London, UK - British actor Ronald Pickup, known for his role as the archbishop of Canterbury in the Netflix series The Crown, has died at the age of 80.

According to a statement by Ronald Pickup's agent from the PA news agency, the actor "passed away peacefully" on Wednesday after a long illness surrounded by his family.

One of his biggest hits was the 2015 comedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. In that film and its sequel, he played the womanizing Norman Cousins, who tries to make a fresh start in India with six other retirees.

He is also known for his role as the archbishop of Canterbury in the first season of the Netflix series The Crown in 2016.

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In the World War II drama Darkest Hour, Pickup played the role of Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill's predecessor as British prime minister, whose appeasement policy toward Hitler failed.

Pickup was a well respected actor with a long career in both the theater and television.

His first TV appearance was in 1964, when he played a supporting role in the British cult series Doctor Who.