The Full Monty star Tom Wilkinson dies, aged 75

In a statement shared by his agent, his family said: "It is with great sadness that the family of Tom Wilkinson announce that he died suddenly at home on 30th December.

"His wife and family were with him. The family asks for privacy at this time."

Wilkinson had a number of major on-screen roles across a career spanning almost five decades, receiving Academy Award nods for crime film Michael Clayton, in which he starred alongside George Clooney, and Todd Field’s 2001 classic In the Bedroom.

The Leeds native also received BAFTA nominations for the likes of Shakespeare in Love, Cold Enough for Snow and Martin Chuzzlewit.

On the small screen, Wilkinson recently reprised his beloved Full Monty role, appearing alongside original cast members Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy in the Disney Plus sequel series, as well as having memorable turns in First Among Equals and Spyship earlier on in his career.

Tributes poured in from former colleagues and fellow actors on both sides of the pond, with Clooney saying: "Tom made every project better. Made every actor better.

"He was the epitome of elegance and he will be dearly missed by all of us."

And on X, formerly known as Twitter, British actor Phil Davis described him as "one of the very best".