Lee Montague dead: BAFTA Award winning actor dies as Michael Palin pays tribute

BAFTA Award winning actor Lee Montague has died at the age of 97, it has been announced. Tributes have poured in for the star, whose acting career spanned over six decades.

Lee had roles in a series of movies including Brass Target, the 1952 Moulin Rouge movie, How I Won the War and Brother Sun, Sister Moon. The actor also had a a series of roles on TV shows including, Bergerac, Casualty, The Sweeney and children's programme Jackanory, in which he was the first storyteller for the show and narrated 15 episodes between 1965 and 1966.

The sad news was announced in an obituary shared by in which Lee was the President For Life. Lee played a key role in saving the Hampstead Heath library after Camden closed it 2011 before announcing the news. He campaigned with neighbours to get the public library re-opened.

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The announcement by Keats Community Library read: "We are deeply sad to announce the death of our beloved President for Life, Lee Montague at the age of 97.

"Lee was a highly respected actor. He trained at the Old Vic School and worked in the early part of his career in the Royal Exchange Manchester, the Old Vic, Bristol Old Vic and Oxford Playhouse.

"Moving into film he worked with great directors (such as Zeffirelli) appearing in some 30 films including Moulin Rouge in 1952, Bill Budd, Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and Jesus of Nazareth with Robert Powell."

It added: "In the 70s in television he had long runs The Sweeney, Bergerac and Seconds Out with Robert Lindsay.

"He was the first storyteller on the children’s programme Jackanory on 1965, narrating 15 episodes, for which he won a BAFTA. He was a huge Arsenal fan and a formidable tennis player!

"But to us, he was the saviour of the library. He saved it once before from closure by Camden, but in 2011 they closed it before announcing it, so it was Lee who formed a committee of neighbours to set up the Keats Community Library charity it is today.

"He continued to be vital to our success as he wrote many literary and biographical evenings which he performed with his fellow actors, Michael Palin, Robert Powell, Simon Callow and Janet Suzman. These were played to a full house, as is befitting!" The touching announcement and tribute to Lee ended with: "He will be greatly missed."

A number of tributes have poured in for actor Lee, including from Michael Palin who said: "Very sad to hear that I shall not see Lee again. He was such good company, wise, experienced, empathetic, funny. It was always a pleasure to share a stage with him."

Actor Robert Lindsay, who starred alongside Lee in the 1981 TV series Seconds Out, added to "I’m devastated as I regarded Lee as my theatrical Dad and I have kept in touch with him over many years." And playwright Sir David Hare called the TV and movie star "a consummate gentleman".

Lee's successful acting career, which saw him win a BAFTA for his role as storyteller on Jackanory, spanned six decades. He trained at the Old Vic School before undertaking roles in 30 films, a string of TV shows and also appeared on the stage, too.

His final on-screen role saw him appear in the 2017 movie, Gatwick Gangsters.

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