Gerald Harper, star of ‘Hadleigh,’ dies after life out of spotlight

Gerald Harper, the ex-lover of co-star Sarah Alexander, passed away at the age of 96.

The actor was well-known to television viewers in the 1960s and 1970s as the dapper lead in Hadleigh. Prior to that, he starred in Adam Adamant Lives, a show about an Edwardian man who was thrust into London in the swinging 1960s.

In a social media statement on Friday, CDM Talent Agency confirmed the heartbreaking news.

“It is with great sadness that Gerald Harper has passed away recently - he was a valued client before he went to Spain to enjoy his retirement,” they wrote.

When Sarah, now 54, was first seen dating Gerald Harper, then 68, in 1996, she was just 25 years old.

"They were super-glued together!" a bystander told the Sunday People about Harper and Alexander. They didn't care who saw them, they were all over each other.

However, friends were surprised when Sarah, whose big TV break would come in Coupling with Jack Davenport in 2000, moved in with Harper in his big house in Notting Hill. This was especially true because Sarah is eight years younger than her new boyfriend's daughter, who is also named Sarah, which was confusing.

RELATED: Romeo Beckham posts emotional note amid brother Brooklyn’s feud