James Laurenson, Actor in ‘The Crown’ & ‘Cagney & Lacey,’ Dies at 84

Prolific actor James Laurenson, who played Doctor Weir in the royal period drama The Crown, has died. He was 84.

His passing was reported by multiple U.K. news outlets on Friday, May 10. A cause of death has not yet been provided.

Born on February 17, 1940, in Marton, North Island, New Zealand, Laurenson made his acting career in the United Kingdom after moving there in the mid-1960s. He made his on-screen film debut in 1969 in Ken Russell’s romantic drama Women in Love.

Throughout his career, Laurenson has had guest roles in numerous classic TV series such as Coronation Street, Z-Cars, The Professionals, Hammer House of Horror, Cagney and Lacey, Remington Steele, Bergerac, Midsomer Murders, Prime Suspect, Silent Witness, Hustle, Endeavour, Spooks, and many more.

In more recent years, he played Earl of Westmoreland in the BBC adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts I and II and starred in an episode of the detective drama Father Brown. He portrayed Doctor John Weir on Netflix’s The Crown in 2016 and Sir John Barrow on the AMC supernatural horror drama The Terror in 2018.

His last on-screen role came in 2022’s Matilda the Musical.

Laurenson is also remembered for sharing the first same-sex kiss broadcast on British television. It happened in the TV movie Edward III, where he played Piers Gaveston opposite Sir Ian McKellen‘s King Edward; the actors share a kiss in the film.

He also had a long-tenured stage career, appearing in numerous Shakespearean productions. In 2011, he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as the Ghost and the Player King in Nicholas Hytner’s production of Hamlet.

According to The Sun, Laurenson is survived by his second wife, Cari Haysom, and son, Jamie, from his previous marriage to actress Carol Macready.