Eddie Tagoe

Eddie Tagoe
Eddie Tagoe
Nationality	Ghanaian
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation	actor
Notable work	Top Secret!; Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?

Eddie Tagoe is a Ghanaian actor and reflexologist, probably best-known for his film career in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Early life

The son of Ghanaian Chieftain Asafoatshe Ayah Tagoe,^[1] Eddie Tagoe travelled to London to study reflexology prior to pursuing acting. He then received a grant from the government of Ghana to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.^[1]

Acting

Tagoe is best-remembered for minor supporting roles in two film classics: As the hippie "Presuming Ed" in the 1987 film production of Withnail and I, a role that he resumed in 2000 in a stage production of the same work; and as one of the pirates in the 1981 hit movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. Billed only as the "Messenger Pirate", his character was sent to find Indiana Jones in advance of Nazis boarding the ship on which Jones was travelling. Initially unable to find Jones, he was instructed by the captain to look again, and immediately replied, "I found him!", pointing to Jones swimming to the Nazi submarine.

Tagoe had a significantly larger part in his film debut, Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978),^[1] and as "Chocolate Mousse" in the 1984 farce, Top Secret!. He appeared in various other roles such as Sgt. Gwambe in Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985), as well as The Dogs of War (1980), Pink Floyd The Wall (1982) and Spaghetti House (1982). Tagoe also appeared in episodes of a number of British television series, including Legacy of Murder, Prospects, and The Bill, becoming "a well-known face on British television as an actor".^[2]

Reflexology

In 1995, he returned to his reflexology career when he was recruited to serve as team reflexologist for Newcastle United F.C.^[3]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977	Black Joy	African Dustman
1978	Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?	Mumbala
1979	Arabian Adventure	Nubian
1980	The Dogs of War	Jinja
1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	Messenger Pirate
1982	Pink Floyd The Wall	Minder
1982	Spaghetti House	Bill
1984	Top Secret!	Chocolate Mousse, Resistance Member
1985	Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend	Sergeant Gambwe
1987	Withnail and I	Presuming Ed
1991	Ama	Brother Josh
1996	The Bill: Target	Mr. Henry	Crime / Drama

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Son Of African Royalty To Make His Film Debut", Jet (January 26, 1978), p. 56.
^ R. Costello, Black Liverpool: The Early History of Britain's Oldest Black Community, 1730–1918 (2001), p. 40.
^ Simon Turnbull, "ROYAL APPOINTMENTS FOR NEWCASTLE SQUAD!", The Northern Echo, 11 February 1995.

External links

Eddie Tagoe at IMDb

[Jet-1] "Son Of African Royalty To Make His Film Debut", Jet (January 26, 1978), p. 56.

[2] R. Costello, Black Liverpool: The Early History of Britain's Oldest Black Community, 1730–1918 (2001), p. 40.

[3] Simon Turnbull, "ROYAL APPOINTMENTS FOR NEWCASTLE SQUAD!", The Northern Echo, 11 February 1995.

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