Michael Gough, the British character actor who won a Tony Award, but was most widely known as butler Alfred in the "Batman" movie franchise, died March 17 2011 at his home in England at the age of 94, family reported.

His latter-day exposure as the droll and officious butler to millionaire Bruce Wayne in "Batman," "Batman Returns," "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin" came after years of work on TV, stage and film.

He won a 1979 Tony Award as Best Featured actor in a Play for playing Ernest in Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce (he was also a Drama Desk nominee) and was nominated again in 1988 as Best Featured Actor in a Play for Breaking the Code, about Alan Turing, who broke the Nazi spy code. Mr. Gough played Turing's supervisor, and was also a Drama Desk Award nominee for the turn.

He also appeared on Broadway in the plays The Fighting Cock (1959) and Compulsion (1957).

Mr. Gough appeared in more than 150 films in a long career. He was the voice of the Dodo bird in "Batman" director Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland."

Mr. Gough was born in Kuala Lumpur to British parents. The BBC reported that survivors include his fourth wife, Henrietta, a daughter Emma; and two sons, Simon and Jasper.