David Kelly, the Irish actor best known to American moviegoers as sweet and gentle Grandpa Joe in Tim Burton's 2005 big-screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," has died.
He was 82.
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Per RTE, Kelly passed away in his native Dublin following a short illness, though a cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Besides acting opposite Johnny Depp, the thesp also made a memorable mark in the 1998 comedy "Waking Ned Devine" as elderly rogue Michael O'Sullivan who rides a motorcycle in the buff and tries to claim a small Irish town's lottery winnings. The role nabbed him a Screen Actors Guild nomination.
Kelly hopped between theater, radio, TV and film in a career spanning 50 years. After getting his start on the stage performing Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett, he segued to the tube, appearing in numerous Irish TV productions including the RTE historical miniseries Strumpet City with Peter O'Toole and Peter Ustinov.
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But he's perhaps most remembered by British audiences for his hilarious turn as O'Reilly the Builder opposite John Cleese in a 1975 episode of "Faulty Towers" and playing a one-armed dishwasher in the sitcom "Robin's Nest."
Kelly's Hollywood credits include 1992's "Into the West," 2004's "Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London," 2004's "Laws of Attraction" opposite Julianne Moore and Pierce Brosnan, and 2007's "Stardust" starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro.
Not long after "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's" release, Kelly was feted with a lifetime achievement award at that year's Irish Film and Television Awards.
Kelly is survived by his wife, actress Laurie Morton, and their two children.
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