Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ian McKellen are urging peers to 'show the world Britain can lead with empathy and courage' on assisted dying.
The actors have joined Esther Rantzen, Joanna Lumley, Prue Leith, Harriet Walter, Miriam Margolyes and John Nettles in signing a letter supporting what they describe as 'choice and control' in death.
The House of Lords will debate the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday.
If passed, it will allow adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to decide to end their lives.
It is currently a criminal offence in Britain to help an adult to die, which has led to some terminally ill patients seeking help overseas at clinics such as Dignitas in Switzerland.
