BAFTA-winning actor Chris Langham dies at 77 after cancer and past child-sex offence conviction

Chris Langham, celebrated for his BAFTA-winning performance as cabinet minister Hugh Abbot in one outlet’s “The Thick of It,” died on June 24 from pancreatic cancer at age 77. His earlier work included the mock-documentary “People Like Us” and appearances on shows such as “Not the Nine O’Clock News” and “Help.” In late 2006, Langham was arrested during Operation Ore and later charged with 15 counts of downloading indecent images of children.

While he was found not guilty of six indecent-assault charges, a 2007 trial convicted him of possessing child-sex-abuse material, leading to a ten-month sentence that was reduced to six months and a ten-year registration. He was released in November 2007 and publicly claimed his life had been ruined but his conscience remained clear. Langham’s death closes a complex legacy of acclaimed comedy work shadowed by his criminal conviction.