Valete

Curtain calls...

By way of a change, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite character actors who would certainly have been high on my list, but who fell outside of my self-imposed restriction of including only actors who are still alive (at time of writing at least - some of the posts on here have subsequently become obituaries - see Eric Sykes, Graham Stark, Ken Jones, Stella Tanner, Philip Madoc, et al).

Sykes and Stark are possibly more properly thought of as comedy stars than as 'mere' character actors, and there are a few more of their ilk gone since this started: Richard Briers, Clive Dunn, Frank Thornton, Roger Lloyd-Pack and Rik Mayall, for example, all of whom I'd have liked to have included even if they were not at all 'unknown'. 

Rik Mayall (1958-2014)

In any case, in belated tribute, here are some others who have sadly died since I started this project in April 2010, a few of whom I'd actually started to prepare as entries, but who passed away before I got round to them.

I salute you.

Ingrid Pitt (1937-2010)

 Graham Crowden (1922-2010)

Barbara New (1923-2010)

Joe Melia (1935-2012)

Pamela Green (1929-2010)

John Horsley (1920-2014)

Malcolm Tierney (1928-2014)

Angus McKay (1926-2013)

Robin Davies (1954-2010)

Cy Grant (1919-2010)

Patricia Gage (1940-2010)

Trevor Bannister (1934-2011)

Nosher Powell (1928-2013)

I'd be interested to hear other suggestions for recently deceased (post 2010) character actors who would have made interesting entries on the Familiar Unknown blog. I will probably run another of these 'Curtain calls...' posts.

Let me know via the comments box below.  

Eric Sykes

Eric Sykes: 

† May 4 1923 – July 4 2012

A legendary writer and performer, respected and adored by industry and public, the last of the British post-war comedy greats. He has worked with everybody from Peter Sellers to David Bowie, Tony Hancock to Terry-Thomas, and Frankie Howerd to Vincent Price. His TV show 'Sykes', with the much missed Hattie Jacques, Deryk Guyler and Richard Wattis, was a comforting presence in British homes of the '70s, and his filmography is full of minor gems: 'The Plank' (1967), of course, plus 'Theatre Of Blood' (1973), 'Monte Carlo Or Bust (1969), 'Those Magnificent Men...' (1965), 'The Bargee' (1965), 'Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Whatever' (2005), and 'Son Of Rambow' (2007).  Royalty.

With Tommy Cooper in 'The Plank' (1967)

Eric Sykes - imdb profile