Brian Hall (actor)
| Brian Hall (actor) | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brian Charles Hall 20 November 1937 Brighton, East Sussex, England |
| Died | 17 September 1997 (aged 59) Worthing, West Sussex, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1971–1994 |
| Spouse | Marlene Hall |
Brian Charles Hall (20 November 1937 – 17 September 1997) was an English actor perhaps best known for his role in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers where he played the hotel chef Terry.
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[edit] Career
Hall was probably most familiar playing hard-boiled tough guy Cockney roles: his role as the amiable chef Terry in Fawlty Towers was an enjoyable casting against type. He played leading roles in police drama Softly, Softly: Taskforce (1971–1972), crime drama McVicar (1980), and sitcom You Must Be The Husband (1987). He also had several guest-starring roles in The Professionals, The Long Good Friday, The Bill, The Sweeney and Minder in Series 1 episode You Gotta Have Friends.
As well as Fawlty Towers, Hall had a string of movie and TV roles, including playing bodyguard to Bob Hoskins in the gangster film The Long Good Friday.
[edit] Personal life
Hall had made a very strong friendship with John Cleese when they appeared in "Fawlty Towers." Some years after the series had finished Cleese sent Hall a personally signed autographed picture as a joke. Hall wrote back and demanded a "signed Rolls-Royce car" instead. Three day later, one arrived by mail - a children's toy.
Hall died on 17 September 1997, aged 59, after a three-year battle with cancer.
John Cleese told of his sadness after his fellow Fawlty Towers star had died, saying, "I am very upset. I was particularly fond of Brian and had several conversations with him this year" (1997). "I admire profoundly the way in which he dealt with the cancer. I do not know where he found the strength." A year before his death, Hall told The Mirror: "Cancer is a bully and I hate bullies. This old boy cancer will get about as much change out of me as all the other bullies I've met - nothing." One of Hall's closest friends, Billy Murray, also paid tribute. He said: "Brian and I grew up in the East End together. "He was one of the most likeable, down- to-earth guys you could wish to meet and he confronted this terrible illness with the bravery and humour he showed throughout his life."[citation needed]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Adolf Hitler - My Part in His Downfall | MP Sergeant | |
| 1973 | Yellow Dog | Bertrum | |
| 1974 | Confessions of a Window Cleaner | 2nd Removal Man | |
| 1975 | The Land That Time Forgot | Schwartz | |
| 1978 | Sweeney 2 | Haughton | |
| 1980 | Sweet William | ||
| McVicar | Terry Stokes | ||
| The Long Good Friday | Alan | ||
| 1981 | Break in the sun | Stepfather | |
| 1991 | The Grass Arena | George |
