The British-born actor John Mahoney, who played Martin Crane in the U.S. sitcom “Frasier,” has died aged 77.

He died on Sunday while in hospice* care in Chicago.

Mahoney enjoyed a distinguished career in theater, winning a Tony award, and had a long list of film and TV credits.

But he will be best remembered for playing the unpretentious*, blunt* father of Frasier and Niles Crane in the hit comedy, which ran for 11 seasons from 1993-2004.

Mahoney won a SAG award in 2000 for the role, and was also nominated for two Emmys and two Golden Globes.

Much of the comic spark in Frasier came from the relationship between the down-to-earth retired police officer Martin Crane and his pompous* sons Frasier and Niles, played by Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce.

Mahoney was born in Blackpool, where his pregnant mother had been evacuated* to escape Nazi bombing raids*.

He moved to the U.S. as a young man, serving in the U.S. Army for three years, which he credits with eradicating* his native British accent.

It was only in his 40s that he became a professional actor, after actors John Malkovich and Gary Sinise invited him to join the new Steppenwolf Theater Company.

He was a member of Steppenwolf for 39 years — and became a well-known part of the Chicago theater scene.

The company announced on social media that Mahoney had passed away “due to complications from cancer.”

“John was a beloved member of our Steppenwolf family who was known for his extraordinary kindness, generosity* of spirit and quick smile,” it said in a statement.

In a 2004 interview with the Chicago Tribune, he said he preferred his theater work to the high-profile national television scene, saying: “I don’t care if I never go in front of a camera again.”

He also lent his voice to a number of animated projects, including “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” “The Iron Giant” and “Antz.”

(SD-Agencies)