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Charles Durning

2025-10-20T19:40:09Z

2A0A:EF40:114:6A01:A841:2168:BE84:B975:

{{Short description|American actor (1923–2012)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name =
| image = Charles Durning 1975.JPG
| caption = Durning in 1975
| birth_name = Charles Edward Durning
| birth_date = {{Birth date |1923|02|28}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|[[Highland Falls, New York]], U.S.}}
| years_active = 1951–2012
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|12|24|1923|02|28}}
| death_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| occupation = Actor
| nationality =
| resting_place = [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
| resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|38.8737|-77.0641|type:landmark_region:US-VA|display=inline}}
| spouse = {{Unbulleted list
| {{marriage|Carole Doughty|1959|1972|end=divorced}}
| {{marriage|Mary Ann Amelio|1974|2010|end=[[Legal separation|{{abbr|sep.|separated}}]]}}
}}
| children = 3, including [[Jeanine Durning|Jeanine]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://walkerart.org/magazine/jeanine-durning-what-are-words-for|title=Jeanine Durning: What Are Words For?|last1=LeFevre|first1=Camille|date=Dec 17, 2012|access-date=May 12, 2020}}</ref>
| module = {{Infobox military person
| embed = yes
| allegiance = United States
| branch = [[United States Army]]
| unit = [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]], [[100th Infantry Division (United States)|100th Infantry Division]]
| serviceyears = 1943–1946
| battles = {{tree list}}
* [[World War II]]
** [[Operation Overlord]]
** [[Battle of the Bulge]]
{{tree list/end}}
| rank = [[Private first class#United States|Private First Class]]
| awards = {{ubl|[[Silver Star]]|[[Bronze Star]]|[[Purple Heart]]|[[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Good Conduct Medal]]|[[World War II Victory Medal]]|}}}}
}}
'''Charles Edward Durning''' (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.<ref name="Schudel">Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless roles''" The Washington Post, p. B4</ref> Durning's best-known films include ''[[The Sting]]'' (1973), ''[[Dog Day Afternoon]]'' (1975), ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'' (1979), ''[[True Confessions (film)|True Confessions]]'' (1981), ''[[Tootsie]]'' (1982), ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|Dick Tracy]]'' (1990), and ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'' (2000). He was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for both ''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (film)|The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]'' (1982) and ''[[To Be or Not to Be (1983 film)|To Be or Not to Be]]'' (1983). Prior to his acting career, Durning served in [[World War II]] and was [[Awards and decorations of the United States military|decorated]] for [[Courage|valor]] in combat.

==Early life==
Durning was born in [[Highland Falls, New York|Highland Falls]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. He was the son of Louise (née Leonard; 1894–1982), a laundress at West Point, and James E. Durning (1883 – c. 1935).<ref name="AP Obit"/> His father was an Irish immigrant,<ref name = "WaPo">{{cite news |last1=Brennan |first1=Patricia |title=Charles Durning |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1994/05/29/charles-durning/d952763a-f3a4-4b4d-9f89-bbc489392d30/?noredirect=on |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=June 9, 2019 |date=May 29, 1994 |quote=His father, an Irish immigrant who had joined the Army to gain U.S. citizenship, lost a leg during World War I and died when Charles was 12.}}</ref> and his mother was also of Irish descent.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Up49mza5hJcC&q=%22In+The+Sting,+Dog+Day+Afternoon+and+countless%22 |title=The Mother Book|author= Liz Smith |page=180|date= 1984|publisher=Crown Publishers|isbn=978-0-517-55221-6 |accessdate=June 9, 2019|quote=...as he describes her, his maternal parent, Mrs. Louis Leonard Durning, is the quintessential Irish mother...}}</ref> Durning was raised [[Catholic]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/388988370/|url-access=subscription |title=Los Angeles Times: Archives – No Bleeps for Durning's Role |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 2, 1981 |access-date=June 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-09-15-ca-8172-story.html |title=Durning Takes On The 'Peasant Pope' For Pbs |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 15, 1987 |access-date=June 10, 2019 |first=Judith |last=Michaelson}}</ref> Durning was the ninth of ten children. His three brothers – James (known as Roger, 1915–2000), Clifford (1916–1994), and Gerald (1926–2000) – and his sister Frances (1918–2006) survived to adulthood, but five sisters died from [[scarlet fever]] and [[smallpox]] as children.<ref name="AP Obit">{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Charles Durning Obituary|url=http://www.legacy.com/NS/Obituary.aspx?pid=161955030|publisher=AP via Legacy.com|access-date=2012-12-26|location=Los Angeles|date=December 24, 2012}}</ref>

==Military service==
Durning served in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] during [[World War II]]. He was drafted at age 20. Durning landed in France as part of an artillery unit after the D-Day [[invasion of Normandy]].<ref>see Talk page for extensive discussion</ref> After being wounded by a German anti-personnel mine in the [[bocage]], he spent six months recovering. Durning was reassigned to the 398th Infantry Regiment with the [[100th Infantry Division (United States)|100th Infantry Division]], and participated in the [[Battle of the Bulge]] in December 1944. He was discharged with the rank of [[private first class]] on January 30, 1946.<ref name="NPRC 20080418"/>

For his valor and the wounds he received during the war, Durning was awarded the [[Silver Star]], [[Bronze Star]], and three [[Purple Heart]]s.<ref>Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, MND-B PAO, [https://www.army.mil/article/18424/ "Military urban legends versus true tales: real life stories prove more interesting"], ''www.Army.mil'', retrieved 16-Sep-2011</ref> Additional awards included the Army [[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Good Conduct Medal]], the [[American Campaign Medal]] and the [[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]] with [[Arrowhead device]] and two bronze [[service star]]s, and the [[World War II Victory Medal]].<ref name="FC LOH Speech">{{cite web|title=Speech by Consul General of France Philippe Larrieu|url=http://www.consulfrance-losangeles.org/article.php3?id_article=673|publisher=French Diplomatic Mission to the United States|access-date=2012-12-26|location=Los Angeles|date=April 22, 2008}}{{dead link|date=May 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} [http://www.arrse.co.uk/military-history-militaria/87046-actor-charles-durning-talks-about-d-day.html#post1907968 Alt URL]</ref> His badges included the [[Combat Infantryman Badge]], [[Marksmanship badges (United States)#United States Army|Expert Badge with Rifle Bar]] and [[Honorable Service Lapel Button|Honorable Service Lapel Pin]].<ref name="NPRC 20080418">{{cite press release|title=Letter from NPRC to Charles Durning|location=St. Louis, MO|pages=2|author=National Personnel Records Center|date=April 18, 2008}}</ref>

Durning received the French [[Legion of Honour|National Order of the Legion of Honor]] from the French Consul in Los Angeles in April 2008.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| '''Badges and pins'''
|-
| [[File:Combat Infantry Badge.svg|90px]]
| [[File:ArmyQualExpertBadgeHi.jpg|60px]] [[File:ArmyQualBadgeRifleBarHi.jpg|60px]]
| [[File:Ruptured duck pin.gif|60px]]
|-
! [[Combat Infantryman Badge]]
! [[Marksmanship Badge (United States)#United States Army|Expert Badge with Rifle Bar]]
! [[Honorable Service Lapel Button]]
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! Ribbons
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
| colspan="12"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Silver Star Medal ribbon.svg}}{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Bronze Star Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
| style="width:106px;" colspan="2"| {{Ribbon devices|width=106|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=Purple Heart ribbon.svg}}
| style="width:106px;" colspan="2"| {{Ribbon devices|width=106|ribbon=Army Good Conduct Medal ribbon.svg}}
| style="width:106px;" colspan="2"| {{Ribbon devices|width=106|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg}}
|-
| style="width:106px;" colspan="2"| {{Ribbon devices|width=106|number=2|type=service-star|other_device=arrowhead|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg}}
| style="width:106px;" colspan="2"| {{Ribbon devices|width=106|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg}}
| style="width:106px;" colspan="2"| {{Ribbon devices|width=106|ribbon=Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon.svg}}
|}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
| colspan=3 | [[Silver Star]]
| colspan=3 | [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]]
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Purple Heart]] with 2 [[Oak leaf cluster]]s
| colspan=2 | [[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Good Conduct Medal]]
| colspan=2 | [[American Campaign Medal]]
|-
| colspan=2 | [[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal|EAME Campaign Medal (2x)]]
| colspan=2 | [[World War II Victory Medal]]
| colspan=2 | [[Legion of Honour|Legion of Honour (''Chevalier'')]]
|}
|}

===Veteran groups and spokesman===
Durning participated in various functions to honor American veterans, including serving as Chairman of the U.S. National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.va.gov/volunteer/nshv.html |title=VA Voluntary Service – National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans |access-date=August 27, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060819051454/http://www1.va.gov/volunteer/nshv.html |archive-date=August 19, 2006 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> He was an honored guest speaker for 17 years at the [[National Memorial Day Concert]] televised by [[PBS]] every year on the Sunday evening of [[Memorial Day]] weekend.

Durning was paid a special tribute at the May 26, 2013, National Memorial Day Concert when "[[Taps (bugle call)|Taps]]" was sounded in his honor.

==Acting career==
[[File:Maureen Stapleton Charles Durning Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.jpg|thumb|With [[Maureen Stapleton]] in the 1975 made-for-television film ''[[Queen of the Stardust Ballroom]]'' (each was nominated for an [[Emmy Award]])]]
While pursuing an acting career, Durning, a professional ballroom dancer, taught at [[Fred Astaire]] Dance Studio in New York City.<ref name=NYTThousandRef>"Man of a Thousand Roles, but Who Is He?" by N R Kleinfield, ''[[The New York Times]]'' (20 April, 1997) Retrieved from {{ProQuest|430764513}}</ref>

Durning began his career in 1951. While working as an usher in a [[burlesque]] theatre, he was hired to replace a drunken actor on stage.<ref name=NYTThousandRef/> Subsequently, he performed in roughly 50 stock company productions and in various [[off-Broadway]] plays, eventually attracting the attention of [[Joseph Papp]], founder of [[The Public Theater]] and the [[New York Shakespeare Festival]].<ref name=NYTThousandRef/> Beginning in 1961, he appeared in 35 plays as part of the Shakespeare Festival.<ref name=NYTThousandRef/> "That time in my life was my best time," Durning told Pittsburgh's ''[[Post Gazette]]'' in 2001. "I had no money at all, and he [Joseph Papp] didn't pay much. You were getting a salary for performance plus a rehearsal salary. We would do three plays in Central Park for the summer. And then you'd do three to six plays every year down on Lafayette Street – new plays by new writers: [[Sam Shepard]], [[David Mamet]], [[David Rabe]], [[John Ford Noonan]], [[Jason Miller (playwright)|Jason Miller]]."

During this period, he segued into television and movies. He made his film debut in 1965, appearing in ''[[Harvey Middleman, Fireman]]''. He appeared in [[John Frankenheimer]]'s ''[[I Walk the Line (film)|I Walk the Line]]'' (1970) starring [[Gregory Peck]], and three [[Brian De Palma]] movies: ''[[Hi, Mom!]]'' (1970, as Charles Durnham), ''[[Sisters (1973 film)|Sisters]]'' (1973), and ''[[The Fury (1978 film)|The Fury]]'' (1978). He also appeared in ''[[Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (film)|Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues]]'' (1972) with [[Barbara Hershey]] and [[John Lithgow]].

Durning's performances in Broadway productions include ''[[Drat! The Cat!]]'' (1965), ''Pousse-Café'' (1966), ''[[The Happy Time]]'' (1968), ''Indians'' (1969), ''[[That Championship Season]]'' (1972), ''[[In the Boom Boom Room]]'' (1973),<ref name=NYTProlificRef/> ''The Au Pair Man'' (1973),<ref name=NYTProlificRef/> ''[[Knock Knock (play)|Knock Knock]]'' (1976),<ref name=NYTProlificRef/> ''[[Cat on a Hot Tin Roof]]'' (1990), ''[[Inherit the Wind (play)|Inherit the Wind]]'' (1996), ''The Gin Game'' (1997),<ref name=NYTThousandRef/> and ''The Best Man'' (2000).

In 2002, he performed in [[Bertolt Brecht]]'s ''[[The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui]]'' with [[Al Pacino]], produced by [[Tony Randall]]. He played the role of Jack Jameson in [[Wendy Wasserstein]]'s final play, ''Third'' (2005), with [[Dianne Wiest]] at [[Lincoln Center]]'s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre.

Durning won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his powerful performance in The Westwood Playhouse's 1977 production of [[David Rabe]]'s ''Streamers''. In 1980, he won critical acclaim for his performance as Norman Thayer, Jr. in Los Angeles's Ahmanson Theater's production of ''[[On Golden Pond (play)|On Golden Pond]]'' opposite [[Julie Harris (actress)|Julie Harris]].
[[File:Charles Durning 1999.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Durning in 1999]]
In 1972, director [[George Roy Hill]], impressed by Durning's performance in the [[Tony Award]]- and [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning play ''[[That Championship Season]]'', offered him a role in ''[[The Sting]]'' (1973).<ref name=NYTProlificRef>"Charles Durning, Prolific Character Actor (From Nazi to Priest), Dies at 89" by Robert Berkvist, ''[[The New York Times]]'' (26 Dec, 2012) Retrieved from {{ProQuest|1243273609}}</ref> In the [[Academy Award|Best Picture]]-winner, starring [[Paul Newman]] and [[Robert Redford]], Durning won distinction as a crooked cop, Lt. Wm. Snyder, who polices and hustles professional [[con artist]]s. He doggedly pursues the young grifter, Johnny Hooker (Redford), only to become the griftee in the end. Other film credits include ''[[Dog Day Afternoon]]'' with [[Al Pacino]]; ''[[When a Stranger Calls (1979 film)|When A Stranger Calls]]''; ''[[The Final Countdown (film)|The Final Countdown]]''; ''[[The Hindenburg (film)|The Hindenburg]]''; ''[[Twilight's Last Gleaming]]'' with [[Burt Lancaster]]; ''[[True Confessions (film)|True Confessions]]'' with [[Robert De Niro]] and [[Robert Duvall]]. Some television credits include ''The Connection''; ''[[Queen of the Stardust Ballroom]]'', the made-for-television musical in which he played the mailman who reaches out to [[Maureen Stapleton]]'s lonely widow on the dance floor; ''[[Attica (1980 film)|Attica]]''; [[PBS]]'s ''[[Dancing Bear]]'' with [[Tyne Daly]]; the [[PBS]] production ''I Would Be Called John'' as [[Pope John XXIII]]; ''Hallmark Hall of Fame: [[Casey Stengel]]'', in which Durning played the legendary baseball manager Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel; [[NBC]]'s mini-series ''[[Studs Lonigan]]'' with [[Harry Hamlin]] and [[Colleen Dewhurst]]; ''[[The Best Little Girl in the World]]'' with [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]].<ref>"At The Movies; Jennifer Leigh and her trip from X to R" by Chris Chase, ''[[The New York Times]]'' (3 Sept, 1982) Retrieved from {{ProQuest|424436518}}</ref> In 1976, he received both an [[Emmy]] and a [[Golden Globe]] nomination for his performance in the television mini-series ''[[Captains and the Kings]]''.

In 1979, he played Doc Hopper, a man who owns a [[frog leg]] restaurant and the main antagonist in ''[[The Muppet Movie]]''.<ref>"Why Supporting Actors Try Harder" by Michael Blowen, ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' (3 Jan, 1983) Retrieved from {{ProQuest|294167712}}</ref> In ''[[Tootsie]]'' (1982), he played a suitor to [[Dustin Hoffman]]'s cross-dressing lead character.<ref name=NYTProlificRef/> The two actors worked together again in a 1985 TV production of ''[[Death of a Salesman (1985 film)|Death of a Salesman]]''. In 1990, he appeared as Chief Brandon in the film ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|Dick Tracy]]''.

In 1993, he guest-starred in the [[Sean Penn]]-directed music video "[[Dance with the One That Brought You]]" by [[Shania Twain]].

Other film roles include Henry Larson, the benevolent father of [[Holly Hunter]]'s character in ''[[Home for the Holidays (1995 film)|Home for the Holidays]]'' (1995) and Waring Hudsucker in ''[[The Hudsucker Proxy]]'' (1994). He worked with the Coen Brothers again playing "Pappy" O'Daniel, a cynical governor of [[Mississippi]] (a character loosely based on the [[Texas]] politician and showman [[W. Lee O'Daniel]]) in the Coen Brothers' ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'' (2000).

Prior to appearing in the [[Burt Reynolds]] TV series, ''[[Evening Shade]]'', as the town doctor, Harlan Eldridge (1990–1994), Durning appeared with Reynolds in five films, beginning with 1979's ''[[Starting Over (1979 film)|Starting Over]]'', followed by 1981's ''[[Sharky's Machine (film)|Sharky's Machine]]'', 1982's ''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (film)|Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]'', 1985's ''[[Stick (film)|Stick]]'' and 1999's ''Hostage Hotel''.

On TV, Durning had a [[recurring character|recurring role]] on ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]'' as the Barone family's long-suffering parish priest, Father Hubley. He also played the voice of recurring character [[Francis Griffin (Family Guy)|Francis Griffin]], the religious zealot father of [[Peter Griffin|Peter]] in the animated series ''[[Family Guy]]''. He appeared on the [[FX (TV network)|FX]] television series ''[[Rescue Me (U.S. TV series)|Rescue Me]]'', playing Mike Gavin, the retired firefighter father of [[Denis Leary]]'s character.
[[File:CharlesDurningMay2008.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Durning in May 2008]]
In 2005, he was nominated for an [[Emmy Award]] for his portrayal of a Marine veteran in "[[Call of Silence (NCIS)|Call of Silence]]," an episode in the television series ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]'', first broadcast November 23, 2004. Durning's character turns himself in to authorities, insisting that he must be prosecuted for having murdered his buddy during ferocious combat on [[Battle of Iwo Jima|Iwo Jima]] six decades earlier.<ref name="ncis">O'Hare, Kate. [http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C91918%7C1%7C10,00.html '' 'NCIS' Has Durning Hearing Echoes of War''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201183644/http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1%2C1002%2C271%7C91918%7C1%7C10%2C00.html |date=December 1, 2007 }}. tv.zap2it.com.</ref> The truth of the incident only becomes known when the guilt-stricken veteran goes through a [[Catharsis|cathartic]] reliving of the battlefield events.

For his numerous roles on television, he earned nine [[Emmy Award]] nominations. He also received [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] nominations for ''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (film)|The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]'' in 1982 and ''[[To Be or Not to Be (1983 film)|To Be or Not to Be]]'' in 1983.<ref name=NYTProlificRef/> He won a Golden Globe in 1990 for his supporting role in the television miniseries ''[[The Kennedys of Massachusetts]]'', having had three previous nominations. That same year, he won a Tony Award for his performance as Big Daddy in ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof''.<ref name=NYTThousandRef/> He received two Drama Desk Awards for his performances in ''That Championship Season'' and ''Third''.

In 1999, Durning was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame on Broadway. He was honored with the Life Achievement Award at the 14th Annual [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] Ceremony on January 27, 2008.<ref>[https://variety.com/2007/film/awards/sag-honors-charles-durning-1117972591/ "SAG honors Charles Durning"] by Dave McNary at [[Variety (magazine)|variety.com]]</ref> On July 31, 2008, he was given a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] adjacent to one of his idols, James Cagney.

"There are many secrets in us, in the depths of our souls, that we don't want anyone to know about," he told ''Parade''. "There's terror and repulsion in us, the terrible spot that we don't talk about. That place that no one knows about — horrifying things we keep secret. A lot of that is released through acting."

The Charles Durning Collection is held at the Academy Film Archive. Along with films he appeared in, his collection consists mainly of films he admired as well as a small collection of family home movies.<ref>{{cite web|title=Charles Durning Collection|url=http://www.oscars.org/film-archive/collections/charles-durning-collection|website=Academy Film Archive}}</ref>

==Death==

[[File:ANCExplorer Charles Durning grave.jpg|thumb|Grave at Arlington National Cemetery]]
Charles Durning died of natural causes at his home in [[Manhattan]] on Christmas Eve December 24, 2012, aged 89.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9766171/Charles-Durning.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9766171/Charles-Durning.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | title=Charles Durning | date=December 26, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Charles Durning, Oscar-nominated king of the character actors, dies at 89 in NYC|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/charles-durning-oscar-nominated-king-of-the-character-actors-has-died-at-89-in-ny/2012/12/25/6ed89de0-4e67-11e2-835b-02f92c0daa43_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226082950/http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/charles-durning-oscar-nominated-king-of-the-character-actors-has-died-at-89-in-ny/2012/12/25/6ed89de0-4e67-11e2-835b-02f92c0daa43_story.html|archive-date=26 December 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=25 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was buried at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref name="AP Obit"/><ref>{{cite news|title=WWII Soldier, character actor Charles Durning to be interred at Arlington|url=https://www.army.mil/article/94492/WWII_Soldier__character_actor_Charles_Durning_to_be_interred_at_Arlington|publisher=[[United States Army]]|date=January 17, 2013}}</ref>

On December 27, 2012, Broadway theatres dimmed their lights to honour him. ''The New York Times'', which commented on Durning's more than 200 credited roles, referred to him and actor [[Jack Klugman]], who died the same day, as "extraordinary actors ennobling the ordinary".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/26/arts/television/remembering-jack-klugman-and-charles-durning.html?_r=1&|title=An Appraisal– Remembering Jack Klugman and Charles Durning|last=Genzlinger|first=Neil|date=December 26, 2012|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 27, 2012}}</ref> The ''[[Huffington Post]]'' compared the two men, calling them "character actor titans".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/25/charles-durning-jack-klugman_n_2362655.html|title=Charles Durning, Jack Klugman Deaths Bring New Appreciation For Character Actor Titans|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|access-date=December 27, 2012|date=December 25, 2012}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Durning married his first wife, Carole Doughty, in 1959. They had three children together before divorcing in 1972. Durning married his second wife, Mary Ann Amelio, in 1974. In 2010, the two filed an official [[Legal separation|Declaration of Separation]].{{cn|date=December 2024}}

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1962
| data-sort-value="Password Is Courage, The" | ''[[The Password Is Courage]]''
| American G.I.
| Uncredited
|-
| 1965
| ''[[Harvey Middleman, Fireman]]''
| Dooley
|-
| 1969
| ''[[Stiletto (1969 film)|Stiletto]]''
| Cop
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1970
| ''[[Hi, Mom!]]''
| Superintendent
| (as Charles Durnham)
|-
| ''[[I Walk the Line (film)|I Walk the Line]]''
| Hunnicutt
|
|-
| 1971
| data-sort-value="Pursuit of Happiness, The" | ''[[The Pursuit of Happiness (1971 film)|The Pursuit of Happiness]]''
| 2nd Guard
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1972
| ''[[Doomsday Voyage]]''
| Jason's First Mate
|
|-
| ''[[Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (film)|Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues]]''
| Murphy
|
|-
| ''[[Sisters (1973 film)|Sisters]]''
| Joseph Larch
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1973
| ''[[Deadhead Miles]]''
| Red Ball Rider
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Sting, The" | ''[[The Sting]]''
| Lieutenant Snyder
|
|-
| 1974
| data-sort-value="Front Page, The" | ''[[The Front Page (1974 film)|The Front Page]]''
| Murphy
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1975
| ''[[Dog Day Afternoon]]''
| Sergeant Eugene Moretti
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor]] Nominated—[[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture]]
|-
| ''[[Breakheart Pass (1975 film)|Breakheart Pass]]''
| O'Brien
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Hindenburg, The" | ''[[The Hindenburg (film)|The Hindenburg]]''
| Captain Max Pruss
|
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Harry and Walter Go to New York]]''
| Rufus T. Crisp
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1977
| ''[[Twilight's Last Gleaming]]''
| President David Stevens
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Choirboys, The" | ''[[The Choirboys (film)|The Choirboys]]''
| Spermwhale Whalen
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1978
| data-sort-value="Fury, The" | ''[[The Fury (1978 film)|The Fury]]''
| Dr. Jim McKeever
|
|-
| ''[[An Enemy of the People (1978 film)|An Enemy of the People]]''
| Peter Stockmann
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Greek Tycoon, The" | ''[[The Greek Tycoon]]''
| Michael Russell
|
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1979
| ''[[Tilt (1979 film)|Tilt]]''
| Harold 'The Whale' Remmens
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Muppet Movie, The" | ''[[The Muppet Movie]]''
| 'Doc' Hopper
|
|-
| ''[[North Dallas Forty (film)|North Dallas Forty]]''
| Coach Johnson
|
|-
| ''[[Starting Over (1979 film)|Starting Over]]''
| Michael Potter
|
|-
| ''[[When a Stranger Calls (1979 film)|When a Stranger Calls]]''
| John Clifford
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1980
| ''[[Die Laughing (film)|Die Laughing]]''
| Arnold
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Final Countdown, The" | ''[[The Final Countdown (film)|The Final Countdown]]''
| Senator Samuel Chapman
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1981
| ''[[True Confessions (film)|True Confessions]]''
| Jack Amsterdam
|
|-
| ''[[Sharky's Machine (film)|Sharky's Machine]]''
| Lieutenant Friscoe
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1982
| data-sort-value="Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The" | ''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (film)|The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]''
| Governor
| Nominated—[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
| ''[[Tootsie]]''
| Leslie 'Les' Nichols
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1983
| ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]''
| Immigration Officer
| Voice, Uncredited
|-
| ''[[Two of a Kind (1983 film)|Two of a Kind]]''
| Charlie
|
|-
| ''[[To Be or Not to Be (1983 film)|To Be or Not to Be]]''
| Colonel Erhardt
| Nominated—[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] Nominated—[[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1984
| ''[[Mister Roberts (1984 film)|Mister Roberts]]''
| The Captain
|
|-
| ''[[Mass Appeal (film)|Mass Appeal]]''
| Monsignor Thomas Burke
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1985
| ''[[Stick (film)|Stick]]''
| Chucky
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Man with One Red Shoe, The" | ''[[The Man with One Red Shoe]]''
| Ross
|
|-
| ''[[Stand Alone]]''
| Louis Thibadeau
|
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1986
| ''[[Big Trouble (1986 film)|Big Trouble]]''
| O'Mara
|
|-
| ''[[Where the River Runs Black]]''
| Father O'Reilly
|
|-
| ''[[Tough Guys (1986 film)|Tough Guys]]''
| Sergeant Deke Yablonski
|
|-
| ''[[Meatballs III: Summer Job]]''
| Pete
| Uncredited
|-
| ''[[Solarbabies]]''
| The Warden
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1987
| data-sort-value="Rosary Murders, The" | ''[[The Rosary Murders]]''
| Father Ted Nabors
|
|-
| ''[[Happy New Year (1987 film)|Happy New Year]]''
| Charlie
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Tiger's Tale, A" | ''[[A Tiger's Tale]]''
| Charlie Drumm
|
|-
| ''[[Hadley's Rebellion]]''
| Sam Crawford
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1988
| ''[[Cop (film)|Cop]]''
| Detective Arthur 'Dutch' Peltz
|
|-
| ''[[Far North (1988 film)|Far North]]''
| Bertrum
|
|-
| ''[[Case Closed (film)|Case Closed]]''
| Detective Les
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1989
| ''It Nearly Wasn't Christmas''
| Santa
|
|-
| ''[[Etoile (film)|Etoile]]''
| Uncle Joshua
|
|-
| ''[[Brenda Starr (1989 film)|Brenda Starr]]''
| Editor Francis I. Livright
|
|-
| ''[[Cat Chaser]]''
| 'Jiggs' Scully
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1990
| ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|Dick Tracy]]''
| Chief Brandon
|
|-
| ''[[Fatal Sky]]''
| Colonel Clancy
|
|-
| 1991
| ''[[V.I. Warshawski (film)|V.I. Warshawski]]''
| Lieutenant Bobby Mallory
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1993
| data-sort-value="Music of Chance, The" | ''[[The Music of Chance (film)|The Music of Chance]]''
| Bill Flower
|
|-
| ''[[When a Stranger Calls Back]]''
| John Clifford
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1994
| data-sort-value="Hudsucker Proxy, The" | ''[[The Hudsucker Proxy]]''
| Waring Hudsucker
|
|-
| ''[[I.Q. (film)|I.Q.]]''
| Louis Bamberger
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1995
| data-sort-value="Last Supper, The" | ''[[The Last Supper (1995 film)|The Last Supper]]''
| Reverend Gerald Hutchens
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Grass Harp, The" | ''[[The Grass Harp (film)|The Grass Harp]]''
| Reverend Buster
|
|-
| ''[[Home for the Holidays (1995 film)|Home for the Holidays]]''
| Henry Larson
|
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1996
| ''[[Spy Hard]]''
| The Director
|
|-
| ''Recon''
| Chief
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists, The" | ''[[The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists|The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists]]''
| Archie The Archelon
| Voice
|-
| ''[[Mrs. Santa Claus]]''
| Santa Claus
|
|-
| ''[[One Fine Day (1996 film)|One Fine Day]]''
| Lew
|
|-
| 1997
| data-sort-value="Secret Life of Algernon, The" | ''[[The Secret Life of Algernon]]''
| Norbie Hess
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1998
| ''Shelter''
| Captain Robert Landis
|
|-
| ''[[Jerry and Tom]]''
| Vic
|
|-
| ''[[Hi-Life (1998 film)|Hi-Life]]''
| 'Fatty'
|
|-
| ''[[Hard Time (film)|Hard Time]]''
| Detective Charlie Duffy
|
|-
| rowspan="6" | 2000
| ''[[Lakeboat (film)|Lakeboat]]''
| 'Skippy'
|
|-
| ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]''
| Pappy O'Daniel
|
|-
| ''[[Very Mean Men]]''
| Paddy Mulroney
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Last Producer, The" | ''[[The Last Producer]]''
| Syd Wolf
|
|-
| ''[[State and Main]]''
| Mayor George Bailey
| [[Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast]] [[National Board of Review Award for Best Cast]] [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast]]
|-
| ''Never Look Back''
| Unknown
|
|-
| 2001
| ''[[L.A.P.D.: To Protect and to Serve]]''
| Stuart Steele
|
|-
| rowspan="6" | 2002
| ''[[Turn of Faith]]''
| Philly Russo
|
|-
| ''Mother Ghost''
| George
|
|-
| ''[[Mr. St. Nick]]''
| King Nicholas XX
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Naked Run, The" | ''The Naked Run''
| Congressman Davenport
| Short
|-
| data-sort-value="Last Man Club, The" | ''The Last Man Club''
| John 'Eagle Eye' Pennell
|
|-
| ''Pride & Loyalty''
| Dylan Frier
|
|-
| 2003
| ''Dead Canaries''
| Jimmy Kerrigan
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2004
| ''[[Death and Texas]]''
| Marshall Ledger
|
|-
| ''[[One Last Ride (film)|One Last Ride]]''
| Mr. Orlick
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Boyfriend for Christmas, A" | ''[[A Boyfriend for Christmas]]''
| Santa Claus
|
|-
| rowspan="5" | 2005
| ''River's End''
| Murray Blythe
|
|-
| ''[[Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story (film)|Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story]]''
| [[Frank McNally (American football)|Frank McNally]]
|
|-
| data-sort-value="L.A. Riot Spectacular, The" | ''[[The L.A. Riot Spectacular]]''
| The Lawyer
|
|-
| ''[[Dirty Deeds (2005 film)|Dirty Deeds]]''
| Victor Rasdale
|
|-
| ''Jesus, Mary and Joey''
| Teddy, The Bartender
|
|-
| rowspan="6" | 2006
| ''Descansos''
| Innkeeper #2
|
|-
| ''[[Stephen King's Desperation|Desperation]]''
| Tom Billingsley
|
|-
| ''Miracle Dogs Too''
| Captain Pete Weaver
|
|-
| ''[[Unbeatable Harold]]''
| Mr. Clark
|
|-
| ''[[Local Color (film)|Local Color]]''
| Yammi
|
|-
| ''[[Forget About It (film)|Forget About It]]''
| Eddie O'Brien
|
|-
| 2007
| ''Polycarp''
| Alexander Hathaway
| aka ''Kinky Killers''
|-
| rowspan="7" | 2008
| ''[[Good Dick]]''
| Charlie
|
|-
| ''[[Deal (2008 film)|Deal]]''
| Charlie Adler
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Drum Beats Twice, The" | ''The Drum Beats Twice''
| [[Satan]]
|
|-
| ''Break''
| The Wise Man
|
|-
| ''[[iMurders]]''
| Dr. Seamus St. Martin
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Golden Boys, The" | ''[[The Golden Boys]]''
| John Bartlett
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Bunch of Amateurs, A" | ''[[A Bunch of Amateurs]]''
| Charlie Rosenberg
|
|-
| 2009
| ''[[Shannon's Rainbow]]''
| Floyd
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2010
| ''Three Chris's''
| Kris Kringle
|
|-
| ''Chronicle of Purgatory: The Waiter''
| Frank 'The Handler' Maro
|
|-
| ''An Affirmative Act''
| Man In The White Suit
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2011
| ''Naked Run''
| Congressman Davenport
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Great Fight, The" | ''The Great Fight''
| Judge Frier
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Life Zone, The" | ''[[The Life Zone]]''
| James Wise
|
|-
| 2012
| ''Rogue Assassin''
| Frank 'The Handler' Maro
|
|-
| 2014
| ''Scavenger Killers''
| Dylan Frier
| Posthumous release
|-
| 2015
| ''Captured Hearts''
| Santa Claus
| Posthumous release, (final film role)
|}

===Stage credits===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role(s)
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1962
| ''[[King Lear]]''
| Ensemble, Messenger from Cornwall
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1963
| ''[[Antony and Cleopatra]]''
| Clown
|
|-
| data-sort-value="Winter's Tale, The" | ''[[The Winter's Tale]]''
| Clown
|
|-
| 1964
| ''Poor Bitos''
| Understudy
| Broadway debut
|-
| 1965
| ''[[Drat! The Cat!]]''
| Pincer
|
|-
| 1966
| ''[[All's Well That Ends Well]]''
| Lavatch
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1966
| ''[[Measure for Measure]]''
| Pompey
|
|-
| ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]''
| 1st Murderer
|
|-
| ''Pousse-Café''
| Maurice / Dean Stewart understudy: Artie
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1967
| data-sort-value="Comedy of Errors, The" | ''[[The Comedy of Errors]]''
| Dromio of Ephesus
|
|-
| ''[[King John (play)|King John]]''
| James Gurney
|
|-
| ''[[Titus Andronicus]]''
| Narrator
|
|-
| 1968
| data-sort-value="Happy Time], The" | ''[[The Happy Time (musical)|The Happy Time]]''
| Louis Bonnard
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1969
| ''[[Twelfth Night]]''
| Feste
|
|-
| ''[[Indians (play)|Indians]]''
| Ned Buntline
|
|-
| 1970
| data-sort-value="Wars of the Roses, The" | ''[[The Wars of the Roses (adaptation)|The Wars of the Roses]]''
| Part 1: Mayor of London Part 2: Jack Cade
|
|-
| 1972
| ''[[That Championship Season]]''
| George Sikowski
| [[Drama Desk Award|Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance]]
|-
| 1973
| ''[[In the Boom Boom Room|Boom Boom Room]]''
| Harold
|
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Knock Knock (play)|Knock Knock]]''
| Cohn
|
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Cat on a Hot Tin Roof]]''
| 'Big Daddy'
| [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play]] [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play]]
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Inherit the Wind (play)|Inherit the Wind]]''
| Matthew Harrison Brady
|
|-
| 1997
| data-sort-value="Gin Game, The" | ''[[The Gin Game]]''
| Weller Martin
| [[Drama League Award|Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance]]
|-
| 2000
| ''[[The Best Man (play)|Gore Vidal's The Best Man]]''
| Ex-President Arthur Hockstader
| [[Outer Critics Circle Award|Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play]]
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Brigadoon]]''
| Mr. Lundie
|
|-
| 2002
| data-sort-value="Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, The" | ''[[The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui]]''
| Old Dogsborough / Ted Ragg / Ignatius Dullfeet
|
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Harvey (play)|Harvey]]''
| Elwood P. Dowd
|
|-
| 2004
| ''Golf With Alan Shepard''
| Ned
|
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Third (play)|Third]]''
| Jack Jameson
| [[Lortel Award|Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor]]
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1970
| data-sort-value="High Chaparral, The" | ''[[The High Chaparral]]''
| Hewitt
| Episode: "The Reluctant Deputy"
|-
| 1972
| ''[[Another World (TV series)|Another World]]''
| Gil McGowan (#1)
| Unknown episodes
|-
| 1973
| ''[[All in the Family]]''
| Detective
| Episode: "Gloria the Victim"
|-
| 1975–1976
| data-sort-value="Cop and The Kid, The" | ''The Cop and The Kid''
| Officer Frank Murphy
| 13 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" |1975
|''[[Queen of the Stardust Ballroom]]''
|Alvin 'Al' Green
|TV movie Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie]]
|-
| ''[[Barnaby Jones]]''
| Don Corcoran
| Episode: "The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 2"
|-
| [[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|''Hawaii Five-O'']]
| Havens
| Episode: "Retire in Sunny Hawaii Forever"
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Captains and the Kings]]''
| Ed Healey
| 3 episodes Nominated—[[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film]] Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie]]
|-
|1980
|''[[Attica (1980 film)|Attica]]''
|Russell Oswald
|TV movie Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie]]
|-
| rowspan="3" |1981
|''[[Crisis at Central High]]''
|Principal Jess Matthews
| rowspan="2" |TV movie
|-
|''[[Dark Night of the Scarecrow]]''
|Otis P. Hazelrigg
|-
| ''[[Great Performances]]''
| McMahon
| Episode: "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses and Other Stories"
|-
| 1982
| ''[[American Playhouse]]''
| Retired Man
| Episode: "Working"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1985
| ''[[Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)|Amazing Stories]]''
| Assistant to The Boss
| Episode: "Guilt Trip"
|-
|''[[Death of a Salesman (1985 film)|Death of a Salesman]]''
|Charley
|TV movie Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie]]
|-
| ''[[Tall Tales & Legends]]''
| Uncle Doffue
| Episode: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)|Amazing Stories]]''
| Earl
| Episode: "You Gotta Believe Me"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1987
| ''[[Dolly (1987 TV series)|Dolly]]''
| Musical numbers and skit
| Episode 13
|-
|''[[The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains]]''
|[[Warren Hardy]]
|TV movie Nominated—[[CableACE Awards|CableACE Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1989
| data-sort-value="Butter Battle Book, The" | ''[[The Butter Battle Book]]''
| Grandfather
| Television special
|-
|''[[Dinner at Eight (1989 film)|Dinner at Eight]]''
|Dan Packard
|TV movie
|-
| 1990–1994
| ''[[Evening Shade]]''
| Dr. Harlan Elldridge
| 98 episodes Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series]] (1991–92)
|-
| 1990
| data-sort-value="Kennedys of Massachusetts, The" | ''[[The Kennedys of Massachusetts]]''
| [[John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald]]
| 3 episodes [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film]]
|-
| 1992
| data-sort-value="Water Engine, The" | ''[[The Water Engine (film)|The Water Engine]]''
| Tour Guide
| Television movie
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Roommates (1994 film)|Roommates]]''
| Barney
| Television movie
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Elmo Saves Christmas]]''
| Santa Claus
| Television special
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1997
| ''[[Orleans (TV series)|Orleans]]''
| Frank Vitelli
| 3 episodes
|-
| ''[[Early Edition]]''
| Psychiatrist
| Episode: "A Regular Joe"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1998
| ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]''
| Thomas Finnegan
| Episode: "Finnegan's Wake" Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series]]
|-
| ''[[Cybill|Cybil]]''
| A.J. Sheridan
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1998–2002
| ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]''
| Father Hubley
| 6 episodes
|-
| 1998–2000
| data-sort-value="Practice, The" | ''[[The Practice]]''
| Stephen Donnell
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1999–2009
| ''[[Family Guy]]''
| [[Francis Griffin (Family Guy)|Francis Griffin]]
| 5 episodes
|-
| 1999–2000
| ''[[Now and Again]]''
| Narrator
| 20 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2000
| data-sort-value="Hoop Life, The" | ''[[The Hoop Life]]''
| Wes Connelly
| Episode: "The Second Chance"
|-
| ''[[Early Edition]]''
| Judge Steven Romick
| Episode: "Time"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2001
| ''[[Arli$$]]''
| Unknown
| Episode: "Fielding Offers"
|-
| ''[[Citizen Baines]]''
| Clifford Connelly
| Episode: "Three Days in November"
|-
| 2002
| ''[[First Monday]]''
| Justice Henry Hoskins
| 13 episodes
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Touched by an Angel]]''
| Father Madden
| Episode: "The Root of All Evil"
|-
| 2004–2011
| ''[[Rescue Me (U.S. TV series)|Rescue Me]]''
| Michael Gavin
| 27 episodes Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series]]
|-
| 2004
| ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]''
| Corporal Ernie Yost
| Episode: "Call of Silence" Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series]]
|-
|2005
|''[[Detective (novel)|Detective]]''
|Max Ernst
|TV movie
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Everwood]]''
| Eugene Brown
| 2 episodes
|-
| 2007
| ''[[Monk (TV series)|Monk]]''
| Hank Johansen
| Episode: "Mr. Monk Goes to the Hospital"
|-
| 2010
| ''No Clean Break''
| The Wise Man
| Unsold TV pilot
|}

==Narrations==
* ''Normandy: The Great Crusade'' [[Discovery Channel]] Director-Christopher Koch – English (1994)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|0001164}}
* {{TCMDb name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{iobdb name|13156}}
* [https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgdkdXJuaW5nEgdjaGFybGVz/ Arlington National Cemetery]
* {{cite web |url=http://www.townhall.com/opinion/column/johnmccaslin/2006/04/27/195436.html |title=McCaslin, John, TownHall.com (cached) "Stars by example" |access-date=April 6, 2017}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927003500/http://www.ospreypublishing.com/content1.php/cid=171#Durning Hayes, Richard L., Osprey Publishing. "Hollywood Stars at D-Day"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060625095909/http://www.army.mil/soldiers/apr1999/news/index.html Soldiers Online – Army.mil. "Concert on Memorial Day"]

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Charles Durning
|list =
{{DramaDesk PlayOutstandingFeaturedActor 1975-1999}}
{{Distinguished Performance Award}}
{{GoldenGlobeSupportingActorTV 1990-2009}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award}}
{{TonyAward PlayFeaturedActor 1976-2000}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Durning, Charles Edward}}
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male musical theatre actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]
[[Category:Catholics from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Landmine victims]]
[[Category:Male actors from Orange County, New York]]
[[Category:People from Highlands, New York]]
[[Category:American recipients of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]]
[[Category:Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]

Louise Jameson

2025-10-20T17:09:25Z

2A0A:EF40:114:6A01:A841:2168:BE84:B975:

{{Short description|English actress (born 1951)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| image = LouiseJameson2022.jpg
| name = Louise Jameson
| caption = Jameson in 2022
| birth_name = Louise Marion Jameson
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|4|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Wanstead]], [[Essex]], England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
| occupation = Actress
| othername =
| years_active = 1970–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Martin Bedford|1990|1997|end=divorced}}
| children = 2
| website = {{url|http://louisejameson.com/}}
}}

'''Louise Marion Jameson''' (born 20 April 1951) is an English actress with a variety of television and theatre credits. Her roles on television have included playing [[Leela (Doctor Who)|Leela]] in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' (1977–1978), Anne Reynolds in ''[[The Omega Factor]]'' (1979), Blanche Simmons in ''[[Tenko (TV series)|Tenko]]'' (1981–1982), Susan Young in ''[[Bergerac (TV series)|Bergerac]]'' (1985–1990), [[Rosa di Marco]] in ''[[EastEnders]]'' (1998–2000), [[Viv Roberts]] in ''[[River City]]'' (2008) and [[Mary Goskirk]] in ''[[Emmerdale]]'' (2022–present).

According to [[Screenonline]], Jameson "was one of a handful of actresses who both benefited from and contributed to the opening out of roles for women on British television during the 1970s and 80s, when she became associated with a series of tough, resourceful and independent characters in genres where women had conventionally been either victims or vamps."<ref name="screenonline">{{cite web|first=Mark|last=Duguid|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1259923/index.html|title=Jameson, Louise (1951- )|work=[[Screenonline]]|access-date=6 March 2021|archive-date=28 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628085023/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1259923/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life and career===
Jameson was born in [[Wanstead]], [[Essex]] and grew up in nearby [[Woodford Green]].<ref name="auto">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/fame-fortune/louise-jameson-i-was-paid120-a-showon-doctorwho--it-wasa-lot-mor/ |title=Louise Jameson: 'I was paid £120 a show on Doctor Who – it was a lot more on EastEnders' |first=Roz |last=Lewis |date=28 February 2016 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=5 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104212509/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/fame-fortune/louise-jameson-i-was-paid120-a-showon-doctorwho--it-wasa-lot-mor/ |archive-date=4 January 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Jameson attended the independent [[Braeside School, Buckhurst Hill]]. She attended the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] from the ages of seventeen to nineteen<ref name="auto"/> and shared a flat with fellow drama students [[Sherrie Hewson]] and [[Sharon Maughan]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Sherrie: Behind the Laughter|last=Hewson|first=Sherrie|year=2011|publisher=Harper|isbn=978-0007416257}}</ref> before spending two years with the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]], performing in ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'', ''[[King Lear]]'', ''[[Summerfolk]]'', and ''[[Blithe Spirit (play)|Blithe Spirit]]''. Her early TV career highlights include appearances on ''[[Emmerdale|Emmerdale Farm]]'' in 1973 as [[Sharon Crossthwaite]], the first character in the soap to be murdered, and roles in ''[[Z-Cars]]'' and the television film ''The Game'' in 1977. She also appeared opposite [[Mike Raven]] in the low budget British horror film ''[[Disciple of Death]]'' (1972).<ref name="Sabrina">{{cite news |last1=Barr |first1=Sabrina |title=Emmerdale casts former EastEnders and Doctor Who star Louise Jameson |url=https://metro.co.uk/2022/01/29/emmerdale-former-eastenders-star-louise-jameson-joins-cast-16011366/ |access-date=29 January 2022 |work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]] |publisher=([[DMG Media]]) |date=29 January 2022 |archive-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129101416/https://metro.co.uk/2022/01/29/emmerdale-former-eastenders-star-louise-jameson-joins-cast-16011366/amp/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===''Doctor Who''===
[[File:Ace, Leela & Jo (11027151455).jpg|thumb|right|Jameson with [[Sophie Aldred]] and [[Katy Manning]] at a ''Doctor Who'' 50th Anniversary event in 2013.]]
Jameson came to widespread attention when she was cast by director [[Pennant Roberts]] as [[Leela (Doctor Who)|Leela]], the leather-clad [[companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] of the [[Fourth Doctor]] in ''[[Doctor Who]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-03-18/doctor-who-leela-return/ | title=Doctor Who's Louise Jameson reveals why she turned down a return to the series | work=Radio Times | first=Morgan | last=Jeffery | date=18 March 2020 | access-date=21 September 2020 | archive-date=24 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024184539/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-03-18/doctor-who-leela-return/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The character is a warrior of the fictional Sevateem people, and was introduced in ''[[The Face of Evil]]'' (1977). Jameson's inspirations for the way that she played the character included her dog, for "her instinctive nature and tendency to slightly cock her head when she perceives something", and a neighbour's child, for "openness and naïveté".<ref name="BurkSmith2013">{{cite book|author1=Graeme Burk|author2=Robert Smith|title=Who's 50: The 50 Doctor Who Stories to Watch Before You Die|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iTUFAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT269|date=1 October 2013|publisher=ECW/ORIM|isbn=978-1-77090-475-0|chapter=The Face of Evil (1977)|access-date=7 July 2020|archive-date=3 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203160812/https://books.google.com/books?id=iTUFAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT269|url-status=live}}</ref>

Jameson's costuming in the series receives much comment and some criticism from [[feminism|feminists]], with Mark Duguid writing for [[Screenonline]] that it "said much about the failure of 1970s feminism to permeate the BBC's production or costume departments".<ref name="screenonline" /> Valerie Estelle Frankel, in her book on ''Women in Doctor Who'', characterises Leela as "a classic warrior woman" but says that the seriousness of the character is undermined because "her provocatively cut hunting leathers and cleavage are offered to the male gaze in every episode."<ref name="Frankel2018">{{cite book|author=Valerie Estelle Frankel|title=Women in Doctor Who: Damsels, Feminists and Monsters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V8VODwAAQBAJ&pg=PT79|date=4 March 2018|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-3154-7|pages=70–72}}</ref> Patrick Mulkern of ''[[Radio Times]]'' also regarded her as "a companion to lure in adolescent lads and their dads" but, while considering her debut serial to be a "lifeless tale", he wrote that Jameson was "a wonderful find. Exuding commitment and conviction, she makes Leela earnest, warm and funny, elevating her far beyond [[Robert Holmes (scriptwriter)|Robert Holmes]]'s desire for a '[[Raquel Welch]] in the jungle'. Quite simply, she's one of the most naturally gifted actresses ever to play a companion."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2010-08-29/the-face-of-evil/ | title=The Face of Evil ★★ | work=Radio Times | first=Patrick | last=Mulkern | access-date=21 September 2020 | archive-date=22 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022192636/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2010-08-29/the-face-of-evil/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In 2008 Jameson said, "In a way the companion was a bit of a device when I was in ''Doctor Who'', though I did love her feistiness and her intelligence and her aggression and her intelligence – even though she wasn't educated."<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-den-of-geek-interview-louise-jameson/ | title= The Den of Geek interview: Louise Jameson | work= Den of Geek | date= 14 February 2008 | access-date= 21 September 2020 | archive-date= 20 October 2020 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201020202837/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-den-of-geek-interview-louise-jameson/ | url-status= live }}</ref>

Jameson was initially paid £120 an episode for ''Doctor Who'', later increasing to £150 an episode.<ref name="120QUID">{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Roz |date=28 February 2016 |title='I was paid £120 a show on Doctor Who - it was a lot more on EastEnders' |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London}}</ref> She left the series after nine serials, departing in ''[[The Invasion of Time]]'' (1978).<ref>{{cite news |title=Doctor Who to release special story for International Women's Day 2023 |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-special-story-international-womens-day-newsupdate/ |access-date=24 August 2023 |work=[[Radio Times]] |archive-date=24 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824221122/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-special-story-international-womens-day-newsupdate/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===After ''Doctor Who''===
Jameson went on to appear in ''[[The Omega Factor]]'' (1979) as Dr. Anne Reynolds.<ref name="SOBFIC" /> She later had a leading role as Blanche Simmons in the first two series of ''[[Tenko (TV series)|Tenko]]'', before starring for five years in the late 1980s in ''[[Bergerac (TV series)|Bergerac]]'' as Susan Young, Jim Bergerac's girlfriend. In the mid-1980s, she played Tania Braithwaite, Pandora's mother, in both ''[[The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (TV series)|The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole]]'' and ''The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole'' for [[Thames Television]]. In the early 1990s, she starred in the two series of ''[[Rides (British TV series)|Rides]]'', and made numerous one-off appearances in various TV drama series, as well as numerous ''[[Doctor Who]]'' spin-off projects including the ''[[Children in Need]]'' special ''[[Dimensions in Time]]'' (1993). In 1995, she appeared in the [[Royal Shakespeare Company|RSC]] production of Botho Strauß's ''[[The Park (play)|The Park]]''. Other stage appearances include the first production of [[Peter Nichols (playwright)|Peter Nichols]]'s ''[[Passion Play (play)|Passion Play]]'' produced at the [[Aldwych Theatre]], London, in 1981. In 1998, Jameson began a long run in the BBC soap ''[[EastEnders]]'' as [[Rosa di Marco]], appearing in over 200 episodes over two and a half years until August 2000. Since then, she has appeared in episodes of the [[BBC Scotland]] soap ''[[River City]]'' as [[Viv Roberts]], as a guest artist in episodes of ''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]]'', ''[[Holby City]]'' and ''[[The Bill (TV series)|The Bill]]'' and as a regular in ''[[Doc Martin]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jameson |first1=Louise |title=Louise Jameson {{!}} The Official Website |url=http://louisejameson.com/blog.html |access-date=15 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915051509/http://louisejameson.com/blog.html |archive-date=15 September 2013}}</ref>

Jameson continues to reprise the characters of Leela and Anne Reynolds in audio plays produced by [[Big Finish Productions]] and has also starred in ''[[Sapphire & Steel]]'' and ''[[Dark Shadows (audio drama)|Dark Shadows]]'' audio dramas for the same company. She has also appeared in documentaries and commentaries accompanying numerous BBC DVD releases of her ''Doctor Who'' serials. She is the subject of MJTV's ''The Actor Speaks'' Volume 5, where she discusses herself, her acting career and the various series she has been in. In 2007, Jameson toured nationally in her one-woman show, ''Face Value''. In 2013, she starred in the play ''Gutted'' by [[Rikki Beadle-Blair]] and was nominated for Best Female Performance at the 2013 Off West End Theatre Awards (Offies). In November 2013, she appeared in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage ''[[The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot]]''.<ref>"The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot", BBC programmes, retrieved 26 November 2013</ref> In 2016, she toured in [[Agatha Christie]]'s ''[[The Mousetrap]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mousetrapontour.com|title=The Mousetrap - On tour|website=mousetrapontour.com|access-date=7 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530003108/https://www.mousetrapontour.com/|archive-date=30 May 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> the longest running show in British theatre. In 2022, she joined the cast of ''[[Emmerdale]]'' as [[Mary Goskirk]].<ref name="Jameson">{{cite news |last1=Bird |first1=Hannah |title=Emmerdale casts former EastEnders star for Rhona's new storyline |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/a38929970/emmerdale-eastenders-louise-jameson-rhona-storyline/ |access-date=29 January 2022 |work=[[Digital Spy]] |publisher=([[Hearst Magazines UK]]) |date=29 January 2022 |archive-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129102122/https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/a38929970/emmerdale-eastenders-louise-jameson-rhona-storyline/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Personal life ==
In 1990, Jameson married Martin Bedford, an artist whom she had met while filming ''Bergerac'' in Jersey. They divorced in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/EastEnders+and+my+sons+mended+my+broken+heart%3B+LOUISE+JAMESON+ON+HER...-a060682640|title=EastEnders and my sons mended my broken heart; Louise Jameson on her Marriage Heartache|last=Carroll|first=Sue|publisher=Daily Mirror|date=14 April 1998|access-date=25 September 2021|archive-date=25 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925160508/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/EastEnders+and+my+sons+mended+my+broken+heart;+LOUISE+JAMESON+ON+HER...-a060682640|url-status=live}}</ref>

Jameson was a regular [[prison visitor]], monitoring prisoners' welfare, during the first few years of her career; and, during the early 1970s, she met [[Leslie Grantham]] at [[HM Prison Leyhill|Leyhill Prison]] in [[Gloucestershire]], where he was serving 12 years of a life sentence for [[murder]]. She encouraged Grantham to become an actor.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/former-eastenders-star-louise-jameson-2159239|title=EastEnders Rosa di Marco was axed after refusing to play a racist|date=27 February 2020|access-date=27 April 2020|work=[[Daily Mirror]]|first=Julie|last=McCaffrey|publisher=[[Trinity Mirror]]}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
|1972 || ''[[Disciple of Death]]'' || Betty ||
|-
| rowspan="2" |1994 || ''[[The Stranger (video series)|The Terror Game]]'' || Tamora Hennessy ||
|-
| ''[[P.R.O.B.E.#The Zero Imperative (1994)|The Zero Imperative]]'' || rowspan=4|Patricia Haggard ||
|-
|1995 || ''[[P.R.O.B.E.#The Devil of Winterborne (1995)|The Devil of Winterborne]]'' ||
|-
| rowspan="2" |1996 || ''[[P.R.O.B.E.#Unnatural Selection (1995)''|Unnatural Selection]]'' ||
|-
| ''[[P.R.O.B.E.#Ghosts of Winterborne (1996)|Ghosts of Winterborne]]'' ||
|-
|1998 || ''After Celia'' || Corinne ||
|-
|1999 || ''[[Bill & Ben Video|The Last 28]]'' || May ||
|-
|2005 || ''Big Night Out'' || Lynne ||
|-
|2012 || ''[[Run for Your Wife (2012 film)|Run for Your Wife]]'' || Receptionist || Cameo
|-
|2017 || ''Crossing Over'' || Angela Winters ||
|-
|2018 || ''Modern Love'' || Mum ||
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes !! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="3" |1971 || ''[[The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine]]'' || Girl || Episode: #1.2 ||
|-
| ''[[Tom Brown's Schooldays (TV serial)|Tom Brown's Schooldays]]''
| Mary Arnold
| TV Series; 5 episodes
| <ref name="SOBFIC">{{cite web |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1259923/credits.html |title=Jameson, Louise (1951- ) Film & TV credits |author= |website=screenonline.org.uk |publisher=British Film Institute |access-date=7 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808230207/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1259923/credits.html |archive-date=8 August 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| ''Cider With Rosie''
| Junior teacher
| TV film
| <ref name="SOBFIC" />
|-
| 1973
|''[[Emmerdale|Emmerdale Farm]]''
| [[Sharon Crossthwaite]]
| 4 episodes
| <ref name="SOBFIC" />
|-
| rowspan="2" |1976 || ''[[Play for Today]]'' || Stella || Episode: "The Peddler" ||
|-
| ''Dominic'' || Lady Harriet || 4 episodes ||
|-
|1977 || ''The Game'' || Elsie Whitworth || TV film ||
|-
| 1977–1978
| ''[[Doctor Who]]''
| [[Leela (Doctor Who)|Leela]]
| 40 episodes
|
|-
| 1979
| ''[[The Omega Factor]]''
| Dr. Anne Reynolds
| All 10 episodes
|<ref name="SOBFIC" />
|-
| 1981–1982
| ''[[Tenko (TV series)|Tenko]]''
| Blanche Simmons
| 13 episodes
|<ref name="SOLBFI">{{cite web |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1259923/index.html |title=Jameson, Louise (1951- ) |last=Duguid |first=Mark |website=screenonline.org.uk |publisher=British Film Institute |access-date=7 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628085023/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1259923/index.html |archive-date=28 June 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|1984 || ''[[The Gentle Touch]]'' || Emma Saunders || Episode: "Mad Dog" ||
|-
|1985 || ''[[The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾|The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole]]'' || Tania Braithwaite || 3 episodes ||
|-
| 1985–1990
| ''[[Bergerac (TV series)|Bergerac]]''
| Susan Young
| 32 episodes
| <ref name="SOLBFI" />
|-
|1987 || ''[[The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole]]'' || Tania Braithwaite || Episode: #1.5 ||
|-
| 1990-1995
| ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]''
| Judy/Janet Tolchard
| 2 episodes
|
|-
| 1991-2004
| ''[[The Bill]]''
| Irene Harris/Julie Wiletts
| 3 episodes
| <ref name="SOBFIC" />
|-
| 1992–1993
| ''[[Rides (UK TV series)|Rides]]''
| Janet
| 6 episodes
| <ref name="SOBFIC" />
|-
| 1992
| ''[[My Friend Walter#Film|My Friend Walter]]''
| Joan Throckmorton
| TV film
|
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Dimensions in Time]]''
| Leela
| TV short; Part Two
|
|-
|1994 || ''Degas and Pissarro Fall Out'' || Jenny || TV film ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1995
| ''[[Wycliffe (TV series)|Wycliffe]]''
| Tilly Rawle
| Episode: "Wild Oats"
| <ref name="SOBFIC" />
|-
| ''[[Stick with Me, Kid]]'' || Mrs. Hilliard || ||
|-
| ''Molly''|| Alice Greenfield || Episode: #1.10 ||
|-
|1996 || ''[[The Upper Hand (TV series)|The Upper Hand]]'' || Emma || Episode: "In Marriage We Trust" ||
|-
|1997 || ''[[The Pale Horse]]'' || Florence Tuckerton || TV film ||
|-
|1998–2000 || ''[[EastEnders]]'' || [[Rosa di Marco]] || 231 episodes || <ref>{{cite web|last=Marshall|first=Sharon|title=EastEnders' Rosa: "I'm gutted by sack"|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/EASTENDERS%27+ROSA%3A+I%27M+GUTTED+BY+SACK.-a061192988|work=[[The Sunday People|The People]]|publisher=The Free Library|access-date=13 June 2023|archive-date=14 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614032846/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/EASTENDERS%27+ROSA%3A+I%27M+GUTTED+BY+SACK.-a061192988|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|2000 || ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]'' || Falcon / Horsewoman || Voice; Episode: "The Journey Back" ||
|-
| 2006-2019 || ''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]]''|| Various || 6 episodes ||
|-
| 2008 || ''[[River City]]'' || [[Viv Roberts]]|| 3 episodes ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2011 || ''[[The Vessel (web series)|The Vessel]]''|| Kim's Mum || 2 episodes ||
|-
| ''[[Doc Martin]]''|| Eleanor Glasson || 5 episodes ||
|-
|2012 || ''[[Holby City]]'' || Mary Thorne || Episode: "Fault Lines" ||
|-
| rowspan="3" |2013 || ''[[The Dumping Ground]]'' || Angel || Episode: "The Truth Is Out There" ||
|-
| ''[[The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot]]'' || Louise Jameson || rowspan="2" | TV film ||
|-
| ''[[The Tractate Middoth (2013 film)|The Tractate Middoth]]'' || Mary Simpson ||
|-
|2014 || ''[[Toast of London]]'' || Wendy Nook || Episode: "Match Fit" ||
|-
|2015 || ''Guin and the Dragon'' || Melinda the Dragon Lady || TV film ||
|-
|2019 || ''[[Secret Life of Boys]]'' || Granny Bob || 3 episodes ||
|-
|2020 || ''[[Silent Witness]]'' || Sue Marshall || 2 episodes ||
|-
|2020 || ''[[Bumps (TV series)|Bumps]]'' || Barbara || TV film ||
|-
|2021 || ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' || Annie Davids || Episode: "The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy" ||
|-
|2022–present || ''[[Emmerdale]]'' || [[Mary Goskirk]] || Series regular || <ref name="Sabrina" />
|-
|2022 || ''[[McDonald & Dodds]]'' || Mrs. Burchard || Episode: "A Billion Beats" ||
|-
|2025
|''Time Travelling With Myself''
|Anne Sparks
|2 episodes
|
|}

==Theatre==
{{Incomplete list|section|date=August 2023}}
* 1970: ''[[The Lower Depths]]'' – Anna/Old Woman – [[Vanbrugh Theatre]], London
* 1972: ''[[The Glass Menagerie]]'' – Laura – The [[Byre Theatre]], St. Andrews
* 1973: ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' – Woman – [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]], Stratford-upon-Avon
* 1973: ''[[Richard II (play)|Richard II]]'' – Small role – [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]], Stratford-upon-Avon
* 1973: ''[[Love's Labour's Lost]]'' – Jaquenetta – [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]], Stratford-upon-Avon
* 1973: ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' – [[Bianca Minola]] – [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]], Stratford-upon-Avon
* 1974: ''[[King John (play)|King John]]'' – Blanche of Spain – [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]], Stratford-upon-Avon
* 1974: ''[[Lear (play)|Lear]]'' – [[Cordelia]] – [[The Other Place (theatre)|The Other Place]], Stratford-upon-Avon
* 1974: ''I Was Shakespeare’s Double'' – Anne – [[The Other Place (theatre)|The Other Place]], Stratford-upon-Avon
* 1974: ''[[Summerfolk]]'' – Sonya – [[Aldwych Theatre]], London
* 1974: ''The Marquis of Keith'' – Molly Griesinger – [[Aldwych Theatre]], London
* 1975: ''[[King John (play)|King John]]'' – Blanche of Spain – [[Aldwych Theatre]], London
* 1975: ''[[Love's Labour's Lost]]'' – Jaquenetta – UK Tour
* 1975: ''[[Love's Labour's Lost]]'' – Jaquenetta – [[Aldwych Theatre]], London
* 1975: ''[[Serjeant Musgrave's Dance]]'' – Anne – [[Bristol Old Vic]], Bristol
* 1975: ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' – [[Portia (The Merchant of Venice)|Portia]] – [[Bristol Old Vic]], Bristol
* 1975: ''[[Hard Times (novel)|Hard Times]]'' – Louisa Gradgrind – [[Bristol Old Vic]], Bristol
* 1976: ''Three Women'' – Main Role – Studio Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
* 1976: ''[[Private Lives]]'' – Sybil Chase – UK Tour
* 1978: ''[[Roots (play)|Roots]]'' – Beatie Bryant – [[Bristol Old Vic|The Little Theatre]], Bristol
* 1978: ''[[A View from the Bridge]]'' – Catherine – [[Bristol Old Vic]], Bristol
* 1978: ''[[Arms and the Man]]'' – Raina – [[Bristol Old Vic]], Bristol
* 1978: ''[[The Relapse|The Relapse, or, Virtue in Danger]]'' – Bernithia – [[Cambridge Arts Theatre]], Cambridge
* 1979: ''The Country Holiday'' – Giacinta – [[Cambridge Arts Theatre]], Cambridge
* 1979: ''[[King Lear]]'' – [[Regan (King Lear)|Regan]] – [[Oxford Playhouse]], Oxford
* 1979: ''Touch and Go'' – Annabel Wrath – [[Royal Court Theatre]], London
* 1980: ''[[All My Sons]]'' – Ann Deever – [[Bristol Old Vic]], Bristol
* 1980: ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' – [[Helena (A Midsummer Night's Dream)|Helena]] – [[Bristol Old Vic]], Bristol
* 1980: ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' – [[Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing)|Beatrice]] – [[Oxford Playhouse]], Oxford
* 1980: ''[[Peer Gynt]]'' – Various – [[Oxford Playhouse]], Oxford
* 1980: ''Mephisto'' – Miriam Gottchalk – [[Oxford Playhouse]], Oxford
* 1981: ''[[Passion Play (play)|Passion Play]]'' – Kate – [[Aldwych Theatre]], London
* 1981: ''[[Whose Life Is It Anyway? (play)|Whose Life Is It Anyway?]]'' – Dr. Clare Scott – [[Churchill Theatre]], Bromley
* 1983: ''[[Gas Light]]'' – Bella Manningham – [[Churchill Theatre]], Bromley
* 1983: ''[[As You Like It]]'' – [[Rosalind (As You Like It)|Rosalind]] – [[Regent's Park Open Air Theatre]], London
* 1983: ''[[The Beaux' Stratagem]]'' – Mrs. Sullen – [[Bristol Old Vic]], Bristol
* 1986: ''The Light Rough'' – Linda – [[Hampstead Theatre]], Hampstead
* 1987: ''[[The Doctor's Dilemma (play)|The Doctor's Dilemma]]'' – Jennifer Dubedat – [[Bristol Old Vic]], Bristol
* 1988–1989: ''Sticky Fingers'' – Roxanne – [[King's Head Theatre]], London
* 1989: ''[[Blithe Spirit (play)|Blithe Spirit]]'' – Elvira – UK Tour
* 1990: ''[[Barbarians (play)|Barbarians]]'' – Nadiezhda – [[Barbican Centre]], London
* 1993: ''[[Blithe Spirit (play)|Blithe Spirit]]'' – Elvira – UK Tour
* 1993: ''[[Mary Stuart (Schiller play)|Mary Stuart]]'' – [[Mary, Queen of Scots]] – [[Battersea Arts Centre]]
* 1995: ''[[Heartbreak House]]'' – Mrs. Hushabye – [[Belgrade Theatre]], Coventry
* 1995: ''[[The Park (play)|The Park]]'' – Titania – [[Barbican Centre|The Pit]], London
* 1996–1997: ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' – The Woman – UK Tour
* 2001: ''[[Confusions]]'' – Various – UK Tour
* 2001: ''The Gentle Hook'' – Stacey Harrison – [[Theatre Royal, Windsor|Theatre Royal]], Windsor
* 2001: ''Sex Wars'' – Main Role – UK Tour
* 2002: ''Murder in Paris'' – Denyse Simenon – UK Tour
* 2002: ''[[The Ghost Train (play)|The Ghost Train]]'' – Julia Price – UK Tour
* 2002: ''Corpse!'' – Mrs. McGee – UK Tour
* 2003: ''Corpse!'' – Mrs. McGee – UK Tour
* 2003: ''[[Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners]]'' – Main Role – [[Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea|Palace Theatre]], Westcliff-on-Sea
* 2003: ''Tom, Dick & Harry'' – Mrs. Potter – [[Theatre Royal, Windsor|Theatre Royal]], Windsor
* 2004: ''[[How the Other Half Loves]]'' – Main Role – Singapore
* 2004: ''[[Dinner (play)|Dinner]]'' – Wynne – [[Richmond Theatre (London)|Richmond Theatre]], London
* 2004: ''Nobody's Fool'' – Fran – UK Tour
* 2005: ''[[Love Letters (play)|Love Letters]]'' – Melissa Gardner – UK Tour
* 2005: ''[[Funny Money (play)|Funny Money]]'' – Main Role – Singapore
* 2005: ''Tom, Dick & Harry'' – Mrs. Potter – [[Duke of York's Theatre]], London
* 2006: ''Sit and Shiver'' – Mrs. Green – [[New End Theatre]], London
* 2006: ''[[Arsenic and Old Lace (play)|Arsenic and Old Lace]]'' – Abby Brewster – UK Tour
* 2007: ''Sit and Shiver'' – Mrs. Green – [[Hackney Empire]], London
* 2007: ''[[Bedroom Farce (play)|Bedroom Farce]]'' – Delia – UK Tour
* 2008: ''[[Hamlet]]'' – [[Gertrude (Hamlet)|Gertrude]] – Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford
* 2009: ''Women on the Edge of HRT'' – Vera – UK Tour
* 2010: ''We'll Always Have Paris'' – Raquel – [[The Mill at Sonning]], Sonning Eye
* 2010: ''Stop Dreamin''' – Doris White – London Tour
* 2011: ''[[Oedipus Rex|Oedipus]]'' – Jocasta – UK Tour
* 2011: ''Love's the Thing'' – Lady Ditchling – [[Brighton Fringe|Brighton Fringe Festival]]
* 2012–2013: ''My Gay Best Friend'' – Raquell – UK Tour
* 2013: ''Gutted'' – Bridie Prospect – [[Theatre Royal Stratford East]], London
* 2014: ''[[Absurd Person Singular]]'' – Marion – [[The Mill at Sonning]], Sonning Eye
* 2014: ''[[A Murder Is Announced]]'' – [[Miss Marple]] – UK Tour
* 2014: ''[[Time and the Conways]]'' – Mrs. Conway – [[Nottingham Playhouse]], Nottingham
* 2015: ''[[Noises Off]]'' – Dotty Otley – [[Mercury Theatre, Colchester|Mercury Theatre]], Colchester
* 2015: ''[[Love, Loss, and What I Wore]]'' – Gingy – [[The Mill at Sonning]], Sonning Eye
* 2015: ''Driving Me Round the Bend'' – Georgina Best – The Space Arts Centre, London
* 2016: ''[[The Mousetrap]]'' – Mrs. Boyle – UK Tour
* 2016: ''Rumpy Pumpy'' – Jean Johnson – UK Tour
* 2017: ''[[A Murder Is Announced]]'' – [[Miss Marple]] – UK Tour
* 2017: ''Winter Hill'' – Beth – [[Octagon Theatre, Bolton|The Octagon Theatre]], Bolton
* 2018: ''[[Vincent River (play)|Vincent River]]'' – Anita – [[Park Theatre (London)|Park Theatre]], London
* 2018: ''Ten Times Table'' – Helen – [[The Mill at Sonning]], Sonning Eye
* 2018: ''[[The Madness of George III]]'' – Dr. Warren – [[Nottingham Playhouse]], Nottingham
* 2019: ''[[Vincent River (play)|Vincent River]]'' – Anita – [[Park Theatre (London)|Park Theatre]], London
* 2019: ''[[Macbeth]]'' – Queen Duncan – Victorian Theatre, Tunbridge Wells
* 2021: ''Tennis Elbow'' – Mama – [[Royal Lyceum Theatre]], Edinburgh
* 2021: ''[[The Mousetrap]]'' – Mrs. Boyle – [[St Martin's Theatre]], London

===One-woman shows===
* 2010–2011: ''Shakespeare's Mistress'' – Herself – UK Tour
* 2011: ''Pulling Faces'' – Joanne Taylor – International Tour
* 2020: ''Shakespeare's Mistress'' – Herself – The Grove Theatre, Eastbourne

===Pantomime===
* 2000–2001: ''[[Snow White]]'' – The Wicked Queen – [[Wycombe Swan]], Wycombe
* 2003–2004: ''[[Aladdin]]'' – Slave of the Ring – [[The Capitol Theatre, Horsham|The Capitol Theatre]], Horsham
* 2004–2005: ''[[Dick Whittington and His Cat]]'' – Fairy Bow Bells – [[Devonshire Park Theatre]], Eastbourne
* 2015–2016: ''[[Cinderella]]'' – Fairy Godmother – [[Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells|Assembly Hall Theatre]], Tunbridge Wells

===As director===
* 2003: ''Wotcha Will'' – [[Stratford Circus]], London
* 2015: ''The Man with the Golden Pen'' – [[Jermyn Street Theatre]], London
* 2020: ''Revenge'' – UK Tour

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commonscat}}
* {{Official website|https://www.louisejameson.com}}
* {{IMDb name|0417062|Louise Jameson}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170324180350/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba29ea4d1 Louise Jameson] at the [[British Film Institute]]{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jameson, Louise}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:20th-century English actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century English actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from Essex]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
[[Category:English soap opera actresses]]
[[Category:English stage actresses]]
[[Category:English television actresses]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Redbridge]]
[[Category:People from Wanstead]]

Geoffrey Hughes (actor)

2025-10-19T20:42:38Z

2A0A:EF40:114:6A01:A841:2168:BE84:B975:

{{short description|English actor (1944–2012)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Geoffrey Hughes
| honorific_suffix = [[Deputy lieutenant|DL]]
| image = Geoffrey Hughes.jpg
| caption = Hughes as he appeared in ''[[Heartbeat (British TV series)|Heartbeat]]''
| birth_name = Geoffrey William Hughes<ref name="free">{{cite web|url= https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=R5fMMs1%2Fbz5fIIhS8GJkzA&scan=1 |title=Geoffrey Hughes FreeBMD Entry Information |work= freebmd.org.uk |access-date= 16 June 2023}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1944|2|2}}
| birth_place = [[Kirkdale, Liverpool]], England<ref name="free"/>
| death_date = {{death date and age|2012|07|27|1944|2|2|df=y}}<ref name="obit">{{cite web|author=Mike Keegan|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/film-and-tv/actor-geoffrey-hughes---coronation-691929|title=Actor Geoffrey Hughes – Coronation Street's Eddie Yates – dies aged 68|publisher=Manchester Evening News|date=2012-07-28}}</ref>
| death_place = [[Isle of Wight]], England
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1964–2010
| spouse = {{marriage|Susan Mundell|1975}}
}}

'''Geoffrey William Hughes''' [[Deputy lieutenant|DL]] (2 February 1944 – 27 July 2012) was an English actor. Hughes provided the voice of [[Paul McCartney]] in the animated film ''[[Yellow Submarine (film)|Yellow Submarine]]'' (1968), and rose to fame for portraying [[bin man]] [[Eddie Yeats]] in the long-running British soap opera ''[[Coronation Street]]'' from 1974 to 1983, making a return to the show in 1987. He is well known for playing loveable slob [[Onslow (Keeping Up Appearances)|Onslow]] in the British sitcom ''[[Keeping Up Appearances]]'' (1990–1995) and "Twiggy" in the sitcom ''[[The Royle Family]]'', playing the part from 1998 to 2008.

From 2001 to 2005 he played [[Confidence trick|conman]] and rogue businessman Vernon Scripps in the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] police drama ''[[Heartbeat (British TV series)|Heartbeat]]'', taking over as the show's main rogue from [[Bill Maynard]]'s Claude Greengrass, and returning to the programme briefly in 2007.

Hughes was diagnosed with [[prostate cancer]] in the 1990s and in 2010 he suffered a [[relapse]] which led him to retire from acting. He died from the illness in 2012 at age 68.

==Life and career==
Hughes was born at 21 Leven Street in [[Kirkdale, Liverpool]] to Ada (née Tulloch) and William Arthur Hughes.<ref name="find my past">{{cite news|title=Births|url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-share/8d3b361c-4525-497c-a41a-5f37f1f4f473|access-date=16 October 2025|work=Liverpool Echo|date=3 February 1944}}</ref> He had one younger brother, Gordon. He was brought up in [[Norris Green]], where he attended Ranworth Square Primary School and Abbotsford Secondary Modern School. He started his acting career in [[repertory]] at the [[Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent|Victoria Theatre]] in [[Stoke-on-Trent]] and soon made his [[West End theatre|West End]] debut in the [[Lionel Bart]] and [[Alun Owen]] musical ''[[Maggie May (musical)|Maggie May]]''. His other West End productions included the stage version of ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'', ''Say Goodnight to Grandma'', ''The Secret Life of Cartoons'' and several series of ''Run For Your Wife''. He later played Pistol in an open-air production of ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]'' at [[Barnwell Manor]]. He also toured extensively in Britain and abroad.

Hughes' film credits included ''[[Smashing Time]]'' (1967), ''[[The Bofors Gun]]'' (1968), ''[[Till Death Us Do Part (film)|Till Death Us Do Part]]'' (1969), ''[[The Virgin Soldiers]]'' (1969), ''[[The Man Who Had Power Over Women]]'' (1970), ''[[Revenge (1971 film)|Revenge]]'' (1971), ''[[Carry On at Your Convenience]]'' (1971), ''[[Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall (film)|Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall]]'' (1973), ''[[Tiffany Jones (film)|Tiffany Jones]]'' (1973), ''[[Confessions of a Driving Instructor]]'' (1976), ''[[Nijinsky (film)|Nijinsky]]'' (1980), and ''[[Flick (2008 film)|Flick]]'' (2008). He was also the voice of [[Paul McCartney]] in [[the Beatles]]' 1968 cartoon film ''[[Yellow Submarine (film)|Yellow Submarine]]''.<ref name="tv"/>

In 1974, Hughes was cast as [[binman]] Eddie Yeats in the long-running soap opera ''Coronation Street''.<ref name="tv"/> Over the next nine years he became, with [[Stan Ogden]] (as played by [[Bernard Youens]]), a [[foil (literature)|foil]] for Stan's long-suffering wife [[Hilda Ogden|Hilda]] ([[Jean Alexander]]). He left the series in 1983, but made a brief return appearance in 1987 as part of Hilda's departure from the series.

Among his many other appearances on television are: ''An Arrow for Little Audrey''; ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]'';<ref name="tv">{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/geoffrey-hughes/credits/3000432998/ |title=Geoffrey Hughes credits |work=tvguide.com |access-date= 16 June 2023}}</ref> ''[[Shadows of Fear]]''; ''[[Z-Cars]]''; ''[[Somebody Just Walked Over My Grave|Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)]]''; ''Flying Lady''; ''[[Making Out (TV series)|Making Out]]''; ''[[Coasting (TV series)|Coasting]]''; ''[[Doctor Who]]''; ''Spender''; and ''[[Boon (TV series)|Boon]]''. He played Trinculo in a version of ''[[The Tempest]]'' for the [[BBC]] and Squire Clodpoll in ''Good Friday 1663'', one of [[Channel Four]]'s new [[avant-garde]] operas. His comedy appearances on TV include ''[[The Likely Lads]]'', ''[[Please Sir!]]'', ''[[Dad's Army]]'',<ref name="tv"/> ''[[Curry and Chips]]'', ''[[No, Honestly]]'', and ''[[The Upper Hand]]''.

Hughes played the character of [[Onslow (Keeping Up Appearances)|Onslow]] in the [[BBC]] sitcom ''[[Keeping Up Appearances]]'' (1990–1995), appearing in all 44 episodes over five series. In 1997 he and [[Judy Cornwell]] reprised their roles as Onslow and Daisy in a special compilation programme called ''The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket'' which was subsequently released on [[VHS]]. Hughes reprised his role as Onslow one final time in 2008, for the video ([[DVD]]) release of a further compilation programme, ''Keeping Up Appearances: Life Lessons from Onslow''.<ref name="tv"/>

He also had a recurring role as Twiggy in ''[[The Royle Family]]'' from 1998 until 2008.<ref name="tv"/>

On 14th February 2001, ITV broadcast episode 12 of series 41 of the British biographical television series [[This Is Your Life (British TV series)]] featuring Hughes. It was revealed in the show that he was born in [[Kirkdale, Liverpool]]. For many years this article believed [[Wallasey]] was his place of birth and this information was likely copied by other media including obituaries when Hughes died. This wrong place of birth information was not verified at the time it first appeared here.

Hughes usually appeared in [[pantomime]] over the Christmas period.<ref name="echo">{{cite news|last1=Weston|first1=Alan |title=Geoffrey Hughes career on stage, TV and screen|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/geoffrey-hughes-career-stage-tv-3398144|access-date=16 October 2019|work=Liverpool Echo|date=5 August 2010}}</ref> He appeared on ''[[That Antony Cotton Show]]'' on 6 September 2007, in which he spoke about his role in a short film called ''Expresso'', which also starred Sir [[Norman Wisdom]]. Hughes played the part of a man who visits a coffee shop for a "normal" coffee but is served by a pompous waiter. The film was sold in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.<ref name="expresso">{{cite web|url= http://www.li-safe.com/Expresso/|title= Expresso – A film by Kevin Powis and Martin Nigel Davey}}</ref>

In 2007, he performed the Angel Gabriel in the BBC production ''Liverpool Nativity''.<ref name="nativity">{{cite news |url= https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/7146902.stm|title= New nativity story played to city|date= 16 December 2007|publisher=BBC|access-date=26 December 2009}}</ref> From 2007, he also appeared as uncle Keith in the first three series of the E4 drama ''[[Skins (British TV series)|Skins]]''.<ref name="tv"/>

In 2009 he played Frank in [[Tim Firth]]'s ''Absolutely Frank'' at the [[Oldham Coliseum Theatre]] and at the [[Harrogate Theatre]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/theatre/4142718.preview-absolutely-frank-harrogate-theatre-february-26-to-march-14/|title = Preview: Absolutely Frank, Harrogate Theatre, February 26 to March 14|date=2009}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Hughes married Susan Mundell in 1975. His off-stage interests included [[sailing]], [[association football|football]], [[golf]], [[cricket]], [[rock music]], [[dendrology]] (trees), and [[beer]]. He was the Honorary Squire of the [[Dartington Morris Men]] and made an appearance at the Dartington Morris Ring meeting in September 2008. His musical interests included [[British folk rock]] and he compered at [[Fairport's Cropredy Convention]] annual music festival several times.<ref>Fairport's Cropredy Convention ''Official Souvenir Programme'' 2007; Fairport's Cropredy Convention ''Official Souvenir Programme''; 2008, page 1</ref> He was a supporter of [[Everton Football Club]]. On 10 June 2009 he was appointed [[Deputy Lieutenant]] of the [[Isle of Wight]].<ref name="ind">{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/geoffrey-hughes-versatile-actor-who-was-happy-to-be-cast-as-the-lovable-scouser-7987839.html|title=Geoffrey Hughes: Versatile actor who was happy to be cast as the lovable scouser|website=The Independent|location=London|access-date=13 August 2018|date=2012-07-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The London Gazette 17 June 2009|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/L-59102-846067 |website=The London Gazette|access-date=28 July 2024|language=en}}</ref> This entitled him to the [[List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom)|Post Nominal Letters]] "DL" for Life.

==Illness and death==
Hughes received a diagnosis of prostate cancer in 1996.<ref name="actor">{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jul/28/geoffrey-hughes-dies-aged-6|title=Actor Geoffrey Hughes dies aged 68|last=Jones |first=Cass|date=28 July 2012|access-date=29 July 2012|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=London}}</ref><ref name="hughes">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/jul/29/geoffrey-hughes|website=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|title=Geoffrey Hughes obituary|last=Hayward|first=Anthony|date=29 July 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190714143306/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/jul/29/geoffrey-hughes|archive-date=14 July 2019}}</ref> In 2010, he collapsed at home with extreme back pain. He was diagnosed with a relapse of prostate cancer, at which point he retired from acting.<ref name="brit">{{cite news|title=Geoffrey Hughes|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Geoffrey-Hughes|last=Shepherd|first=Melinda C.|date=23 July 2019|website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|access-date=6 September 2019}}</ref> He died from his illness on 27 July 2012, aged 68.<ref name="coron">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19032928|title=Coronation Street actor Geoffrey Hughes dies aged 68|access-date=28 July 2012|publisher=BBC News|date=28 July 2012}}</ref> Doctors stated that he died "peacefully in his sleep".<ref name="actor"/><ref name="hughes"/>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1967
|''[[Smashing Time]]''
|Builder
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1968
|''[[The Bofors Gun]]''
|Pvt. Samuel (cook)
|
|-
|''[[Yellow Submarine (film)|Yellow Submarine]]''
|[[Paul McCartney]]
|
|-
|''[[Till Death Us Do Part (film)|Till Death Us Do Part]]''
|Mike's Brother
|
|-
|1969
|''[[The Virgin Soldiers (film)|The Virgin Soldiers]]''
|Lantry
|
|-
|1970
|''[[The Man Who Had Power Over Women]]''
|Policeman
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1971
|''[[The Blood on Satan's Claw]]''
|Drinking Villager
|
|-
|[[Revenge (1971 film)|''Revenge'']]
|Fred
|
|-
|''[[Carry On at Your Convenience]]''
|Willie
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1973
|''[[Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (film)|Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall]]''
|Larry
|
|-
|[[Tiffany Jones (film)|''Tiffany Jones'']]
|Georg
|
|-
|1976
|[[Confessions of a Driving Instructor|''Confessions of a Driving Instructor'']]
|Postman
|
|-
|1980
|''[[Nijinsky (film)|Nijinsky]]''
|Gavrilov
|
|}

== Television ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1966
|[[The Likely Lads|''The Likely Lads'']]
|Podge
|3 episodes
|-
|[[BBC Play of the Month|''BBC Play of the Month'']]
|Second Workman
|Episode: "The Making of Jericho"
|-
|1966-1967
|[[ITV Play of the Week|''ITV Play of the Week'']]
|Frank Monoghan/Chris Smitheringale
|2 episodes
|-
|1967 || ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]'' || Party Boy || Episode: The Power Artists
|-
|1967-1972
|[[Thirty-Minute Theatre|''Thirty-Minute Theatre'']]
|Lance-Corporal Williams/Chuck
|2 episodes
|-
|1967, 1974–1983, 1987
| ''[[Coronation Street]]'' || Phil Ferguson/[[Eddie Yeats]] || 511 episodes
|-
|1968–1974 || ''[[Z Cars]]'' || Billy Garvin, Wynne, Bartram, Mickey ||5 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1969 || ''[[Please Sir]]'' || Turner || Episode: "They're Off"
|-
|''[[Curry and Chips]]'' || Dick ||6 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" |1970|| ''[[Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)]]'' || Harper || Episode: "Somebody Just Walked Over My Grave"
|-
|[[The Wednesday Play|''The Wednesday Play'']]
|Flash Blakey
|Episode: "The Hunting of Lionel Crane"
|-
|''[[Up Pompeii!]]'' || Piteous || Episode: "Vestal Virgins"
|-
|1971
|[[Play for Today|''Play for Today'']]
|Derek
|Episode: "The Pigeon Fancier"
|-
|1972|| ''[[Dad's Army]]'' || The Bridge Corporal || Episode: "[[Brain Versus Brawn]]"
|-
| rowspan="2" |1974
|[[No, Honestly|''No, Honestly'']]
|Derek
|Episode: "The Object of the Game"
|-
|[[Crown Court (TV series)|''Crown Court'']]
|Robert Sims
|Serial: "Winklers"
|-
|1975|| ''[[Don't Drink the Water (TV series)|Don't Drink the Water]]'' || Frank || Episode: "Helping Hand"
|-
|1985|| ''The Bright Side'' || Mr. Lithgow ||5 episodes
|-
|1986 || ''[[Doctor Who]]'' || [[Valeyard|Mr. Popplewick]]|| Serial: "[[The Ultimate Foe]]"
|-
|1989–1993 || ''[[I, Lovett]]'' || Dirk ||
|-
| rowspan="4" |1990
|[[Screen Two|''Screen Two'']]
|DS Bailey
|Episode: "The Man from the Pru"
|-
|''[[ScreenPlay]]''
|Repo Man
|Episode: "Needle"
|-
| ''[[Coasting (TV series)|Coasting]]'' || Ray Hartley || Episode: "Offshore"
|-
| ''[[You Rang, M'Lord?]]''|| Sir Fred Kendal ||Episode: "Royal Flush"
|-
|1990-1991
|[[Making Out (TV series)|''Making Out'']]
|Dilk
|4 episodes
|-
|1990–1995 || ''[[Keeping Up Appearances]]'' || Onslow || 44 episodes
|-
|1992
|[[Boon (TV series)|''Boon'']]
|Tiny Tim
|Episode: "Message in a Bottle"
|-
|1993 || ''[[The Upper Hand]]'' || Ray ||Episode: "Misery"
|-
|1997 || ''[[Keeping Up Appearances#The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket|The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket]]'' || Onslow || TV film
|-
|1998–2008 || ''[[The Royle Family]]'' || Twiggy || 8 episodes
|-
|2001–2005, 2007 || ''[[Heartbeat (British TV series)|Heartbeat]]'' || Vernon Scripps || 88 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |2007 || ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' || Si Blake ||Episode: "Brass in Pocket"
|-
| ''[[Keeping Up Appearances#Life Lessons from Onslow|Keeping Up Appearances: Life Lessons from Onslow]]'' || Onslow || TV film
|-
|2007–2009 || ''[[Skins (British TV series)|Skins]]'' || Fat B*stard, Brandy, Uncle Keith || 4 episodes
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0400616}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20171206142313/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba168c9ad Geoffrey Hughes] at the [[British Film Institute]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQJZPALzfAI&t This Is Your Life] YouTube

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Geoffrey}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:Deaths from prostate cancer in England]]
[[Category:Deputy lieutenants of the Isle of Wight]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male soap opera actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English male voice actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from Liverpool]]

The Good Old Days (British TV series)

2025-10-19T13:34:00Z

2A0A:EF40:114:6A01:A841:2168:BE84:B975:

{{Short description|BBC TV light entertainment programme (1953–1983)}}
{{other uses|The Good Old Days (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox television
| image = The_Good_Old_Days_(British_TV_series).jpg
| caption = Opening title (8 February 1974)
| genre = Old Time Variety, [[music hall]]
| presenter = Don Gemmell (First 2 shows) [[Leonard Sachs]]
| producer = [[Barney Colehan]]
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 30
| num_episodes = 245
| location = [[Leeds City Varieties]]
| runtime = 45-60 minutes
| network = [[BBC Television Service]] (1953-64) [[BBC One|BBC1]] (1964-83)
| first_aired = {{start date|1953|07|20}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1983|12|31}}
}}

'''''The Good Old Days''''' was a [[BBC]] television [[light entertainment]] programme produced by [[Barney Colehan]] which ran for 30 years from 20 July 1953 to 31 December 1983.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/good-old-days-just-keep-going-music-hall-show-refuses-die-1870142|title=Good old days just keep going for the music hall show that refuses to die|website=yorkshirepost.co.uk}}</ref>

It was performed at the [[Leeds City Varieties]] and recreated an authentic atmosphere of the [[Victorian era|Victorian]]–[[Edwardian period|Edwardian]] [[music hall]] with songs and sketches of the era performed in the style of the original artistes.<ref name=screenonline>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/788925/index.html#:~:text=BFI+Screenonline:+Good+Old+Days,+The+(1953-83)&text=An+evening+of+variety+and,the+Leeds+City+Varieties+theatre.&text=In+January+1953,+a+programme,on+a+weekly+variety+bill|title=BFI Screenonline: Good Old Days, The (1953-83)|website=screenonline.org.uk}}</ref>

The audience dressed in period costume and joined in the singing, especially "[[The Old Bull and Bush|Down at the Old Bull and Bush]]" which closed the show each week.<ref name=screenonline/> The show was compered throughout its whole run (except for the first two shows) by [[Leonard Sachs]], who introduced the acts from a desk situated at the side of the stage.<ref name=nostalgia/> In the course of its run it featured about 2,000 performers. Each show was up to an hour long.<ref>1001 TV Series You Must See Before You Die, Paul Conron, {{ISBN|978-1-84403-887-9}}</ref>

==History==
Early in 1953 Barney Colehan devised a one-off show entitled "The Story of the Music Hall" presented by [[Deryck Guyler]].<ref name=Times77>{{cite news|last=Gosling|first=Kenneth|title=Music-hall story starts on twenty-fifth year|newspaper=The Times|date=30 December 1977}}</ref> The programme proved so popular that it was decided to create a series under the title of "The Good Old Days".<ref>The Good Old Days Songbook, BBC publications</ref>

The show was first broadcast on 20 July 1953 and the first two shows were compered by Don Gemmell. Early series of the show were broadcast live.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/4b3a8996958d4a0882e6d0084d3e3b96|title=The Good Old Days|date=20 July 1953|issue=1549|pages=20|via=BBC Genome}}</ref> The show included many regulars such as [[Joan Sterndale-Bennett]], [[Tessie O'Shea]], [[Hattie Jacques]], [[Ray Alan]], [[Roy Castle]], [[Roy Hudd]], [[Ken Dodd]], [[Barbara Windsor]], [[Eartha Kitt]], [[Danny La Rue]], [[Hylda Baker]], [[Les Dawson]], [[Larry Grayson]], [[Tommy Steele]], [[Frankie Vaughan]], [[John Inman]], [[Bernard Cribbins]], [[Frank Carson]], [[Des O'Connor]], [[Rod Hull]], [[Ron Moody]] and [[Arthur Askey]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480300/fullcredits|title=The Good Old Days (TV Series 1953–1983) - IMDb|access-date=29 July 2020|publisher=IMDb}}</ref><ref name=nostalgia>{{Cite web|url=https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1950s/good-old-days/|title=Good Old Days, The |website=Nostalgiacentral.com|date=28 June 2014 |access-date=29 July 2020}}</ref>

The series was inspired by the success of the "Ridgeway's Late Joys" at the [[Players' Theatre]] Club in London: a private members' club that ran fortnightly programmes of variety acts in London's [[West End theatre|West End]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.playerstheatre.co.uk/about-the-players/|title=About the Players'}}</ref> The club was originally founded by [[Leonard Sachs]] and business partner Peter Ridgeway.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.rsbc.org.uk/history/fundraising-for-rlsb-ridgeways-latest-joys/|title=Fundraising for RLSB: Ridgeway's Latest Joys | RSBC}}</ref>

Out of 245 episodes, 108 are believed to survive complete in the archives;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lostshows.com/default.aspx?programme=36883701-8992-4375-9e68-a6d7bba68f06|title=Missing or incomplete episodes for programme ''The Good Old Days''|website=Lostshows.com|publisher=Kaleidoscope|access-date=26 February 2017}}</ref> 63 of the surviving programmes were rebroadcast on [[BBC Four]] between December 2015 and February 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09qrggg|title = BBC Four - the Good Old Days, 16/07/1981}}</ref>

On 16 December 1983, ''Goodbye to the Good Old Days'' was shown, a documentary celebrating the end of the 30-year run that year; [[Barry Cryer]] served as [[narrator]] for the documentary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ec8b9a881a40457ca08810ffe996e061|title=London|date=16 December 1983|issue=3135|pages=66|via=BBC Genome}}</ref> The final show aired on New Year's Eve that year.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{BBC Programme|b06rhv2r}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928034417/http://www.playerstheatre.co.uk/theatre_history.htm 'History Of The Players' Theatre Club', ''The Players' Theatre'' (2004).] Retrieved 1 June 2005.
*{{IMDb title|id=0480300}}
*{{Screenonline TV title|id=788925}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Good Old Days, The}}
[[Category:1953 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1983 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1950s British television series]]
[[Category:1960s British television series]]
[[Category:1970s British television series]]
[[Category:1980s British television series]]
[[Category:BBC variety television shows]]
[[Category:Black-and-white British television shows]]
[[Category:British English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television shows shot in Leeds]]
[[Category:British variety television shows]]
[[Category:Music hall]]