Sir Humphrey Appleby (aka Nigel Hawthorne) Dies, 72

December 26, 2001

Sir Nigel Hawthorne, the actor best known for his portrayal of the scheming civil
servant, Sir Humphrey Appleby, in the political satires "Yes, Minister" and "Yes,
Prime Minister", has died, aged 72.

An obscure actor in his early years, Hawthorne achieved recognition through
television series such as "The Barchester Chronicles" and films such as "The
Madness of King George".

Hawthorne's portrayal of Sir Humphrey was a great satirical role during the
Thatcher years in Britain. Sir Humphrey's manipulation of his minister, Jim Hacker, portrayed by the
late Paul Eddington, often involved a masterful ability to manipulate the English language in order
to obscure, obfuscate and obstruct.