deadline. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Fisher-Becker appeared as Dorium Maldovar in three episodes of Doctor Who, as well as spinoff audio episodes of the BBC and Disney+ sci-fi series.

He featured in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as Hufflepuff ghost Fat Friar. Other credits include Tom Hooper’s 2012 pic Les Misérables, TV’s Waterside, BBC comedy Puppy Love and BBC drama Doctors.

“I have some very sad news. At 2:50 this afternoon Simon passed away,” Fisher-Becker’s husband Tony wrote on Facebook.

Deadline Related Video:

Kim Barry, an agent at Jaffrey Management, said: “Today I lost not only a client in Simon Fisher-Becker, but a close personal friend of 15 years standing.

While his name may not be familiar, actor Simon Fisher-Becker has been part of two of the biggest sci-fi and fantasy franchises in history. In sad news shared by the actor’s agent, it has been revealed that the 63-year-old passed away on Sunday. Fisher-Becker became best known for playing the roles of Dorium Maldovar, the blue-skinned Crespallion black marketeer seen multiple times during Matt Smith’s Doctor Who run, and as The Fat Friar in the 2001 movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

In a statement released to MailOnline, Jeffrey Management agent Kim Barry confirmed the actor’s death, and paid tribute to “not only a client, but a close personal friend.” The statement in full read:

“Today I lost not only a client in Simon Fisher-Becker, but a close personal friend of 15 years standing. I shall never forget the phone call I made to him when he was...

It's important to remember the ongoing controversial statements by the creator of the Harry Potter franchise. Cbr supports the hard work of industry professionals on properties fans know and love, and the wider world of Harry Potter that fans have adopted as their own. You can find Cbr's continuing coverage of Rowling here .

With the massive number of characters featured in the Harry Potter novels, it was incredibly impressive how well the film franchise was able to bring many iconic characters to the big screen. However, there were several characters featured in the Harry Potter books that weren't given much screen time in the film adaptation. While most of these characters were not important to the main story, their characterizations and arcs helped to build the larger world that surrounded Harry's story.

While the Fantastic Beasts films were praised for finally putting a character from Hufflepuff house in the spotlight,...

Peeves the Poltergeist was a prominent character in the Harry Potter book series, so where was he in the movies? The mischievous poltergeist of Hogwarts appears in all seven novels as a disruptive force, but he was notably left out of the film franchise. Throughout the books, Peeves causes constant trouble for Hogwarts students and staff alike, blocking corridors with his hijinks and coming up with nasty songs. However, his exclusion from the Harry Potter films wasn't always the plan, with actor Rik Mayall filming never-seen scenes as the poltergeist for the first Harry Potter movie.

The Peeves Harry Potter movie's absence was glaring among fans. The character of Peeves was a constant trouble-making presence in the halls of Hogwarts throughout the books, teasing the students and often targeting Filch. He craved chaos and wasn't opposed to vandalism or throwing tangible objects. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Peeves fought to...

The original Hogwarts wizarding trio are reuniting to recount their adventures from two decades ago.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson will join filmmaker Chris Columbus and other cast members from all eight “Harry Potter” films for the first time in an HBO Max retrospective special to celebrate the anniversary of the franchise’s first film, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which premiered 20 years ago today.

“Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” will premiere on HBO Max on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2022. The feature will “tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new, in-depth interviews and cast conversations,” according to HBO Max. All eight of Warner Bros.’s original “Harry Potter” films are streaming on HBO Max.

The special also will air on WarnerMedia’s TBS and Cartoon Network in spring 2022 ahead of the Warner Bros. Pictures theatrical debut of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.”

Other...

This news is putty in our hands: Play-Doh Squished, a family competition special hosted by Modern Family vet Sarah Hyland, will premiere Friday, Dec. 10, exclusively on IMDb TV.

The one-hour program features three teams of two kids and two adults “going Doh-to-Doh in a series of fun and highly entertaining physical and creative challenges,” per the official description. “The holiday-themed reality competition special is set in a Play-Doh winter wonderland, where each team must combine imagination, inspiration, and holiday spirit to win the final cash prize.”

More from TVLineWhere Are Mia Ghosts? Which Holiday Fave Will Gac Steal Next? Best Seal Team Flashback Casting?...

The Toyman Toy Show in St. Louis has been going strong for almost 30 years now and just keeps getting bigger and better! The fun now takes place nine times a year at The Machinists Hall 12365 St Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton, Mo 63044. There are over 120 vendors at the Toyman Toy Show spread out over 220 tables. all selling vintage toys, comics, dolls, diecast cars, movie memorabilia, and more as well as cosplayers and artists. It’s an unbelievable amount of fun for only $5!

The next Toyman Show is this Sunday, December 9th from 9:00a to 3:00p and actors Simon Fisher-Becker from Harry Potter and Steve Cardenas from Power Rangers will be there! And there will be a Toys For Tots Toy Drive!

A Facebook invite for Sunday’s show can be found Here

Simon Fisher-Becker was born 25th November 1961 in London. He’s a character actor with a forte...

BBC Four has announced that Puppy Love will not return for a second season.

In a statement issued this afternoon (April 24), the channel confirmed that the sitcom - created by Getting On's Joanna Scanlan and Vicki Pepperdine - had been cancelled.

"Puppy Love was a great series but won't be coming back to BBC Four as we look to bring new comedy shows through," a representative of the BBC told TVWise.

"Huge thanks to the wonderfully talented Joanna Scanlan and Vicki Pepperdine and all involved in the making of the show."

Puppy Love premiered back in November 2014 and ran for just six episodes.

The show centred on dog trainer Nany V (Scanlan) and the dog training classes she ran in the Wirral.

Pepperdine co-starred as class attendee Naomi Singh, alongside Selina Borji, Simon Fisher-Becker and Aron Julius.

The show was helmed by former EastEnders star-turned-director Susan Tully, while Saurabh Kakkar...

Simon Mills is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Dearest Kasterborites! Here at Kasterborous Towers we aim to do a good deed every day. Yesterday I resisted the urge to slap an idiot. That was my good deed for the day! Anyway, today’s good deed is to give a shout out to a small charity event being held in Penarth to support Penarth Arts...

The post Don’t Miss A Day In The Life Of Simon Fisher-Becker! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Simon Mills is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

After seeing the splendid Simon Fisher-Becker being interviewed at last week’s Sci-Fi Weekender in Wales (SFW5) and hearing that his one man show was kicking off its UK tour in Stevenage this week And the fact that I live in Stevenage… Well, I thought it would be rude not to attend! I set about becoming

The post Simon Fisher-Becker – “My Dalek Has A Puncture” appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Rebecca Crockett is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Being such a large production, Doctor Who requires scores of actors to fill small and large parts in every episode. Sometimes those characters that start out as minor parts become something more, becoming fan favorites even if they don’t have much screen time. Many appear only in one episode, but they play a pivotal role,

The post Simon Fisher-Becker’s One-Man Show: My Dalek Has A Puncture appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Whether you’re into Doctor Who and Star Wars or The Wire and Sherlock, there’s a great line-up of special guests coming to the NEC on 22-23 March for McM Birmingham Comic Con and Memorabilia. Here are just a few of them!

British actor, writer and director Phil Davis has appeared in a host of top TV shows including Whitechapel; Sherlock, Being Human, Merlin and Doctor Who, while his movie credits include Alien 3, Quadrophenia, Notes On A Scandal, Secrets & Lies and Vera Drake, for which he was BAFTA-nominated. Paul McGann – Famous for playing the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 Doctor Who television film – a role he reprised in 72 audio dramas and the 2013 mini-episode ‘The Night of the Doctor’ – and for starring alongside Richard E. Grant in much-loved 1987 black comedy Withnail And I. Clarke Peters – Best known as detective Lester Freamon in acclaimed crime drama The Wire, as well as...

We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s massive feature includes a review for Nobody Can Cool, first details on The Night Crew, Heir, and a Doctor Who documentary called Who’s Changing: An Adventure In Time With Fans, a new clip from Muck, trailers for Blood Shed, NightBeasts, and Virginia Obscura, and much more:

[Editor's Note: We want to give a big thanks to our Indie Spotlight manager, Tamika Jones, for her constant work on this weekly feature and putting together our largest Indie Spotlight to date this weekend!]

Indie Spotlight Review: Nobody Can Cool

by Heather Wixson

Nobody Can Cool is the rather impressive directorial debut from up-and-coming filmmaking duo Dpyx, Marcy Boyle and Rachel Holzman, who crafted a blisteringly taut and thoughtful indie crime thriller with a palpable sense of tension from start to finish. A gritty and engaging tale of deceit, violence and desperation, Nobody Can Cool is anchored by a breakout performance by Nick Principe (best known from his work in the Laid to Rest series, Madison County and...

Andrew Reynolds is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

The Eighth Doctor himself Paul McGann is the headline guest at Big Finish Day 4, which takes place in January 2014. Alongside the popular actor will be Simon Fisher-Becker (The...

The post Big Finish Day 4 Guests Announced appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

London 5:02pm 22nd April 2011: Cars fly on the end of balloons, a stream train storms through the Gherkin. Charles Dickens (Simon Callow) on the news, interviewed by BBC journalists Bill Turnbull and Sian Williams, telling them of the ghosts, past, present and future all at the same time. Children are chased by pterodactyls. Meredith Kieira, speaks of Emperor Churchill (Ian McNeice). There's a Roman centurion on guard outside the Palace, but it's not Rory (Arthur Darvill). Churchill is being attended by Mahlokeh (the Silurian doctor from 5.8 The Hungry Earth and 5.9 Cold Blood) and he asks why the time is always 5:02 and the date is also stuck. He summons the Soothsayer held in the Tower. Enter the Doctor (Matt Smith) all beard and chains. (He also sported a beard in 6.1 The Impossible Astronaut, when Canton Delaware III (Mark Sheppard) had him tied to the chair. Churchill reminds him of the rhyme,...

All of us knew that the Doctor (Matt Smith) wasn’t going to really die at Lake Silencio. I mean, not really die. How could he? If nothing else, he has a Christmas special to be in.

But even knowing what we knew, we still looked forward to seeing how the Doctor dodged death, and now that I’ve seen that, and know that I know, I have to say that I’m quite pleased. It didn’t feel forced. It made sense, and the show did exactly what it should do: answered some questions while asking more, including one very vital, important Question, and it will be really interesting to see how that gets resolved.

Our story begins in an alternate timeline; one where Winston Churchill (Ian McNeice) is the Holy Roman Emperor, and has a Silurian physician. Where pterodactyls are pests in parks, and Charles Dickens does talk show appearances.

Doctor Who: Season 6 – Episode 13 (Season Finale)

Written by: Steven Moffat

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Warning – Spoilers

Head writer Steven Moffat has been in charge of the show now for two seasons and a lot is resting on the success of this episode. Some fans were disappointed after last seasons finale, where a lot of questions were left unanswered to make way for a two season long story arc rather than one. Well the time has come, now there are two seasons worth of questions that need answering and a hell of a lot of anticipation. Does this episode pull it off?

Yes and no. There are a lot of similarities to be found within this episode and last seasons finale The Big Bang. In our first scene we are introduced to a world that is obviously not our own (a world with no stars and a world where all...

A teaser trailer marking the return of Game of Thrones has aired on HBO. The 15-second video was shown ahead of Sunday's second season premiere of Boardwalk Empire. The brief clip does not feature any new footage from the series, but a voice is heard saying "the night is dark and full of terrors" as the show's logo materialises inside a ring of fire. A post on HBO's official Twitter feed has since revealed that Game of Thrones will return to the network in April 2012. Simon Fisher-Becker - who (more)...

Simon Fisher-Becker has won a role in HBO's Game of Thrones. The Doctor Who actor will appear in the fantasy drama's second season, according to Cult Box. "I'm doing a couple of episodes of Game of Thrones soon," Fisher-Becker revealed to the site. "It's all very exciting. I'm a High Priest. Exciting times!" Fisher-Becker has played the blue-skinned Dorium Maldovar in two episodes of Doctor Who and will reprise the role in upcoming sixth series finale 'The Wedding of River Song'. He also appeared in 2001's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and (more)...

France 1890: Dr Gachet (Howard Lee) attends Vincent Van Gogh (Tony Curran). Everyone can hear his screams. He appears to be lamenting at his latest painting. Cabinet War Rooms, London 1941: Bracewell (Bill Paterson) looks at a painting found in an attic in France. Churchill can't understand and he's not meant to since it's a message for the Doctor. (Matt Smith) Stormcage Containment Facility 5145: The phone rings for River (Alex Kingston) who says she's entitled to phonecalls. It's Churchill calling as the Doctor's nowhere to be found. River kisses the guard with her hallucinogenic lipstick again to effect her escape. The Royal Collection 5145: River breaks into the collection to steal the painting and Liz 10 (Sophie Okonedo) tells River she's the Queen, but River needs to find the Doctor. The Maldovarium 5145: River buys a time manipulator from the blue man, Dorium Maldovar (Simon Fisher-Becker) also seen in season...

Potential Minor Spoilers Ahead

A BBC press release says that a fourteen-episode seventh season has now been confirmed for "Doctor Who" with Matt Smith to reprise the role of The Doctor for the entire run. Whether Smith will hang around for an eighth season in 2013 - the franchise's 50th Anniversary - is unknown.

The deal cements in place production on this year's Christmas special and a standard 13-episode season next year, but does not discuss whether things will be split (like this year) or go back to a 13-week run in either the Spring or Fall. A lot will likely depend on the ratings of the second half of season six.

Despite Smith's return, it's now looking highly likely that neither Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) or Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) will be joining him. The longest regular run for a companion since the show's return in 2005 has been two seasons,...