Nicholas Lyndhurst’s 19-year-old actor son Archie has died.
CBeebies star Archie was found dead at his family home in Fulham on September 22, in non-suspicious circumstances.
The Only Fools And Horses star’s wife Lucy Smith paid tribute to her son as his best friend Samuel Small wrote a heartbreaking post about Archie’s death on Instagram.
The actor, who starred alongside Archie in the kids’ series So Awkward, wrote: ‘To my brother Archie. I still can’t quite comprehend that you have passed. You still had so much life to live and I’d give anything for you to keep on living it. My heart aches all day and everyday thinking about you and I just wish I could talk to you just one more time so you could know how much I loved you. I vow to make you proud with every last breath. Love you from now until infinity. Rest in power bro.
‘I wish you could’ve all known Archie how we knew him. I’ve never met someone so full of life and had touched so many peoples hearts. Archie was there for me in my lowest lows but my highest highs were with him. Archie’s my best friend and to say goodbye so soon is absolutely devastating, but his calling was obviously somewhere else and I hope he is brightening up wherever he is.
‘To be honest, I still can’t find the words that do him justice and show how much of a beautiful soul he was, but his mission was to make as many people happy as he could and trust me, he really really did.
‘Archie loved his friends and family so so dearly and we hope he knows how much he truly was loved. We never know what tomorrow will bring so hug the ones you love extra tight as Archie always did.’
Lucy, who has been married to Nicholas for 21 years, commented: ‘He will love you and watch over you forever.’
Police and an ambulance were called to the Lyndhurst home on a ‘report of a concern for welfare’ on September 22, where Archie was pronounced dead at the scene.
His death is being treated as ‘unexplained but not suspicious’, and an inquest into Archie’s death will be opened next week.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed: ‘Police were called at approximately 09:41hrs on Tuesday, 22 September to a report of a concern for welfare.
‘Officers and London Ambulance Service attended.
‘At the scene a man was found unresponsive. He was declared dead at the scene. His next of kin are aware.
‘At this stage the death is treated as unexplained but not suspicious. A post-mortem will take place in due course.’
Archie was the only son of Nicholas, 59, and his wife Lucy, and he had followed in his father’s footsteps by getting into acting.
He starred as Ollie Coulton in the CBeebies series So Awkward, which began in 2015; its sixth series began in August this year.
Archie also had credits on Casualty, and played a young version of Jack Whitehall’s character Alfie in Bad Education.
The actor told Tresa magazine: ‘[Nicholas] eventually asked me why I wanted to be an actor, and I said it’s because I wanted to make people laugh.
‘He then sent me to drama school, I got my first agent, I started getting work, and now I’m here. I’m incredibly grateful for everything I’ve been given.’
However, Nicholas – who played Rodney Trotter on Only Fools And Horses – warned his son off entering showbusiness initially, saying: ‘I told Lucy [his wife]: “If I ever hear him say the f-word – ‘famous’ – the deal’s off.”
‘He never has. He’s filming his second series for CBBC, So Awkward. I wish I’d been as good as him at his age.’
And Archie said he ‘adored’ his career, saying: ‘I’m incredibly lucky for doing what I do at such a young age.’
Archie was believed to be in a relationship with his So Awkward castmate Nethra Tilakumara at the time of his death, with the couple celebrating their one-year anniversary in April.
Nethra wrote on Instagram at the time: ‘1 year. Full of laughs w my best bud.’
Archie’s final Instagram post came in June, when he posted a black square in solidarity with Blackout Tuesday and the Black Lives Matter Movement.
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