Michael Keating, the actor best known for Blake's 7 and EastEnders, has died at the age of 79. The news was shared on social media by several accounts, including Cult Edge and Paul Carmichael, as tributes began to build for the London-born performer.

Cult Edge wrote that it was "so terribly sad" to hear reports that Keating had been lost, calling him "a wonderful man" and saying he would be hugely missed. Carmichael said he was sorry to hear that Keating had died, describing him as a fine actor with a wonderful career and saying that to him he would always be "the wonderful Vila in #Blakes7."

Keating was born in London in 1947 and built a long television career that included roles in Doctor Who, Yes Minister, Casualty, Micro Men and Midsomer Murders. He played Goudry in the 1977 Doctor Who story The Sun Makers before taking on the role that made him a cult favourite: Vila Restal in Blake's 7, which began in 1978 and ran until 1981.

Vila became the only character to appear in every episode of Blake's 7, and Keating later returned to the world of the series through audio productions for Big Finish. Peter Anghelides, a producer on those Blake's 7 audio stories, said he first worked with Keating at Television Centre in 1981 and later wrote and produced for him again decades on, praising his cheery presence on studio days and his comic timing in recordings.

Keating also had a recurring part in EastEnders, starting in 2005 as Reverend Stevens, a role he played through to 2017. In his last appearance, Stevens told June Brown's Dot that he was retiring and moving to live with his daughter in Australia, a quiet exit for an actor whose work had stretched from prime-time drama to cult science fiction and radio. His death leaves both audiences and colleagues remembering the same thing in different ways: a familiar face who stayed present on screen, and a performer whose best-known role never really left the conversation.