Tributes have been paid to Irish actor David Kelly, who has died after a short illness aged 82. The dapper dresser, who in 2005 played the part of Grandpa Joe Bucket in Tim Burton's Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, was a star of stage and screen for 50 years. Despite his longevity, David reckoned a nine-minute part as a feckless builder on Fawlty Towers gave him more fame worldwide than all his years acting. He was also memorable as a one-handed kitchen-hand in classic 70s sitcom Robin's Nest. David also remarked he finally made it as a sex symbol after an unforgettable scene in the 1998 film Waking Ned where he rode a motorbike naked. Actor friend Niall Toibin, who lived with him in London for six months, paid a warm tribute to Kelly, saying he would always remember him with a smile. "He was a hilarious man. He had an outlook on life that was slightly skewed and made you laugh all the time," the former Ballykissangel star said. "Even when he was down in the dumps recovering from our mutual, sort of, weakness for the bottle, he was still extremely funny and very light-hearted." Born in Dublin, Kelly began acting aged eight at the Gaiety Theatre. His impressive list of film credits includes The Italian Job in 1969, Into The West and Waking Ned for which he earned a Screen Actors' Guild nomination. Others included Agent Cody Banks 2, Laws of Attraction, Stardust and his role as Grandpa Joe for which he was widely tipped for an Oscar nomination. Niall told RTE Radio: "Even when he was in the depths of hangover he was hilarious company, always." David continued to work up until last year. He was married to actress Laurie Morton and had two children.
