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From staff and wire reports
LONDON, England -- Veteran actor Leo McKern, most famous for his role as the grumpy barrister Rumpole in the "Rumpole of the Bailey" television series, has died.
The Australian-born actor suffered from diabetes and who had been ill for some time. His agent said he died aged 82 at a nursing home near his home in Bath in western England.
McKern's film roles included "The Mouse That Roared," "Lawrence of Arabia," and "The French Lieutenant's Woman."
His agent Richard Hatton told Reuters: "Leo had been very unwell for some time and he died on Tuesday morning."
McKern enjoyed a distinguished career spanning five decades. His last film role, as a bishop in "The Story of Father Damien," was made in 1999.
Some of his early British stage appearances came at the Old Vic Theatre between 1949 and 1952, and at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1952-54.
But it was with Rumpole, created by British lawyer John Mortimer, that he won a global audience.
He once observed: "With Rumpole one comes to be reconciled to the fact that it isn't half a bad thing to be stuck with."
Actress Patricia Hodge, who made numerous appearances in "Rumpole of the Bailey" said on Tuesday: "The example he set was not just as an actor but as a man. In both he was a great listener and sublimely humorous."
The UK Bar Council also paid tribute to the actor. "He brought a touch of humanity, colour and life to the way the legal profession is seen on television," a spokesman said.
McKern was married to actress Jane Holland and had two daughters -- Abigail who followed her father into the acting profession and Harriet, who works in the film industry. He had one grandchild.
Hatton said the family had requested a very small private funeral, although a public memorial service would probably be held at a later date.
