Brian Gwaspari

Brian Gwaspari: 

Wiry, resolute sort of character actor, swerving equally expertly through some of the better action thrillers and comedies of the '70s and '80s, Londoner Brian Gwaspari is a more familiar face than he is a name. Getting an initial TV break in the bedsit 1974 drama serial 'Rooms', he soon started to crop up in popular shows such as 'The Sweeney', 'Van der Valk', 'The Professionals', 'Hazell' and 'The Gentle Touch'. He hit the big screen, in a comparatively small way, in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' (1977) and 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977) and was in a European-set episode of the American TV series 'Remington Steele' with Pierce Brosnan.     

After all that burning rubber and gunplay, the '80s saw a bit more comedy and light-hearted material. He had a stint as a copper investigating Roy's car-lot fire on 'EastEnders', and can be spotted in 'Ever Decreasing Circles', 'Help!', 'Roll Over Beethoven', 'No Frills' (a short lived sitcom with Kathy Staff reprising a sort of Nora Batty role in yuppy London), 'Hi De Hi', 'Yes, Prime Minister', and 'Joint Account', surely one of the beige-est sitcoms ever, about a female bank manager - whatever next?    

'Sweeney 2' (1978)

And an episode of The Professionals

Into the '90s and '00s and we've got a dusting of cosy crime sneaking into the mix: 'Wycliffe' and 'Poirot' for example, and a few more sitcoms, such as the Gwen Taylor vehicle, 'Screaming', 'The Brittas Empire' and 'Waiting for God'. On the cop show front, we can see him in 'The Chief' with Tim Piggot-Smith, and the oddball, largely-misfiring 'Virtual Murder' a character-actor-studded 1992 effort that might have attained some cult status if not let down by its dreary low budget feel.    

The Brittas Empire

More recently, there's the short 'Raspberry Ripple' (2007), followed by a single episode of 'Doctors' and a 'Midsomer Murders' in 2010. He's about 75 at time of writing, so hopefully he may pop up again somewhere unless he's got out of the business. In any case, a great supporting actor.          

Brian Gwaspari - imdb

Leslie Schofield

Leslie Schofield: 

One of those long-faced types who often populate the perifery of British drama, appearing as ratty villains, petty bureaucrats, sleazy bohemians and indignant customers. He has appeared in films ranging from 'Star Wars' (as the splendidly named Moradmin Bast) to 'Villain' and 'Force 10 From Navarone'. His TV career started on a moderate high, with parts in 'Doctor Who', 'Softly Softly', 'The XYY Man', 'Blakes 7' and of course modern parent Tom* in 'The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin'. Latterly he's been seen in 'Juliet Bravo', 'Coronation Street', 'EastEnders', 'ChuckleVision' and the inevitable 'Midsomer Murders'.

In 'Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)'.

Leslie Schofield - imdb profile

*It had been bothering me that Mr Schofield somehow wasn't the Tom from Reggie Perrin that I remembered. Turns out that the part was played by TIM PREECE in the first series. Accordingly, I add an annexed mini-salute to Mr Preece here.