Robert Putt



Robert Putt:

Very distinctive moon-faced character actor who flits occasionally across our screens, having progressed from non-speaking extra and minor roles. He's racked up an impressive list of TV programmes from 'The Sweeney' and 'The Professionals' to 'The Monocled Mutineer', 'Martin Chuzzlewit' and 'Our Friends In The North'. He's also blown bubbles at The Rutles in 'All You Need Is Cash' and chased a nun around Holby General with his flies undone.    



In an episode of 'The Professionals' 

Some other memorable appearances include playing East End killer Mad Danny Durbridge opposite Steve Pemberton in the oddball detective show 'Whitechapel' and the bloke who keeps a cricket ball down his pants - to hold his hernia in check - in 'Doc Martin'.   

In 'Ruby In The Smoke'

Inadvertently striking the exact mid point between John Bluthal and
David Lodge, in the Enid Blyton children's series 'Castle of Adventure'

The big screen has beckoned for roles in Mike Leigh's 'Naked' (1993) and 'Vera Drake' (2004), as well as 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' (1984), 'A Fish Called Wanda' (1988), and such varied fare as the movie of 'Porridge' (1979), 'Hawk The Slayer' (1980), 'Mike Bassett: England Manager' (2001) and our old favourite 'Confessions of a Driving Instructor' (1976). A classic all-rounder.   

Reading Imelda Staunton her rights in 'Vera Drake' (2004)

Robert Putt-imdb

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell:

Spare a thought for British character actor Colin Farrell, now condemned to be referred to as Colin Farrell (II) in deference to the Irish-born Hollywood 'throb of the same name - who presumably never tried to join Equity.

Our chap is the affable, boyish, slightly sneaky-looking Colin Farrell who showed up in some decent TV in the '70s and '80s; Alan Plater's 'Trinity Tales', 'Tales of the Unexpected', 'Sorry!', 'Blakes 7' and 'Hadleigh'. He was also a regular as the dirty-minded Ernie Hadfield in the undertaker comedy 'In Loving Memory' with Thora Hird, but perhaps his most memorable role was as the universally despised 'orrible Norris in 'Porridge'.

Full BBC costume department glory in 'Blakes 7'

In the inevitable 'Midsomer Murders'

He had a decent role as Harry Smith in the film version of  'Oh! What a Lovely War' (1969),but other movie appearances are pretty much all bit-parts: including fighting rubber dinosaurs with Doug* McClure in 'The Land that Time Forgot' (1975), 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977), and 'Gandhi' (1982).

I notice that in recent years he has been obliged to take billing as 'Col' Farrell, which seems a shame as almost everybody in the UK had laughed heartily at him digging up the pitch at Elland Road two years before the 'other' Colin Farrell was even born. Still, that's showbusiness.
   

About to sign up in 'Oh! What a Lovely War' (1969)

Clerk of the Court in 'Gandhi' (1982)

*[edit: not 'Simpsons' character Troy McClure, as I originally wrote...] 

Colin Farrell (II) - imdb