Dame Penelope Keith, one of Britain's most beloved television actresses, has died at the age of 86.
Her family released a statement Monday saying that she "died peacefully whilst living with cancer at her home in Surrey where she had lived for more than 50 years." The family thanked those who provided care and support during her treatments and asked for privacy.
Keith was best known for two roles that became landmarks of British television comedy. She played the snobbish suburban neighbour Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life, a 1970s sitcom she shared with actress Felicity Kendal, and the widowed aristocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To the Manor Born.
Kendal paid tribute to her co-star Monday, saying: "I am deeply saddened to hear of my friend Penelope's death. The shows I worked on with her were such special times in our lives and demonstrated her comic genius. My heart goes out to her beloved Rodney at this time, theirs was a great love story and partnership. She was a joy to know and work with, and she will be much missed."
Comedian and presenter Sue Perkins praised Keith on Instagram for having been the "creator of some of the greatest sit com characters of all time." Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth remembered her as "such a special lady - a wonderful actress, a real friend, so funny, so generous with the time she gave to good causes," adding: "Hers was indeed a good life."
Former culture secretary Sir Jeremy Hunt, who knew Keith personally, wrote: "Incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Dame Penelope Keith CBE. She was a neighbour and friend where she was dearly loved by all who knew her in Milford. She helped Britain laugh at itself, one of our best national qualities, and brought happiness to millions. RIP dear Penny."
Novelist Lissa Evans noted the gap between the characters Keith played and the woman herself. "Margo Leadbetter was snobbish, humourless and entitled, and Penelope Keith managed to make her into one of the most adored (and oddly vulnerable) characters ever seen on a sitcom," Evans wrote. "She delivered every line as if it were a jewelled crown on a velvet cushion. An utter genius."
Dame Janet Suzman, who worked with Keith at the Royal Shakespeare Company early in both their careers and later on the 1981 film Priest of Love, told BBC Radio 4 that her colleague had become "like a comedy Mount Rushmore." Suzman described her as "enormous fun to work with" and, she laughed, "a terrible professional."
