Barry Evans (actor)
| Barry Evans | |
|---|---|
| Born | Barry Joseph Evans 18 June 1943 Guildford, Surrey, England |
| Died | 9 February 1997 (aged 53) Claybrooke Magna, Leicestershire, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
Barry Joseph Evans (18 June 1943 – 9 February 1997)[1] was an English actor and television performer best known for his appearances in British sitcoms such as Doctor in the House and Mind Your Language.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Born in Guildford, Surrey and abandoned as a baby, Evans was educated at the orphanage boarding schools run by the Shaftesbury Homes, first at Fortescue House School in Twickenham and then at Bisley Boys' School in Bisley, Surrey. His acting ability was recognised at an early age and he often played the leading roles in school plays. Evans attended the Italia Conti Academy and later won a John Gielgud Scholarship to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama.
[edit] Career
One of Evans' first television credits was in the soap opera Crossroads in 1964. He then played the lead role in the film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1967), where he was cast as a sex-starved boy who finds it difficult to lose his virginity.
His first major television role was in the sitcom Doctor in the House (1969–70), based on Richard Gordon's series of novels already turned in to a feature film series. Evans starred as the earnest but gullible Michael Upton. Following the show's success, he starred in the sequel to the series, Doctor At Large in 1971. Evans enjoyed working with his fellow actors and later described these as the best years of his life.
In 1975, he had the lead role in Stanley Long's sex comedy Adventures of a Taxi Driver. Despite the film's success, Evans declined to appear in the sequel.
Evans starred as Jeremy Brown in the ITV sitcom Mind Your Language (1977–79), which was a humorous look at an evening class tutor attempting to teach immigrants English. Most of the characters were foreign stereotypes; it was immensely popular, both in the UK and internationally, and especially in the countries the actors portrayed. The series was written by TV scriptwriter Vince Powell, and was adapted for American TV as What a Country! in 1986.
One of Evans' last appearances on British television was in 1982's Emery Presents series Legacy of Murder, alongside Dick Emery.
[edit] Later career and death
By the late 1980s, his youthful image was working against him, and he found it difficult to obtain mature acting roles in line with his age. His last role was as Bazzard in the film adaptation of The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 1993. By the late 1990s, he was a minicab driver in Leicestershire, where in 1997 he was found dead aged 53 in his bungalow. The police discovered the actor's body after going to his house to tell him they had recovered his stolen car.[2][3]
[edit] TV credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1969–1971 | Doctor in the House Doctor at Large |
Dr Michael Upton |
| 1977-1979 1986 |
Mind Your Language | Mr Jeremy Brown |
| 1982 | Legacy of Murder | Robin Bright |
[edit] Filmography
- Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1967)
- Alfred the Great (1969)
- Die Screaming, Marianne (1972)
- Adventures of a Taxi Driver (1976)
- Under the Doctor (1976)
- The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1993)[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Hayward, Anthony (13 February 1997). "Obituary: Barry Evans". The Independent (London, UK). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-barry-evans-1278359.html. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
- ^ Bennetto, Jason (12 February 1997). "Police investigate `suspicious' death of sitcom actor". The Independent (London, UK: Independent Print Limited). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/police-investigate-suspicious-death-of-sitcom-actor-1278156.html. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
- ^ Upton, Julian (2004). Fallen stars: tragic lives and lost careers. London, UK: Headpress. p. 89. ISBN 1900486385. http://books.google.com/books?id=Gb5ci9IF_SMC&pg=RA1-PT61&dq=death+%22barry+evans%22&hl=de&ei=StsVTenuJsLtOfbt9fcI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=death%20%22barry%20evans%22&f=false.
- ^ List taken from Upton J, Fallen Stars - tragic lives and lost careers. Headpress, 2004.
- Sheridan, Simon (2011). Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema (fourth ed.). Titan Books.
- Sheridan, Simon (2008). X-Rated – Adventures of an Exploitation Filmmaker. Reynolds & Hearn Books.
