Grief for Redgraves as Corin dies aged 70

Redgrave, right, died surrounded by his family after being taken ill in the early hours of Sunday.

A statement issued by Redgrave's wife, Kika Markham, and family said yesterday: "Corin Redgrave has died today. He died very peacefully surrounded by his family. We will miss him so very much."

Redgrave, right, was brother to Vanessa and Lynn and the son of actor and director Sir Michael.

His daughter, from his first marriage to Deirdre Hamilton-Hill, is the actress Jemma Redgrave, and he also had three sons. He was uncle to film and TV star Joely Richardson and also Natasha Richardson, who died last year following a ski accident.

Redgrave notched up an impressive series of theatre roles, appearing at the National Theatre and the RSC among others.

His film roles included Andie McDowell's husband Hamish in Four Weddings and a Funeral and Cornwall in Excalibur.

TV credits included, most recently, The Turn of the Screw last year and The Girl in the Caf in 2005. In recent years he also appeared in Spooks, Shameless, Foyle's War and Trial and Retribution.

Redgrave was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000. He recovered but suffered a heart attack in 2005 while speaking up for travellers' rights at a meeting in Essex.

Last year, he played the title role in the play Trumbo, about blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo.

He dedicated his performance on the opening night to the memory of his niece Natasha Richardson, who had died the previous week.