British Character Actors

[Slackhurst Broadcasting 373]

Brian Phelan was in Big Breadwinner Hog, a heavy credit to some of us.

[Commtech Sio Bibble 2,008]

On 06/02/2024 at 12:44, Ulitzer95 said:

Harold Snoad (one of three directors) – still alive and turning 89 in August

Harold Snoad being reported dead on Twitter, outside of Dad's Army he was best known for directing and producing Keeping Up Appearances.

[msc 18,397]

29 minutes ago, Commtech Sio Bibble said:

Harold Snoad being reported dead on Twitter, outside of Dad's Army he was best known for directing and producing Keeping Up Appearances.

DDP pick for my theme team. Appeared on TV last year and looked utterly ghastly.

[Ulitzer95 12,431]

On 06/02/2024 at 12:44, Ulitzer95 said:

Time to revive this Dad's Army reunion photo from 2008 (the year I joined DL!) and see who's still about.

Standing (l to r)
Frank Williams – died in 2022 aged 90
Ian Lavender – died of unnatural causes in 2024 aged 77 (@YoungWillz pushed him down the stairs)
Clive Dunn – died in 2012 aged 92
Jeffrey Holland – still alive and turning 78 in July
Harold Snoad (one of three directors) – still alive and turning 89 in August
David Croft (co-writer and one of three directors) – died in 2011 aged 89
Donald Hewlett – died in 2011 aged 90
Eric Longworth – died in August 2008 aged 90 (one month after this photo was taken!)
Jimmy Perry (creator and co-writer) – died in 2016 aged 93

Seated (l to r)
Bill Pertwee – died in 2013 aged 86
Pamela Cundell – died in 2015 aged 95

Holland only appeared in one episode as a soldier and as far as I know Donald Hewlett played no part in the show, but I imagine both were invited as they were regular Croft/Perry contributors... and who doesn't fancy a day out at Imperial War Museum?

Not present at the 2008 reunion but still living at the time:
John Ringham – died in 2008 aged 80
Bob Spiers (one of three directors) – died in 2008 aged 63
Wendy Richard – died in 2009 aged 65
Colin Bean – died in 2009 aged 83
Stuart Sherwin – died in 2015 aged 87
Gordon Peters – died in 2022 aged 95
Caroline Dowdeswell – still alive and turning 79 in March
Michael Knowles – still alive and turning 87 in April (attending a later Dad's Army event in 2011)

Jeffrey Holland now the sole survivor of the 2008 group pic following the death of Snoad (still awaiting an obit though).

[Gisooo 3,259]

On 20/04/2024 at 17:00, whoismakoto said:

Can I ask if there are any traces for the ff:

 

Irissa Cooper

Tim Seely

Brenda Hogan

Sarah Atkinson

Carmen Dene

Sally Bazely (Wiki and IMDb have different birthdays)

Tony Doonan

John Kelland

John Golightly

Eleana Johnson

Rosemary Dorken

Sheila Brennan

Magda Miller

 

Thanks

 

English actor Tim Seely (Wiki) reported dead at 88

 

[Deathrace 1,161]

24 minutes ago, Gisooo said:

 

English actor Tim Seely (Wiki) reported dead at 88

 

Played the King in King Ralph 

[Grimgrass 510]

14 hours ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Jeffrey Holland now the sole survivor of the 2008 group pic following the death of Snoad (still awaiting an obit though).

 

Harold Snoad finally gets an obit, not a qualifying one for DDP though.

[Ulitzer95 12,431]

43 minutes ago, Grimgrass said:

 

Harold Snoad finally gets an obit, not a qualifying one for DDP though.

He'll get Guardian, Tele and Times obits for sure.

[YoungWillz 20,919]

Hazell actor Nicholas Ball reportedly dead: https://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/national/24370396.eastenders-hazell-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78/

[Sly Ronnie 870]

24 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Hazell actor Nicholas Ball reportedly dead: https://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/national/24370396.eastenders-hazell-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78/

RIP

[Redrumours 857]

1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

Hazell actor Nicholas Ball reportedly dead: https://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/national/24370396.eastenders-hazell-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78/

Oh bollock!

[Spade_Cooley 9,474]

1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

Hazell actor Nicholas Ball reportedly dead: https://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/national/24370396.eastenders-hazell-actor-nicholas-ball-dies-aged-78/

 

Notably cuckolded by Billy Connolly. 

[En Passant 3,731]

1 hour ago, Sly Ronnie said:

RIP

 

 

Pedant Corner #13,565  Gryff Rys Jones declaring himself an Inspector whilst wearing the shoulder insignia of a Chief Inspector (edit and yeah in fact 'detective inspector' who aren't uniformed at all) . I know, I need to get out more.

[Ulitzer95 12,431]

On 30/05/2024 at 16:14, YoungWillz said:

 

Guardian Obit for Brian Phelan: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/article/2024/may/30/brian-phelan-obituary

 

Mentions Dorothy Bromiley's death also.

Times obit for Dorothy Bromiley.

[YoungWillz 20,919]

Julian Forsyth, who played Adolf Hitler in the various Nazi Megastructures docu-series, reportedly dead: 

Stage and screen actor who on a lighter note had parts in Eastenders, Casualty and Holby City, as well as a turn in A Touch Of Frost and most recently as Dr Wagner in Ted Lasso.

 

Stage credits include the original London Productions of Wicked and Gone With The Wind and ENO's West End revival of Sunset Boulevard (playing Cecil B DeMille).

[time 8,575]

Actor Steve Sweeney reported to have died (by Kathy Burke, so probably reliable)

 

 

[YoungWillz 20,919]

1 minute ago, time said:

Actor Steve Sweeney reported to have died (by Kathy Burke, so probably reliable)

 

 

Yeah, I'm all confused about this.

 

There have been reports that the American comedian Steve Sweeney has died and also the British actor by the same name. I was going to ask if anyone had anything from FB or other sources to confirm which of these had in fact died. I gave up checking late last night.

[Dead Wait 1,128]

1 minute ago, YoungWillz said:

Yeah, I'm all confused about this.

 

There have been reports that the American comedian Steve Sweeney has died and also the British actor by the same name. I was going to ask if anyone had anything from FB or other sources to confirm which of these had in fact died. I gave up checking late last night.

And yet….Kathy Burke doesn’t even spell either name correctly in her tribute…..

[time 8,575]

10 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Yeah, I'm all confused about this.

 

There have been reports that the American comedian Steve Sweeney has died and also the British actor by the same name. I was going to ask if anyone had anything from FB or other sources to confirm which of these had in fact died. I gave up checking late last night.

It seems as if there are multiple AI-generated reports which have conflated the two into one, which doesn't help, but most of the Facebook references are for the UK actor (and even the ones who report the comedian use the UK actor's photograph). It's also reported on Vas Blackwood's instagram, according to one Facebook post from last night (I don't do Insta, so can't verify).

 

The Independent is also reporting UK actor now. (based on Kathy Burke's tweet).

https://x.com/Independent/status/1803699877731238155

[YoungWillz 20,919]

Just now, time said:

It seems as if there are multiple AI-generated reports which have conflated the two into one, which doesn't help, but most of the Facebook references are for the UK actor (and even the ones who report the comedian use the UK actor's photograph).

 

The Independent is also reporting UK actor now.

https://x.com/Independent/status/1803699877731238155

There's heavy reliance by the Indy on Burke's tweet though.

 

It's all very annoying, in that kind of bee buzzing around your earhole way. Thanks for having a look on FB, if it is the British actor then we are set. 

 

All he had to do was call himself Stevie Sweeney or another variation, then we wouldn't have had this doubt!

[En Passant 3,731]

 

11 minutes ago, time said:

It seems as if there are multiple AI-generated reports which have conflated the two into one, which doesn't help, but most of the Facebook references are for the UK actor (and even the ones who report the comedian use the UK actor's photograph).

 

The Independent is also reporting UK actor now. (based on Kathy Burke's tweet).

https://x.com/Independent/status/1803699877731238155

 

 

And I'd say that Indy one is also conflating the two somehow it's saying "74" - which tallies with the American comedians birthdate of 1947, and whilst I can't find a birthdate for the british actor, that would have made him around 48-50 when appearing in Lock Stock, which I'd hazard is pushing it somewhat, I'd have said he was 35 maybe 40 absolute tops in that.

[time 8,575]

6 minutes ago, En Passant said:

 

 

 

And I'd say that Indy one is also conflating the two somehow it's saying "74" - which tallies with the American comedians birthdate of 1947, and whilst I can't find a birthdate for the british actor, that would have made him around 48 when appearing in Lock Stock, which I'd hazard is pushing it somewhat, I'd have said he was 35 maybe 40 absolute tops in that.

Reportage today is not like what it used to be (its probably "AI-assisted"). 74 is definitely too aged for UK Steve Sweeney.

[time 8,575]

23 minutes ago, Dead Wait said:

And yet….Kathy Burke doesn’t even spell either name correctly in her tribute…..

"Sweeny" is mis-spelled but "Steve" is correct isn't it?

[Spade_Cooley 9,474]

I think this IMDB page has also confused the two Sweeneys. Surely a jobbing British character actor in the late 80s wouldn't suddenly be flown over to the U.S. to play (an American character) in an episode of ALF?

[YoungWillz 20,919]

And now some music while we all run about like headless chickens.