 |
Ronnie Barker
Age: 76 (passed away Oct. 3rd, 2005)
Height: 5' 8"
Birth Place: Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK
Born: Sep. 25th, 1929
+ Add to My Celebs
|
Ronnie Barker's Main TV Roles
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at
IMDB
BIOGRAPHY: Ronnie Barker's remarkable versatility as a performer can be traced back to his time in repertory theatre, where he was able to play a wide range of roles and develop his talent for accents, voices and verbal dexterity. It was during this time that he met Glenn Melvyn, who taught him how to stammer (something he would later use to great effect in the sitcom _"Open All Hours" (1973)_). Melvyn also gave Ronnie his break into television by offering him a role in "I'm Not Bothered" (1956). During the 1960s, Ronnie became well-established in radio, providing multiple voices for "The Navy Lark" and working with comedy great Jon Pertwee. He also became a regular face on television, appearing in "The Frost Report" (1966) (perhaps most memorably in a sketch about Britain's class system, with John Cleese and Ronnie Corbett) and playing character roles in "The Saint" (1962) and "The Avengers" (1961).
In 1971, Ronnie teamed up with Ronnie Corbett again, this time for a BBC sketch series called "The Two Ronnies" (1971). This series proved enormously popular, continuing until the late 1980s. In addition to "The Two Ronnies", Barker starred in the popular BBC sitcoms _"Porridge" (1973)_ (as a cockney prisoner) and _"Open All Hours" (1973)_ (as a stammering Northern shopkeeper). In fact, only Leonard Rossiter could be said to have rivalled him during this time for the crown of British television's most popular comedy star. In 1982, he revived silent comedy in By the Sea (1982).
Despite his extrovert performances on television, Barker remained a quiet, retiring individual in his personal life, much preferring to spend time with his family rather than mix with the celebrity crowd. This humility, combined with memories of his extraordinary abilities, meant that he continued to be greatly respected by his fellow professionals. In a BAFTA special shown by the BBC in 2004, stars as diverse as Gene Wilder, Peter Kay (I) and Peter Hall (I) paid tribute to his contribution to comedy and British television in general. Ronnie Barker died on 3 October 2005 after suffering from heart problems.
TRIVIA:
- Although a fine comic actor in his own right (_"Porridge" (1974)_ (qv), _"Open All Hours" (1976)_ (qv)), he is perhaps best known for his longstanding comic double-act with 'Ronnie Corbett' (qv) as "The Two Ronnies".
- Father of the actress 'Charlotte Barker' (qv), the actor 'Adam Barker (II)' (qv) and Larry Barker.
- Mr. Barker's funeral was held in the leafy surroundings of Banbury Crematorium in Oxfordshire where his body was taken in a Volvo hearse. Banbury is just a few miles from his home village of Dean near Chipping Norton where he operated an antique shop the last few years of his life.
- His first job was that of a stage hand at The Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, UK. At that time the theatre was a rep and one night Ronnie was thrust on stage to cover for someone - the rest, as they say, is history. Although considered a comic actor he has portrayed a vast array of characters - especially on the stage - and was considered one of Britain's finest character actors.
- He was one of the actors originally wanted for the part of Claudius in _"I, Claudius" (1976)_ (qv), but it eventually went to 'Derek Jacobi' (qv).
- His best friends were 'Ronnie Corbett' (qv) and 'David Jason (I)' (qv).
- Despite opting to appear frequently in drag in _"The Two Ronnies" (1971)_ (qv) as part of a sketch, he intensely disliked dressing as a woman.
- Enjoyed working with 'Jon Pertwee' (qv) on The Navy Lark and the two would often find themselves almost paralytic with laughter during rehearsals for the BBC radio comedy.
Ronnie Barker Photos | powered by  |
Previous |
Next (1)
Ronnie Barker Fans [7]
Page created in 0.1575 seconds
Facebook
Twitter
