Actor Behind ‘Tinky Winky’ Teletubby Dead at 52

Simon Shelton, the actor behind the purple Teletubby named Tinky Winky, has died at the age of 52, according to his niece Emily Atack. Shelton took the role as Tinky Winky after the original actor was fired in 1997. Atack said that Shelton was a "wonderful uncle" and the “he kindest and most talented man” who died “suddenly.” Shelton’s other roles included The Dark Knight in the TV show Incredible Games. The original Teletubbies show ran from 1997 to 2001 on BBC. In 2008, Shelton said, “I didn't know it would be as big as it was, but I did know as soon as I started working on it that it had something special.”