By James Murray
Frank Whitten, the actor who plays Grandpa on iconic NZ television show Outrageous Fortune has died.
The 68-year-old passed peacefully in his sleep on Saturday morning.
- Click on the video tab above to see Whitten speak with John Campbell and other cast members from Outrageous Fortune.
The news was confirmed by Whitten's family and South Pacific Pictures, who produced Outrageous Fortune, this evening.
The well-loved actor grew up in the Waikato, leaving for England to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art when he was 21.
In 2007, Whitten's ongoing role on Outrageous Fortune won him a best supporting actor award at the Air New Zealand Screen Awards.
Whitten also appeared in the Speights 'Southern Man' adverts, and was famous for the "Good on ya, mate" line.
Members of the acting community gathered to mourn their colleague in bars on Saturday.
In a statement released this afternoon South Pacific Pictures chief executive John Barnett said he was "deeply saddened" to hear of Whitten's passing.
"Most recently we have been particularly proud to have worked with him through six seasons of Outrageous Fortune, as he brought the iconic role of Grandpa into the homes of hundreds of thousands of viewers, both in New Zealand and around the world," he said.
"We will miss him very much."
Outrageous Fortune star Robyn Malcolm spoke on behalf of the cast, saying: "We feel deeply for Frank's family and our thoughts, love and grief are with them".
"We were Frank's screen family for only a few years, but in that time we got to know him and adore him as a wicked, irreverent man of lethal wit, a heart of gold and one of the best actors we will ever work with.
"He never said a lot but when he did it mattered. He'll hate that we are saying lovely things about him but tough Frank - you deserve it," she said.
Whitten's family will hold a small private funeral this week and have requested privacy at this sad time.
Twitter is abuzz with tributes to Whitten.
Simon Bennett, director and executive producer of Outrageous Fortune wrote: "Very sad to hear of Frank Whitten's death. He was a generous, erudite, warm and wicked man".
3 News