Entertainer Stuart Wagstaff has died in a Sydney hospital aged 90.
Wagstaff came to Australia in 1958 after starting out in theatre and TV in England.
He appeared in shows on all the Australian commercial networks and theatre productions in Melbourne and Sydney.
"Just heard the news, my dear old friend Stuart Wagstaff has just passed on. Bless your beautiful heart old mate," Russell Crowe tweeted.
Wagstaff was hospitalised in July with pulmonary fibrosis.
He died at Sydney's Greenwich Hospital on Tuesday night.
Information on a memorial is expected to be released soon, MGM Publicity told AAP.
"After 50 years in the business and over 40 of those years in Australia, Stuart had continued success in television, theatre and music and continues primarily with his first love, the theatre" MGM said in a statement.
Burning a warm image in the minds of the blue-rinse set, Wagstaff starred in a succession of theatre and television roles, including The Dick Emery Show (TV), Blankety Blanks (TV), Follies (at the Sydney Opera House) and Crazy for You (also theatre).
He was in the original My Fair Lady production for four-and-a-half years, played the male lead in The Sound of Music, hosted interview, current affairs and variety TV shows and was a regular panellist on Celebrity Squares and Blankety Blanks.
"Guest roles in television continued throughout in such shows as GP, Rafferty's Rules, A Country Practice, All Saints and others," MGM said.
"Stuart appeared often on Midday and was regularly asked to appear on Good Morning Australia."
In 1998, Wagstaff was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia not only for his theatre and television work, but also for his years of service to the community - particularly in raising funds for children's medical research.
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