Actor Marcus Gilbert, best known for playing Rupert Campbell-Black in the 1993 TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper's Riders, has died at the age of 67 following a three-year battle with throat cancer. He passed away on Sunday, according to a statement posted on a fansite, which said: “Today we have heard the very sad news that Marcus lost his battle against cancer on Sunday 11th January 2026... We, along with his many fans worldwide, will mourn his loss, and remember the joy he gave us on screen, and in person. RIP Marcus.”
Gilbert's career also included roles in Rambo III and Doctor Who, where he played Ancelyn in the episode Battlefield. Russell T Davies, the show's showrunner, paid tribute, writing: “Oh, that’s sad news.” During the 1980s, Gilbert auditioned for the role of James Bond but lost out to Timothy Dalton.
He is survived by his son Maxi and daughter Aaliya. His wife, Homaa, died in 2020 after complications following surgery to remove pancreatic cancer. Gilbert later rekindled a connection with his A Ghost in Monte Carlo co-star Lysette Anthony, 33 years after they first kissed on screen.
The pair became a couple after Gilbert learned that Anthony had Parkinson's disease, a condition he also had. Speaking about getting in touch with her, Gilbert said: “I couldn’t imagine such a free-spirited person as her having Parkinson’s... When I heard she had Parkinson’s, I wrote to her agent. I remembered her vibrancy, her joy of life. I wanted to help in any way I could.” Anthony recalled their first meeting: “He walks in and he’s wearing a corduroy suit — crumpled, gorgeous. We sit and talk. Six hours later we’re still talking. He loved his wife so very much so there was guilt. But he’s had a 28-year marriage with two remarkable children, which is the biggest mark of success.”
