Who did Lee Whitlock play in Grange Hill? Tributes pour in as actor dies aged 54

Lee Whitlock, a British TV and movie actor known for being a part of projects like Wish You Were Here, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, and more, passed away at 54, as confirmed by his acting agency on Monday, February 20.

The actor, who appeared in four episodes of BBC One TV drama Grange Hill as Bevis Loveday, worked as an actor for more than four decades. His agency Urban Collective tweeted on Monday, informing its followers about the passing of Lee Whitlock. Here's what the tweet reads:

As of this article's writing, the cause of Whitlock's death is yet to be revealed by the concerned parties.

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"I was always a fan of Lee Whitlock since...": Netizens pay tributes to the departed actor on social media

The news of Whitlock's passing shocked many, who were quick enough to react on social media. Some reminisced about the late actor's career-defining performances in different shows and movies, including Two of Us, which is considered groundbreaking for the treatment of the theme of homos*xuality, and Shine on Harvey Moon. In contrast, others paid their tributes with "RIP" messages.

English actor Andrew Lancel, best known for appearing in BBC One's Cardiac Arrest, shared his thoughts by claiming he was always a fan of Whitlock since the latter's role in Shine on Harvey Moon. Lancel, who was also Whitlock's co-actor on two projects, tweeted:

British author Matthew Todd remembered Whitlock's performance on Two of Us while claiming how the late actor got recognition through Shine on Harvey Moon, the '80s show in which Whitlock had around 41 appearances. He tweeted:

Liam Rudden, a playwright, journalist, and theatre director, also shared his thoughts on Twitter as he wrote:

Another user tweeted about how Whitlock's Two of Us helped them "coming to terms with their identity" and how they held the actor in "great esteem."

Here are some of the other reactions from netizens on Twitter:

Lee Whitlock's TV movie, Two of Us, where he was the lead actor alongside Jason Rush, received much appreciation for its criticism of the Thatcherite government's attempted prohibition (via section 28 legislation) on s*x education around LGTBTQ+.

Lee Whitlock last appeared as Spencer in Israr Azam-directed D Is for Detroit, which came out in 2022. No information is available in the public domain about the late actor's relationship and marital status.