www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/peter-wyngarde-charismatic-star-jason-king-dies-at-90-1075539Peter Wyngarde, Charismatic Star of 'Jason King,' Dies at 90
Aside from playing the louche spy, he headlined horror film 'Burn, Witch, Burn!' opposite Janet Blair and popped up as a villain in the camp classic 'Flash Gordon.'
Peter Wyngarde, the charismatic star of spy series Department S and its spinoff show, Jason King, and a mainstay of British television, has died. He was 90.
Wyngarde died Monday at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital in London, his agent Thomas Bowington announced.
Wyngarde appeared in films such as Alexander the Great (1956), The Siege of Sidney Street (1960) and The Innocents (1961) as well as seminal British television shows including The Avengers; The Saint; The Champions; Doctor Who; and The Prisoner, where he portrayed Number Two in the episode "Checkmate."
Wyngarde is most fondly remembered for Department S, a spy series that ran for two seasons in the U.K. starting in 1969. He played the suave handlebar-moustached Jason King, an author of adventure novels and a member of Interpol who always seemed to get the girl.
Wyngarde played the ultra smooth dandy spy Jason King in <em>Department S</em> and the spin-off show<em> Jason King</em>.
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Wyngarde played the ultra smooth dandy spy Jason King in Department S and the spin-off show Jason King.
After the success of Department S, Wyngarde's character was given his own spinoff, simply titled Jason King, that ran for 26 episodes in the U.K. and was syndicated around the world. Mike Myers has cited the dandy lothario spy as an inspiration for Austin Powers.
In the camp cult classic Flash Gordon (1980), Wyngarde, behind a gold metallic mask, played the menacing General Klytus, commander of Ming the Merciless' police force. He meets his gruesome end at the hands of the title character (played by Sam J. Jones), who throws him on a platform of spikes.
Wyngarde, who was born in Marseille, France, also headlined the horror film Burn, Witch, Burn! (1962), playing a professor whose wife (Janet Blair), unknown to him, is practicing witchcraft.
He also had a modest career as a recording artist at the height of his Jason King fame.
A number of British television, stage and screen actors paid tribute to Wyngarde on social media.
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Mark Gatiss
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@markgatiss
From wartime internment alongside JG Ballard to Klytus. With No.2, Baron Gruner, Professor Norman Taylor, Peter Quint and Gloucester bus station in between. What a life. What a legend. Jason King is dead. Long live Jason King! #peterwyngarde
2:23 AM - Jan 18, 2018
31 31 Replies 224 224 Retweets 666 666 likes
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Gavin Mitchell
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@gavsterno1
RIP Peter Wyngarde . Loved him as a kid. Got to play him as an adult. Joyous ! A childhood hero. I'll be wearing my shirt cuffs out and swept back today in respect !
2:21 AM - Jan 18, 2018
11 11 Replies 47 47 Retweets 185 185 likes
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Paul_Cornell
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@paul_Cornell
It’s terrible and impossible that #peterwyngarde is dead. Such an extraordinary, detail-disputed, life. He was oddly magnificent.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Wyngarde …
1:26 AM - Jan 18, 2018
6 6 Replies 34 34 Retweets 65 65 likes
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Cavan Scott
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@cavanscott
RIP Peter Wyngarde, you kaftan-wearing wizard. I honestly thought a writer’s life would be like Jason King’s...
2:10 AM - Jan 18, 2018
9 9 Replies 34 34 Retweets 75 75 likes