John Sessions, who has died of a heart attack aged 67, was one of the best impressionists around.
The actor and comedian was a renowned panellist on comedy shows, such as Have I Got News For You, Whose Line is it Anyway? and QI.
He was a long-time QI star, appearing on the show’s first ever episode in 2003 and featuring a further 11 times until 2013.
Sessions was a highlight of every episode he appeared on, keeping audiences entertained with his witty anecdotes and celebrity impersonations.
One of his greatest impressions was of actor Alan Rickman.
In 2009, when the subject of Rickman was raised, he went on to quote the actor’s famous line in the action film Die Hard : “Mr Takagi, I'm going to count to three – there will not be a four.” The impression is unmistakable.
Sessions also shared an anecdote of a party he once attended with Rickman. He said that when somebody asked him why he always played villains, Rickman responded: “I don’t play villains; I play very interesting people.”
He appeared on the episode with Rickman’s Love Actually co-star Emma Thompson. Rickman died in 2016.
Sessions’ death was confirmed by his agent, who said the comedian “died at his home in South London”.
