Soap Opera Star Tony Adams Dead at 84

Crossroads actor Tony Adams has died at the age of 84.

The soap star, who played accountant Adam Chance on the ITV hit for more than a decade, died at Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on Saturday, with wife Christine by his side, the BBC reports.

Adams’ former Chitty Chitty Bang Bang stage production co-star Michael Rose of The Michael Rose Organisation Ltd, told the outlet that Adams was an “absolute joy” to work with in 2004, calling him “one of the warmest gentlemen you could wish to work with” and saying that there was “nothing Tony couldn’t do”.

“He was a very accomplished actor, he was a really good dancer and singer,” he said, adding, “He played Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and was a joy to have in the company, as he was in every company.”

Adams was born in Anglesey, Wales, in 1940 and trained as an actor at the Italia Conti theatre school before kicking off his career in various stage performances as well as in the role of Dr. Neville Bywaters on General Hospital and as Elgin on the Doctor Who series The Green Death in the early ’70s.

Adams went on to star on Crossroads from 1978 to 1988, when the soap opera ended after more than 4,500 episodes. Adams also starred in the show’s revival when it returned in 2001, but the show once again went off the air in 2003.

Looking back on his time on the soap in honor of Crossroads’ 50th anniversary, Adams told the BBC in 2014 that the soap was recorded without stopping.

“It was torturous, terrifying… yes there was pressure, but it was enormous fun,” he said at the time, adding, “Hardly anybody lifted a cup because they were stuck to saucers so they didn’t rattle.”

The actor continued, “It was one of the best shows I ever did… if you went into M&S, to Scotland, to Ireland, to Jersey, people recognized you.”