EastEnders and James Bond actor Paul Bhattacharjee took his own life at the age of 53, just days after being declared bankrupt. The inquest into his death ruled that he died by suicide after jumping from the Splash Point cliffs in Seaford, East Sussex.
Career and roles
Bhattacharjee played Inzamam, Masood's brother, in EastEnders from 2008 until 2010. He also appeared as an MI6 Medical Officer in the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006) and starred in films such as Dirty Pretty Things (2002) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012).
At the time of his death, he was working in a production of the play Talk Show. His other TV credits include BBC shows Waking the Dead and Spooks, and ITV's The Bill.
Bankruptcy and personal turmoil
His partner Emma McKie described him as a "proud" man who had a "darkness inside him that was irreparable." In a statement, she said he was a "protective man and he couldn't have handled the bankruptcy becoming public knowledge." She added: "He would not have wanted to let me down or hurt me or his friends. The bankruptcy was the final straw after a life of major highs and lows."
Bhattacharjee went missing for two days before his body was found in July 2013. It emerged that he had messaged his partner on the night of his death, telling her to "eat without him because he would be home very late," before sending a final message that read: "I'm sorry".
Tributes and reaction
When news of his disappearance spread, Stephen Fry, Kim Cattrall, and Parminder Nagra posted on social media appealing for help finding him.
His Much Ado About Nothing co-star Meera Syal paid tribute, saying: "Paul was an incredibly gifted, versatile and generous actor but also complex, deep thinking, engagingly opinionated and politically committed as a personality, truly wonderful to share a stage with."
Musician and composer Nitin Sawhney wrote: "The saddest day. My friend (cast as Tagore in my play) Paul Bhattacharjee was found dead yesterday."
