‘George and Mildred’ star Norman Eshley dead at 80

British actor Norman Eshley, best known for his role in ‘George and Mildred,’ has passed away at the age of 80.

His agent Thomas Bowington confirmed to UK media outlets that the actor died at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on August 2 after his years-long battle with cancer.

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of our client actor Norman Eshley,” Bowington said in a statement.

He continued, “[He was] a warm, kind and grounded man with a great voice that I will miss not hearing over the phone again.”

His wife, Rachel Eshley, who was by his side at the time of his passing, paid a rich tribute to her deceased husband by calling the actor her best friend.

“I will be forever grateful for the wonderful times we shared. He was my husband and best friend and my heart will always be with him,” she said.

Born in 1945, Norman Eshley took his acting training at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and began working in Shakespearean plays.

His film debut came in the 1968 film ‘The Immortal Story,’ followed by his appearances in several TV shows such as ‘Canterbury Tales’ and ‘Warship.’

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However, his best role was that of a snobbish neighbour, Jeffrey Fourmile, in the hit sitcom, ‘George And Mildred.’

The show co-starred Norman Eshley with Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce.

‘George And Mildred,’ which ran from 1976-79, was a spinoff of ‘Man About The House,’ in which the British actor played two different characters.

The British actor was also a writer and co-authored ‘The Dreamtime Of The Artful Dodger,’ a sequel to Charles Dickens’ classic ‘Oliver Twist.’