One of Australia’s most loved actors, Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell, died overnight, aged 86. Like a true thespian, he passed away with a script by his bedside.

Acting colleagues, friends and the Australian prime minister have paid tribute to the “true gentleman” of Australian stage and screen, who died in hospital in Melbourne after a battle with prostate cancer.

Outside of Australia he was probably best known for his role as a high court lawyer in the cult 1997 comedy The Castle, but locally he was the face of many roles spanning a 50-year career, from television to the stage and the silver screen.

“Bud Tingwell is in every sense an Australian legend,” the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said.

His last role – filmed just last year - was playing former British prime minister Winston Churchill in a mini-series for the ABC, Australia’s public broadcaster.

Tingwell, nicknamed Bud since he was a child, served with Britain's Royal Air Force during WW2, where he flew photo reconnaissance Spitfires in North Africa.

Tingwell acted in his first movie in 1946 and appeared in over 100 films during his long career, which included a 17-year stint working in Britain. He moved to England in 1956 where he carved out a career as a 'London Aussie', appearing as an Australian surgeon in Emergency – Ward 10, and as Inspector Craddock in four of the Miss Marple films alongside Dame Margaret Rutherford. He also voiced the character of Mr Bennet in Catweazle as well as characters in The Thunderbirds.

After returning to Australia with his wife and two children in 1973, Tingwell settled in Melbourne and began his long foray in the local entertainment industry.

He had a long-standing role on the police TV drama Homicide and also appeared in the cult TV show Prisoner: Cell Block H, and later enjoyed a recurring role on Neighbours. Tingwell played many small roles in scores of Australian films including Breaker Morant, Puberty Blues and the mini-series All The Rivers Run.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1999.

Australian actor Jack Thompson, who worked with Tingwell a number of times, said: “It's like a great tree has been felled in the landscape of our culture and in particular in the landscape of our film world.''

Family friend Marty Fields, also an actor, said Tingwell loved to nurture new talent among the Australian acting community.

“Bud was always very concerned with his fellow actors and fellow performers and nurturing young talent and basically showing them what it means to be an actor,” Mr Fields said.

Tingwell loved his profession so much he was still learning lines in preparation for a new role when people came to visit him in hospital this week.

In a blog on his website, Tingwell wrote recently: “I don’t have any huge ambitions left. I just want to keep doing what I'm doing.”

Tingwell is survived by his son Christopher and daughter Virginia Tingwell, who is also an actor. His wife Audrey died in 1996.

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