EastEnders legend Frank Barrie has died at the age of 88, his agent confirms
According to a statement from his agency Scott Marshall Partners, Barrie died peacefully at home surrounded by his family.
The statement read: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved client, Frank Barrie, at the age of 88.
'He died peacefully at home, with his wife Mary and daughter Julia.'
The Yorkshire-born actor from Scarborough played Edward Bishop in the BBC soap from 2010 to 2011.
His character was the leader of the local church choir and embarked on a romance with Dot Cotton, played by the late June Brown.
On the stage, Barrie was a member of Sir Laurence Olivier's National Theatre Company at the Old Vic, and was praised for his numerous Shakespearean and other stage roles, including The Woman In Black and Lunch With Marlene.
His one-man show Macready! played in 65 countries worldwide, representing GB at the 1982 Commonwealth Games Arts Festival in Australia.
Barrie also made more than 150 screen appearances, including in shows such as Emergency Ward 10, No Hiding Place, Softly, Softly, Special Branch, On Giant's Shoulders and Queen Of Swords.
In 1983, he played Eglamour in the BBC TV adaptation of Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen Of Verona.
He also found success as a director on productions of Shylock, JM Barrie and The Life And Loves Of Edith Wharton, all of which toured internationally.
Recommended reading:
Major EastEnders exit is confirmed as popular star set to leave BBC soap
EastEnders fans 'confused' about this character after 'messy' error on BBC soap
EastEnders star 'secretly' quit the show after 2022 exit with no return planned
Barrie's writing credits include Wellington, The Family At Ham, The Devil You Know and The Other Woman, which was broadcast by the BBC, starring the late Dame Thora Hird.
The actor met his wife while attending Hull University, where he was president of the debating union.
Tributes have been made on social media since Barrie's passing was announced, as someone posted on X: "Very sad to hear about the passing of the great actor, Frank Barrie. I worked with Frank only once, but it was a rich experience. He was a gentleman, a teacher and a supportive wing man. A true man of the theatre, who will be sadly missed. RIP."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
MasterChef used to be a hug of a show, now it is just uncomfortable viewing
If telly and food have one thing in common, it's the importance of comfort. French onion soup, shepherd's pie, sticky toffee pudding; all classic comfort foods. As a three-course meal, they might be accompanied by some nice comfort viewing, like the BBC's cookery contest MasterChef, an hour-long hug of a show that returns this week. But, in the wake of allegations made against presenter Gregg Wallace and his co-anchor John Torode, which have resulted in the corporation severing ties with both men, this usually reassuring series is tinged with a strange, bitter aftertaste. When reports about Wallace's alleged misconduct broke last November, the BBC was still filming its latest competition, the 21st series of the show to air since it was revived in 2005. Wallace immediately announced that he would step aside from presenting during the investigation, with chef and former MasterChef: The Professionals judge Anna Haugh taking his place in the final episodes. Last month, following the conclusion of the investigation, Wallace was sacked, with his co-host, Australian-born chef Torode, also axed after scrutiny on the show's workplace culture unearthed an instance of racist language. This series – already filmed (and largely edited) by the time Wallace and Torode received their P45s – looked doomed. Yet, despite one contestant, Sarah Shafi, requesting that the show be scrapped (she eventually agreed to be edited out of it instead), the BBC has gone ahead with the broadcast. It makes for uncomfortable viewing. MasterChef is not thrill-a-minute television. It is a gentle, reliable programme that viewers have on in the background while doing the washing up after dinner. Recent series have run for 24 episodes, broadcast in three-episode tranches over a couple of months, meaning that the contestants – alongside Wallace and Torode – spend much of the late summer living in our houses. With Wallace and Torode both appearing here, condemned yet oblivious, that easy, ambient watching feels marred. Wallace cuts a distinctive figure on TV. Now, his broad, toadish smile evokes not just his cheeky greengrocer persona but the long index of allegations about inappropriate behaviour. Viewers (even Wallace's defenders) will be preternaturally alert to any sense that he is straying towards that dreaded 'banter'. 'Your girlfriend is a Disney princess?!' he marvels at a young cook at one point. 'Yeah,' the contestant replies. 'It's a tough life, Gregg.' Clearly no line is crossed in an exchange like that, yet the reports that have surfaced over the past year have transformed that genial rapport into a warning sign. An amber flag, if you will. 'Oh God, that was stressful,' a young challenger, Thea, says, pulling a face after a brief interaction with Wallace at the kitchen counter. It is the light, breezy comment that contestants have always made, yet it is also something that you can imagine being spoken in a more troubling context. Some viewers would never notice that, while others' minds will be drawn to it. It is indicative of the tension facing the BBC. There was no easy way out of this mess. To abandon the series would be to privilege the BBC's reputation over the hard work of not only the contestants, but a large cast and crew who stretch far beyond the show's two hosts (though when the credits roll and 'John Torode MBE' and 'Gregg Wallace MBE' get top billing, it is a salient reminder of how deeply embedded in the establishment bad behaviour is). Airing this series was a risk, yet the most striking thing is the uncanny normality of these new episodes. The allegations were looming, and yet filming went on. The result is something that, on the surface, feels inoffensively bland. An illustration, then, of how a toxic culture can seemingly hide in the plainest of plain sight.
Eater
4 hours ago
- Eater
The Team Behind Hit Greek Spot Kava Is Taking Over the South End
A new gastropub, called Louis Corner, is opening in the South End, and it's taking over former Boston chef Barbara Lynch's onetime neighborhood hot spot, the Butcher Shop. The Mazi Food Group, the team behind hip South End spots Desnuda Cocina & Bar, Gigi, Ilona, and Kava Neo-Taverna, is officially opening the doors to their fifth restaurant in the neighborhood, at 552 Tremont Street, on Wednesday, August 6. What does gastropub mean in 2025 Boston dining terms? A little bit of everything, and a lot of comfort, Mazi Food Group executive chef Jesus Preciado tells Eater. 'We're doing classic dishes, I call it traditional because it's what people crave. People crave grandma's dishes.' Preciado says that the focus at the Tremont Street restaurant will be on a diverse selection of small plate appetizers. Louis Corner will offer starters like cheddar croquettes filled with potato and ham, spicy chicken sliders with pickled onion, baked wings with a spicy root marinade, and shrimp and grits made rich with guanciale. The restaurant will also offer the de rigueur raw bar, with seafood towers, oysters, shrimp cocktail, and caviar service. The hangar steak at Louis Corner. Mazi Food Group The shrimp and grits. Mazi Food Group For larger appetites, there's a decadent mac and cheese made with elbow pasta, bechamel, cheese, smashed broccoli, and crispy panko. There's also a classic roast chicken, hanger steak, and of course, a grass-fed burger with caramelized onions. And, Perciado's favorite, the fish and chips fried in crispy beer batter. 'I remember when I got to New England, one of the first dishes I tried was fish and chips, and I fell in love with it,' the Colombian-born chef tells Eater. 'I was [always] the person who doesn't like fried food, but it's amazing.' Perciado is almost equally excited about the jambalaya risotto, with shrimp, chicken, andouille sausage, and Creole spices. While Creole-style jambalaya is traditionally on the spicy side, the chef explained that Louis Corner's version is a bit milder, although they can adjust it to be spicier on request. A spread of dishes at Louis Corner. Mazi Food Group The restaurant plans to serve lunch as well. Perciado is hopeful that an array of sandwiches, including a Cubano, a salmon burger, and a chicken club, will appeal to the foot traffic in the South End. On weekends, the restaurant will serve brunch, including classics like eggs Benedict. Louis Corner will open with a beer, wine, and cordial program, with wines by the glass, bottles, and beer selections like Luppolo Pilsner, from Oxford Brewing in Maine, as well as cold pours of Guinness. The cocktail menu is heavy on spritzes, including a refreshing Lychee Blush spritz with oleo citrate, pamplemousse, and lychee. It's a pretty extensive reboot from the restaurant's former life as the Butcher Shop, the full-service butcher shop and neighborhood wine bar run by the once-prominent Boston chef Barbara Lynch. The interiors, too, have seen a major overhaul; now, the place has the feel of an elegant bistro. The long bar is still in place but has been refurbished, and a tin ceiling hangs overhead, affixed with glass lamps dangling like art deco jewels. The Butcher Shop, one of Barbara Lynch's five Boston restaurants, closed last year amid accusations of rampant workplace harassment from multiple Lynch employees. Since then, all of the chef's restaurants have shuttered. Mazi partner Irakli Gogitidze confirmed with Eater late last year that the group was taking over 552 Tremont Street. And, another former Lynch spot, No. 9 Park, will see a new restaurant, Nine, open soon. Eater Boston All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Tom's Guide
4 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
'Star Wars: Starfighter' casting news: 'House of the Dragon' star is officially teaming up with Ryan Gosling
The good news keeps coming for "Star Wars" fans — after the exciting announcement that superstar Ryan Gosling would be leading the beloved franchise's upcoming standalone film, "Star Wars: Starfighter," the cast has just gotten an equally exciting, and fiery, addition: "House of the Dragon" star Matt Smith. The British actor already knows his way around a major genre franchise, from his role as the 11th Doctor in the BBC sci-fi classic "Doctor Who" and Daemon Targaryen in HBO's fantasy drama "House of the Dragon." Now, he'll be joining the "Star Wars" universe, according to a Deadline exclusive, though details on the villain that Smith will reportedly play are scant. It's a bit of a full-circle moment for Matt Smith, who was originally cast in 2019's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," though the part didn't make it onscreen. "Starfighter" will take place approximately five years after the events of that film. 'We were close to being in it, but it never quite happened. I think the thing they were thinking of before. Eventually, the part became obsolete, and they didn't need it. So, I never got to be in 'Star Wars,'' he told the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast in 2021. Though he played coy on exactly who he was meant to play in "The Rise of Skywalker,' Smith added, 'It was a really groovy part and concept. It was a big thing, a big story detail. A transformative 'Star Wars' story detail. But it never quite got over the line. It was a big shift in the history of the franchise.' Looks like he'll get another chance to make a mark on the fan-favorite franchise along with Gosling and previously announced cast member Mia Goth in "Star Wars: Starfighter," which will be helmed by Canadian filmmaker Shawn Levy ("Deadpool & Wolverine", "Free Guy"). With a screenplay written by Jonathan Tropper ("Warrior," "Your Friends & Neighbors", "Starfighter" will reportedly not be connected to the nine films that make up the franchise's ongoing Skywalker Saga, and will serve as a standalone film. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. "It's not a prequel, not a sequel," Levy announced in April at a Star Wars Celebration panel in Tokyo, per The Hollywood Reporter. "It's a new adventure. It's set in a period of time that we haven't seen explored yet." Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
