Chris Langham, star of The Thick of It, dies aged 77

Chris Langham, the actor and writer best known for his role in the BBC political satire The Thick of It, has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 77, The Guardian reported.

Langham starred as Hugh Abbot, an inept government minister serving as secretary of state in the fictional Department of Social Affairs, in the show created by Armando Iannucci. According to the report, during the programme's first two series his character was repeatedly outmanoeuvred by his own political advisers and civil servants amid scenes of chaos.

The Sunday Times was quoted in the obituary as writing in 2005 that "Chris Langham is a master at acting the guy missing the point, out of his depth and striving to keep his head above water while sharks nibble his nether regions."

The obituary also noted that Langham was jailed in 2007 after being convicted of downloading child pornography.