Simon Paul Adams, professionally known as Paul Ritter, was born on December 20, 1966, in Gravesend, Kent. Despite not coming from a show business family, he had strong connections to the entertainment industry. His mother was a classmate of renowned comedian and actor Bernard Cribbins, while his father attended the same school as the iconic comedian and writer Eric Sykes, whom Ritter would later portray in the TV drama "Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This."
Throughout the late 20th century and early 2000s, Ritter established himself as a talented stage actor, working with the National Theatre in productions such as "The Royal Hunt of the Sun," "All My Sons," "Coram Boy," "The Hot-House," and "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time." He also appeared in several classical plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company, including "Troilus and Cressida" and "The White Devil."
In 2009, Ritter was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the Old Vic's revival of "The Norman Conquests" alongside Amanda Root, Jessica Hynes, and Stephen Mangan. As the 21st century progressed, Ritter became a ubiquitous presence on British television, taking on a wide range of roles in shows such as "Mapp and Lucia," "The Game," "Vera," "No Offence," and the BBC's adaptation of "Henry IV," in which he played Pistol.
Ritter's most iconic role, however, was likely that of Martin Goodman, the eccentric and usually shirtless host of his "bambinos" for their "Friday Night Dinner" in the Channel 4 sitcom of the same name. Tragically, Ritter passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on April 5, 2021, at the age of 54, after succumbing to a brain tumour.
