Famed Nixon Interviewer David Frost Dies

British journalist Sir David Frost, perhaps best known for his iconic 1977 interview of former President Richard Nixon, has died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 74, reports the BBC. Frost died last night aboard the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, notes the AP, which departed England yesterday for a 10-day Mediterranean cruise; Frost was supposed to give a speech aboard the ship. Frost's family tells the BBC that it is devastated, and asks "for privacy at this difficult time."

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "My heart goes out to David Frost's family. He could be _ and certainly was with me _ both a friend and a fearsome interviewer." Frost's Nixon interview was given two years after he resigned the presidency and was watched by 45 million people; it gained new life in 2008, with the release of the movie Frost/Nixon. "He was the most fascinating man," Frost later said of Nixon. "I mean, an enigma. There's never been anyone who was such an enigma in the Oval Office. Someone has to be pretty fascinating, pretty enigmatic, pretty Nixonian to keep one fascinated for 28¾ hours." The BBC has a lengthy obituary here. (More David Frost stories.)