The ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ star died in Auckland following ongoing health issues. David Weatherley, a distinguished actor known best for his performance as Barliman Butterbur in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship, has died aged 85. Weatherley, who was born in London in 1939 and began his career as an actor after moving to New Zealand in 1961, died in Auckland on Thursday, 12 December, following a long illness.
![[David Weatherley had a number of roles in stage and screen over an illustrious career]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/17/12/Screenshot-2024-12-17-at-08.22-copy.jpg)
The news of the star’s death was confirmed in an obituary shared in The New Zealand Herald. “David captivated audiences across theatre, radio, film and television, earning international recognition,” it read. Before auditioning for performing arts roles in Auckland, Weatherley served in the Canadian military in the late Fifties.
After moving to New Zealand, Weatherley started out in the acting industry with roles in community theatre productions before venturing into voiceover work. Weatherley was part of the show business industry for almost half a century and launched his professional career in the drama series The Mackenzie Affair, alongside James Cosmo, in 1975.
The late star went on to appear in numerous high profile productions, including Hercules: Legendary Journeys in 1995 and Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive in 2007. While briefly living in Australia in the late Eighties, Weatherley also appeared in Home and Away and A Country Practice.
