Ron Moody, Golden Globe Winner for Role in ‘Oliver!,’ Dies at 91

Ron Moody, who was nominated for a best-actor Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his role as Fagin in the musical Oliver!, died Thursday. He was 91.

“We are saddened to learn that Ron Moody has passed away,” BAFTA tweeted. The London native is survived by his wife, Therese, and six children, according to U.K. media reports.

The BBC quoted his widow as saying that Moody would be “greatly missed.” She added, “He brought joy to his family and to the hearts of many … he was singing until the end.”

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The son of Jewish immigrants, he was born Ronald Moodnick in London on Jan. 8, 1924.

Moody first played Fagin, the leader of a gang of pickpockets, in a West End version of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist in 1960. He portrayed the character in the 1968 best picture Oscar-winning musical and was nominated for a Tony Award for his work in the 1984 Broadway revival.

“Fate destined me to play Fagin. It was the part of a lifetime,” the actor once said.

Moody’s TV résumé included roles in Gunsmoke, Hart to Hart, Starsky & Hutch and the U.K. soap opera EastEnders. He famously turned down the lead role in BBC sci-fi hit Doctor Who, a decision he said he regretted.

Twitter: @georgszalai