Clive Swift

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Clive Swift
Swift in Doctor Who: "Voyage of the Damned"
Birth nameClive Walter Swift
Born(1936-02-09)9 February 1936
Liverpool, England
Died1 February 2019(2019-02-01) (aged 82)
Paddington, London, England
MediumTelevision, film
Years active1962–2017
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1960; div. 1975)​
Children
Relative(s)David Swift (brother)

Clive Walter Swift (9 February 1936 – 1 February 2019) was an English actor and songwriter, best known for his role as Richard Bucket in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances (1990–1995).[1]

A classically trained actor, his stage roles included filmed Royal Shakespeare Company productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968) as Snug[2] and Othello (1990) as Brabantio,[3] as well as Friar Laurence in the Thames Television production of Romeo and Juliet (1976)[4] and the Earl of Worcester in the BBC production of Henry IV, Part 1 (1979).[5]

Swift's other television roles included Dr. Black in the A Ghost Story for Christmas episodes The Stalls of Barchester (1971)[6] and A Warning to the Curious (1972),[7] Bishop Proudie in The Barchester Chronicles (1982),[8] Tracy Tupman in The Pickwick Papers (1985) and the Doctor Who stories "Revelation of the Daleks" (1985)[9] and "Voyage of the Damned" (2007).[10] He also appeared in the films Excalibur (1981) as Sir Ector[11] and A Passage to India (1984) as Major Callendar.[12]

Life and career[edit]

Swift was born in Liverpool on 9 February 1936,[4] the son of Abram Sampson Swift, who owned a furniture shop in Bootle, and Lily Rebecca, née Greenman.[13][14] He was educated at Clifton College and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge reading English literature. He was previously a teacher at LAMDA and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His family was Jewish.[15]

He appeared as Snug in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1968 film production of A Midsummer Night's Dream as part of a cast that included Diana Rigg, Helen Mirren and Ian Richardson.[16] During the 1970s, he appeared as Doctor Black in two of the BBC's M. R. James adaptations: The Stalls of Barchester and in A Warning to the Curious, as well as the BBC adaptation of The Barchester Chronicles.[16] He is best known for his role on Keeping Up Appearances as Richard Bucket, the long-suffering husband of Hyacinth.[16] Swift made two appearances in Doctor Who, in the 1985 story Revelation of the Daleks and the 2007 Christmas special. Around the time of his second appearance, he gave a "grumpy" interview to Doctor Who Magazine in which he bemoaned "not getting paid" to promote his episode, and belittled the show.[17] He also played Sir Ector, the adoptive father of King Arthur in John Boorman's 1981 film Excalibur.[16]

In addition to acting, he was a songwriter. Many of his songs were included in his shows Richard Bucket Overflows: An Audience with Clive Swift, which toured the UK in 2007,[18] and Clive Swift Entertains, in which he performed his own music and lyrics, which toured the UK in 2009.[19] He also played the part of the Reverend Eustacius Brewer in Born and Bred, which aired on BBC One from 2002 to 2005.[4] His last performance was in an episode of Midsomer Murders in 2017, after which he retired.[20]

Personal life and death[edit]

Swift was married to novelist Margaret Drabble from 1960 until their divorce in 1975.[21] He was the father of one daughter, Rebecca (who died in April 2017), known for running The Literary Consultancy in London, and two sons, Adam Swift, an academic, and Joe Swift, a garden designer, journalist and television presenter.[22]

Swift died at home on 1 February 2019, aged 82, following a short illness.[23] Paying tribute to Swift, fellow actor James Dreyfus said he "loved this extremely talented, subtle actor".[24] His Keeping Up Appearances co-star Patricia Routledge said: "Clive was a skillful and inventive actor with wide experience, as his successful career proved," and that she was very sad to hear of her former co-star's death.[25]

Swift's elder brother David was also an actor.

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1965 Catch Us If You Can[26] Duffie
1968 A Midsummer Night's Dream[2] Snug
1972 Frenzy[27] Johnny Porter
1972 Death Line[28] Inspector Richardson
1973 The National Health[29] Ash
1973 Man at the Top[30] Massey
1978 The Sailor's Return[31] Reverend Pottock
1981 Excalibur[11] Ector
1984 Memed My Hawk[32] Magistrate
1984 A Passage to India[12] Major Callendar
1988 Young Toscanini[33] Comparsa Uncredited
1990 Othello[3] Brabantio DVD re-released 2004[34]
1997 Gaston's War[35] General James

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1970 Mad Jack
1970–71 Waugh on Crime Inspector Waugh of the CID
1971 The Stalls of Barchester[6] Dr. Black
1972 The Liver Birds[36] Jim Royle 1 episode
1972 Dead of Night[37] Dan
1972 A Warning to the Curious[7] Dr. Black
1973 The Frighteners James Machen 'The Classroom', episode (ITV (TV channel)) (4th. May)
1976 Romeo and Juliet[4] Friar Lawrence
1978 Bless Me, Father[38] Fred Dobie 1 episode: "Father and Mother"
1978 1990
1979 Henry IV, Part 1[5] Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester
1979 Hazell (TV series) Neville Fitch Episode: Hazell and the Baker Street Sleuth
1980 The Nesbitts Are Coming Ernie Nesbitt 6 episodes
1981 Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years[39] Sir Horace Wilson Last two episodes
1982 Tales of the Unexpected[4] Latham 1 episode: S5, E5 "Stranger in Town"
1982 The Barchester Chronicles[8] Bishop Proudie
1985 The Pickwick Papers[9] Tracy Tupman
1985 Doctor Who Professor Jobel Revelation of the Daleks[9]
1986 First Among Equals[4] Alec Pimkin
1987 Inspector Morse[9] Doctor Bartlett
1987 Pack of Lies[40] Ellis
1988 Journey's End[41] Captain Hardy
1989 British Telecom Cyril (Beatie's brother-in-law in Australia) Television advertisement[42]
1990–1995 Keeping Up Appearances[9] Richard Bucket Main role, 44 episodes
1993 Heartbeat[43] Victor Kellerman 1 episode: "Going Home"
1997 The Famous Five[9] Mr Pottersham ‘Five Have a Wonderful Time" Part 1&?2
1997 The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket Richard Bucket TV film (archive footage only)
1998 Peak Practice[44] Norman Shorthose 10 episodes
1999 Aristocrats[45] King George II
2002–2005 Born and Bred[9] Reverend Eustacius Brewer
2007 Doctor Who Mr Copper "Voyage of the Damned"[10]
2008 Keeping Up Appearances: Life Lessons from Onslow Richard Bucket TV film (archive footage only)
2009–2010 The Old Guys[9][4] Roy 12 episodes
2011 Hustle[46] Yusef Episode: "The Delivery"
2014 Cuckoo[4] Dr. Rafferty Episode: "Funeral"
2015 Rosamunde Pilcher Edward Whiteley "Valentine's Kiss"[1]
2015 SunTrap Colin Episode: "In the Line of Fire"
2017 Midsomer Murders[47] Felix Hope S19, E2: "Crime and Punishment" (final appearance)

Radio[edit]

  • Oblomov as the Doctor (2005)[48]
  • The Right Time (2008)[49]
  • Measure for Measure as Escalus (2004)[50]
  • Jorrocks's Jaunts and Jollities as Nash (2011)[51]
  • The Price of Fear – Remains to be Seen as Fred Treiber (2012)[52]
  • "Vivat Rex" as Lord Talbot in "Henry VI" by William Shakespeare, in episodes 15–16, BBC (1977)

Stage[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Clive Swift, classically trained actor with the RSC who was best known on television as the henpecked husband in 'Keeping Up Appearances' - obituary". Telegraph. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Midsummer Night's Dream, A · British Universities Film & Video Council". bufvc.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  3. ^ a b Brooke, Michael. "Othello (1990)". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barker, Dennis (1 February 2019). "Clive Swift obituary". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Henry IV. Part 1 (1979) · British Universities Film & Video Council". bufvc.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b "The Stalls of Barchester". British Film Institute Database. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  7. ^ a b ""No diggin' 'ere!" – Revisiting the ghostly locations of A Warning to the Curious". British Film Institute. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  8. ^ a b "The Barchester Chronicles". Trollope Society. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h "Clive Swift - TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  10. ^ a b "10 Things You May Not Know About 'Voyage of the Damned'".
  11. ^ a b "BFI Screenonline: Excalibur (1981) Credits". Screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  12. ^ a b Barker, Dennis (1 February 2019). "Clive Swift obituary". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  13. ^ Hayward, Anthony (18 April 2016). "David Swift obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  14. ^ Clive Swift profile, filmreference.com; accessed 12 October 2016.
  15. ^ Margaret Drabble (20 April 2010). "Art Thou Contented, Jew?". Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  16. ^ a b c d "Clive Swift Obituary". The Guardian. 1 February 2019.
  17. ^ Warner, Sam (30 October 2017). "Hilariously grumpy Doctor Who interview resurfaces". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  18. ^ Padman, Tony (5 April 2014). "Whatever happened to Keeping Up Appearances' Richard Bucket?". Daily Express. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  19. ^ "Clive Swift, star of Keeping Up Appearances, dies". Daily Telegraph. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  20. ^ "The TV legend whose last major role was on tonight's episode of Midsomer Murders". 29 October 2021.
  21. ^ Sadler, Lynn Veach (1986). Margaret Drabble. Twayne Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8057-6907-4. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  22. ^ Silgardo, Melanie (25 April 2017). "Rebecca Swift obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  23. ^ "Keeping Up Appearances actor Clive Swift dies aged 82". The Independent. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  24. ^ "Tributes Pour In For Keeping Up Appearances Actor Clive Swift". HuffPost UK. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  25. ^ "Keeping Up Appearances' Clive Swift dies". BBC News. 1 February 2019.
  26. ^ "Having a Wild Weekend (1965) - John Boorman - Cast and Crew". AllMovie. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  27. ^ "Frenzy (1972) - Alfred Hitchcock - Cast and Crew". AllMovie. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  28. ^ "Raw Meat (1973) - Gary Sherman - Cast and Crew". AllMovie. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  29. ^ Guide, British Comedy (1 February 2019). "Actor Clive Swift dies aged 82". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  30. ^ "Man at the Top (1973)". BFI. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  31. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Sailor's Return, The (1978)". Screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  32. ^ "Memed My Hawk (1984)". BFI. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  33. ^ "Young Toscanini (1988)". Letterboxd.com. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  34. ^ "William Shakespeare Othello DVD with Michael Grandage, Ian McKellen, Clive Swift (NR) +Movie Reviews". Swapadvd.com. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  35. ^ "GASTON'S WAR (1997)". BFI. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  36. ^ Mumford, Gwilym (1 February 2019). "Clive Swift, actor in Keeping Up Appearances, dies aged 82". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  37. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Exorcism, The (1972)". Screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  38. ^ TV.com. "Bless Me, Father: Father & Mother". TV.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  39. ^ "Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years". Britishdrama.org.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  40. ^ "Pack of Lies (1987) - Anthony Page - Cast and Crew". AllMovie. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  41. ^ "Journey's End (1988), TV Movie on IMDb film database". IMDb. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  42. ^ Lipman, Maureen; Phillips, Richard (1989). You Got an Ology?. Fontana Press.
  43. ^ "Heartbeat - TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  44. ^ "Keeping Up Appearances star Clive Swift has died aged 82". HELLO!. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  45. ^ "Aristocrats (1999)". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  46. ^ "BBC One - Hustle, Series 7, The Delivery". BBC. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  47. ^ "Crime and Punishment – Guest Cast | TVmaze". Tvmaze.com. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  48. ^ "Oblomov - Episode 1". Radio Times. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  49. ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Right Time, Series 1, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  50. ^ "Measure for Measure · British Universities Film & Video Council". bufvc.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  51. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Classic Serial, Jorrocks's Jaunts and Jollities, Episode 2". BBC. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  52. ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Price of Fear, Remains to Be Seen". BBC. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  53. ^ "Cymbeline, Gaskill/Allio, Royal Shakespeare Company, July 1962". Ahds.rhul.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  54. ^ "Clive Swift Biography (1936-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.

External links[edit]

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