Ricky Gervais has paid tribute to Warren Mitchell.

Warren Mitchell

Warren Mitchell

The acting legend passed away this morning (14.11.15) aged 89 and the 54-year-old comedian has praised his character Alf Garnett in British sitcom 'Till Death Us Do Part' for being one of the "most influential" people in a comedy series.

Tweeting to his 10.2 million followers, he wrote: "Alf Garnett was one of the most influential and important characters and performances in comedy history. RIP Warren Mitchell."

The series originally ran from 1965 to 1975 on BBC, before being picked up by ITV in 1981 as 'Till Death...'.

In 1985, Warren once again reprised his role in a sequel titled 'In Sickness and in Health' which aired until 1992.

Actress Kierston Wareing - who played Kirsty Branning in 'EastEnders' - also paid her respects by saying she was always watching the show while growing up.

She tweeted: "Mitchell began playing the character Alf Garnett at the age of 40 in 1966 until the program ended 1975.#must've grown up watching repeats (sic)."

The TV star - who is survived by his actress wife and three children - was also known for years of performances on stage, with theatre director Rupert Goold commending him on Twitter.

He wrote: "RIP Warren Mitchell. A deeply soulful and erudite man who genuinely loved the theatre."

The news of his passing was revealed by his great nephew Jerry Barnett on Twitter before being confirmed in a family statement and Jerry has spoken out about what a "very funny man" Warren was.

He told Mirror.co.uk: "He was a wonderful and very funny man who always had the family in stitches with laughter.

"Whenever you met him he would have a joke and a story to tell.

"He will always be remembered for Alf Garnett but there was so much more to him than that. He was a great Shakespearean actor and played many, many other roles.

"We knew he had not been well but his death is still a shock. We will miss him terribly."

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