Latest news with #TVactor
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Actor Ray Brooks, voice of Mr Benn, dies aged 86
TV actor Ray Brooks, who starred in some of the UK's best-known programmes in a career spanning five decades, has died aged 86. Brooks narrated the classic 1970s children's show Mr Benn and played the male lead in the ground-breaking 1960s BBC drama Cathy Come Home. He also starred in primetime 1980s programmes Big Deal, in which he played loveable rogue gambler Robbie Box, and Running Wild, as the comic lead Max Wild. Brooks also became one of few actors to appear in both Coronation Street and EastEnders. He played Norman Philips in the ITV soap in the 1960s, and arrived in Albert Square 40 years later to portray Joe Macer, who infamously murdered his wife Pauline Fowler. He died on Saturday after a short illness, his family told the BBC. In a statement, the actor's sons Will and Tom said their dad thought he was best known for Mr Benn, "with people continually asking him to say the catchphrase 'as if by magic!'". The cartoon followed Mr Benn who, through dressing up in a magical costume shop, found himself in a new adventure every episode. Brooks's sons added: "Although only 13 episodes were made, they were repeated twice a year for 21 years." The list of TV shows in which Brooks appeared in the 1960s and 1970s reads like a run-down of the British small screen's biggest hits of the era. They included roles in Danger Man, Dixon of Dock Green, Emergency-Ward 10, The Avengers, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Z Cars. He also had a number of film successes, including in the 1965 film The Knack... and How to Get It, which won the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He played Georgio, the waiter in the crumbling hotel, in Carry On Abroad in 1972, and also appeared in the 1966 Dr Who movie Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. Brooks also enjoyed appearances in the theatre, including Alan Ayckbourn's Absent Friends alongside Richard Briers, Peter Bowles and Phyllida Law. He also starred opposite Felicity Kendal in Tom Stoppard's On The Razzle. His most acclaimed role came early in his career when he played Reg in the gritty BBC TV play Cathy Come Home, which chronicled Britain's housing shortage in the late 1960s. Directed by Ken Loach and filmed in a documentary style, it followed a young couple's struggle with homelessness. It is regularly cited as one of the most influential TV broadcasts of all time. But arguably Brooks's biggest mainstream successes came in the 1980s, with two successive primetime leading roles. In Big Deal, his character Robbie Box seeks to make a living playing poker and betting on horses and dogs - while trying to keep his relationship together with his partner Jan, played by Sharon Duce. The fast-talking Londoner became one of TV's best-loved working-class characters in an era of Del Boy Trotter and Arthur Daley Duce went on to appear in an episode of Running Wild, Brooks's next big hit - where he switched channels to ITV for a sitcom about a former Teddy Boy going through a mid-life crisis. His popular partnership with Duce was revived by the BBC in 1992's Growing Pains, which saw the pair play a couple who become foster parents. Throughout his career his unmistakeable voice saw him land several roles as narrator, including the beloved children's show Mr Benn, The Pickwick Papers and 30 episodes reading the stories to young viewers in Jackanory. He also voiced thousands of adverts for companies including Guinness, Whiskas, Marmite and R Whites Lemonade. Nonetheless, his sons said Brooks "shunned the limelight" in real life. They said: "His three true loves were family [he also had a daughter Emma, who died in 2003], Fulham Football Club, and spending time in Brighton, where he was born. He was among the celebrity Fulham fans who fought against the club's proposed merger with QPR in the 1980s - and son Will recalled that Brooks even wore a "Save Fulham" badge during an interview on Wogan at the time. The family revealed that he had spent the last few years living with dementia but died peacefully on Saturday with his family at his bedside.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ray Brooks, voice of Mr Benn, dead at 86
TV actor Ray Brooks, who starred in some of the UK's best-known shows, has died aged 86. In a career spanning five decades, Brooks narrated the classic 1970s children's show Mr Benn, and played the male lead in the ground-breaking 1960s BBC drama Cathy Come Home. He also starred in primetime 1980s programmes Big Deal, in which he played loveable rogue gambler Robbie Box, and Running Wild, as the comic lead Max Wild. Brooks also became one of a handful of actors to appear in both Coronation Street and EastEnders. He played Norman Philips in the ITV soap in the 1960s, and arrived in Albert Square 40 years later to portray Joe Macer, who infamously murdered his wife, Pauline Fowler. He died on Saturday after a short illness, his family told the BBC. In a statement, the actor's sons, Will and Tom, said their dad believed he was best known for Mr Benn, with people continually asking him to say the catchphrase "As if by magic!". The cartoon followed Mr Benn, who, by dressing up in a magical costume shop, found himself in a new adventure every episode. Brooks's sons added: "Although only 13 episodes were made, they were repeated twice a year for 21 years."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ray Brooks, voice of Mr Benn, dies aged 86
TV actor Ray Brooks, who starred in some of the UK's best-known programmes in a career spanning five decades, has died aged narrated the classic 1970s children's show Mr Benn and played the male lead in the ground-breaking 1960s BBC drama Cathy Come also starred in primetime 1980s programmes Big Deal, in which he played loveable rogue gambler Robbie Box, and Running Wild, as the comic lead Max also became one of few actors to appear in both Coronation Street and EastEnders. He played Norman Philips in the ITV soap in the 1960s, and arrived in Albert Square 40 years later to portray Joe Macer, who infamously murdered his wife Pauline Fowler. He died on Saturday after a short illness, his family told the a statement, the actor's sons Will and Tom said their dad thought he was best known for Mr Benn, "with people continually asking him to say the catchphrase 'as if by magic!'"."Although only 13 episodes were made, they were repeated twice a year for 21 years," they added. The list of TV shows in which Brooks appeared in the 1960s and 1970s reads like a run-down of the British small screen's biggest hits of the included roles in Danger Man, Dixon of Dock Green, Emergency-Ward 10, The Avengers, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Z also had a number of film successes, including in the 1965 film The Knack... and How to Get It, which won the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film played Georgio, the waiter in the crumbling hotel, in Carry On Abroad in 1972, and also killed daleks and cybermen in the 1966 Dr Who movie Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 also enjoyed appearances in the theatre, including Alan Ayckbourn's Absent Friends alongside Richard Briers, Peter Bowles and Phyllida Law. He also starred opposite Felicity Kendal in Tom Stoppard's On The Razzle. His most acclaimed role came early in his career when he played Reg in the gritty BBC TV play Cathy Come Home, which chronicled Britain's housing shortage in the late by Ken Loach and filmed in a documentary style, it followed a young couple's struggle with homelessness. It is regularly cited as one of the most influential TV broadcasts of all arguably Brooks's biggest mainstream successes came in the 1980s, with two successive primetime leading Big Deal, his character Robbie Box seeks to make a living playing poker and betting on horses and dogs - while trying to keep his relationship together with his partner Jan, played by Sharon Duce. The fast-talking Londoner became one of TV's best-loved working-class characters in an era of Del Boy Trotter and Arthur Daley Duce went on to appear in an episode of Running Wild, Brooks's next big hit - where he switched channels to ITV for a sitcom about a former Teddy Boy going through a mid-life his career his unmistakeable voice saw him land several roles as narrator, including th,e beloved children's show Mr Benn, The Pickwick Papers and 30 episodes reading the stories to young viewers in also voiced thousands of adverts for companies including Guinness, Whiskas, Marmite and R Whites his sons said Brooks "shunned the limelight" in real said: "His three true loves were family [he also had a daughter Emma, who died in 2003], Fulham Football Club, and spending time in Brighton, where he was was among the celebrity Fulham fans who fought against the club's proposed merger with QPR in the 1980s - and son Will recalled that Brooks even wore a "Save Fulham" badge during an interview on Wogan at the family revealed that he had spent the last few years living with dementia but died peacefully on Saturday with his family at his bedside.
The Sun
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Kenneth Washington dead aged 89: Star Trek actor and final surviving main cast member of Hogan's Heroes dies
HOGAN'S Heroes actor Kenneth Washington has tragically died aged 89. Washington was the last surviving main cast member of the popular CBS series. 2 2 The TV and film actor was best known for playing Sergeant Richard Baker on the final season of the CBS series. Airing from 1965 until 1971, it ran for 168 episodes across six seasons. Washington died on July 18, as reported by Variety. Born in Ethel, Mississippi, the actor's family moved to California when he was a child, where he was then raised in San Francisco. He later moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. A household name in the '60s, Washington made appearances on several movies and TV series, including Star Trek, I Dream of Jeannie and My Three Sons. Following his acting career, he returned to school and earned his college degree from Loyola Marymount University. He then married the former editor-in-chief at Wave Newspapers in LA in 2001. More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
