Ronan Vibert

Ronan David Jackson Vibert (23 February 1964 – 22 December 2022) was a versatile English actor whose career spanned over three decades across stage, screen, radio and television. Born in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire to artist parents Dilys (née Jackson) and David Vibert, he spent his childhood in Penarth, South Wales before earning a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1985 and launching a prolific professional life that would begin in 1987. His early television work included memorable guest spots on series such as Lovejoy, Chandler & Co, Between the Lines and the BBC’s The Buccaneers, and he later appeared in ITV staples like Cadfael, Inspector Lewis and Van der Valk. On the small screen he became known for roles in Jeeves and Wooster as Wilmot, Lord Pershore, and for a striking turn as Maximilien Robespierre in the BBC adaptation of The Scarlet Pimpernel. The actor also left an indelible mark on popular detective dramas, featuring in Midsomer Murders ("Death in Chorus"), Waking the Dead and The Mrs Bradley Mysteries. His later television résumé reads like a catalogue of prestige, with credits in Rome, Poirot, The Borgias, Hatfields and McCoys, Penny Dreadful, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, NCIS: LA, Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams and the fantasy series Carnival Row. Parallel to his screen success, Vibert cultivated a distinguished stage career, performing at venues including the Bush Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, the Royal Exchange in Manchester, Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Barbican productions. Notably, he appeared at the National Theatre three times, most famously as Prince Andre in Helen Edmundson’s adaptation of War and Peace in 1996. In film he contributed to a diverse array of projects, ranging from Shadow of the Vampire with John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe, to Peter Bogdanovich’s The Cat’s Meow, Roman Polanski’s Oscar‑winning The Pianist, and the adventure‑fantasy Tomb Raider 2. He also portrayed literary agent Diarmuid Russell in Saving Mr. Banks, and shared the screen with Mark Rylance in The Grass Arena. Ronan Vibert’s talent was recognised internationally, yet he remained grounded, marrying actress Jess Grand and maintaining a private personal life. His sudden passing in a Florida hospital on 22 December 2022, after a brief illness, was mourned by colleagues and fans who remembered his dedication, chameleon‑like versatility and the subtle, compelling presence he brought to every role.