The Last Kingdom star Adrian Schiller (Aethelhelm) dies at 60

English actor Adrian Schiller has died at the age of 60, according to Scott Marshall Partners, who has represented Schiller for over three decades. “He has died far too soon, and we, his family and close friends are devastated by the loss," they said in a statement. “His death was sudden and unexpected and no further details around its cause are yet available."

Schiller has been working consistently in film, TV and in the theater since the early 1990s. He was getting bigger screen roles well into his career, appearing on all three seasons of the British period drama Victoria and joining the cast of the Netflix historical drama The Last Kingdom in 2018. Schiller played Aethelhelm, a powerful, ambitious lord with designs on the English throne. He was on the show until the end, although he did not appear in the follow-up movie, Seven Kings Must Die.

Schiller did an excellent job as Aethelhelm on The Last Kingdom, taking a character who could have come off as one-note and giving him dimension and gravity. My favorite moment of his came in the fifth episode of the final season, when Aethelhelm realizes that his machinations have inadvertently resulted in the death of his own daughter, who was his partner in many of his political schemes. He's overcome with guilt and horror, but by that point he's on a path he can't turn away from, so he soldiers on until his death in the series finale. Schiller was terrific.

“Our deepest condolences go to his family, who ask for privacy at this most difficult of times,” the statement concluded.

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h/t Independent