John Sessions Dies: Scottish Actor & Comedian Was 67

Jake Kanter
·2 min read
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John Sessions, the Scottish actor and comedian famous for shows including Whose Line Is It Anyway?, has died at the age of 67.

Alex Irwin, his agent at Markham, Froggatt & Irwin, said Sessions died at his home in London from a heart condition after a career that spanned film roles including The Iron Lady and The Merchant of Venice.

Born in Ayrshire, Scotland, Sessions made his name on shows including the UK version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and the original Spitting Image, on which he honed his impression skills.

He was a regular on the British comedy panel show circuit, popping up on Have I Got News for You and QI, as well as starring in comedies such as the cult hit Stella Street, in which he impersonated Keith Richards and Joe Pesci.

The BBC show QI was among those that paid tribute. “John Sessions was a panelist on QI’s first ever episode: Series A, Episode One, ‘Adam’. His incredible wit and encyclopedic knowledge played a huge part in the show’s history and everyone at QI is deeply saddened to learn of his passing.”

To celebrate his work, QI tweeted a clip of him impersonating the late Alan Rickman:

He also appeared on Channel 4 Friday Night Dinner. Creator Robert Popper reflected on his memories of Sessions:

Fellow impressionist Rory Bremner added: “Jeez. Another one. John Sessions. Just the best, he’d blow everyone away on Whose Line with his speed of thought & breadth of reference. Utterly absorbed by Hollywood, its characters and stories, brilliant raconteur, genius mimic. A flash of brilliance just went out.”

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