Derek Royle

Derek Royle (7 September 1928 – 23 January 1990) was a British actor born in London, England.[1] He graduated from RADA in 1950.[2] His face was probably better known than his name to British viewers, but he acted in films and TV from the early 1960s until his death.[1] He had a supporting role in the Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour in 1967, as well as a minor one with Cilla Black in the film Work Is a Four-Letter Word a year later.[3]

Derek Royle
Born(1928-09-07)7 September 1928
London, England
Died23 January 1990(1990-01-23) (aged 61)
England
Spouse(s)
Jane Royle
​
​
(m. 1953; his death 1990)​
ChildrenAmanda Royle
Carol Royle

Most of his film appearances were in comedy films such as Tiffany Jones (1973), Don't Just Lie There, Say Something! (1974) and Confessions of a Sex Maniac (1974).[1]

Stage and television roles

He appeared in a children's TV comedy series, Hogg's Back (1975) as Doctor Hogg, an eccentric general practitioner (GP); in 2016 this series has appeared on Talking Pictures TV.[4] Royle acted with Wendy Richard and Pat Coombs over two series.[5] (Hog's Back is a ridge of hills in Surrey in Britain.)[6] Royle played an unfortunate hotel guest in a Fawlty Towers episode, "The Kipper and the Corpse", wherein he played the eponymous corpse.[7]

He also was the first actor to portray Monsieur Ernest Leclerc in the sixth series of 'Allo 'Allo!, and had a supporting role in a remake of Indiscreet (1988) and a new BBC version of a Lord Peter Wimsey story.[8][9] As a stage actor he was a mainstay of Brian Rix's Whitehall farces company.[10] He specialised in absent minded characters and used his acrobatic skills to fall down stairs and immediately get up again as if nothing had happened.[11] Theatre critic Michael Coveney called him "simply one of the funniest men on the English stage."[12]

Personal life and death

He was married to make-up artist Jane Royle and their daughters Amanda and Carol Royle became actresses.[12] He died from cancer aged 61.[13]

References
  1. "Derek Royle". BFI.
  2. "Derek Royle — RADA". www.rada.ac.uk.
  3. https://www.allmovie.com/artist/derek-royle-p121889
  4. "Hogg's Back (1975)". BFI.
  5. Guide, British Comedy. "Hogg's Back - ITV Sitcom". British Comedy Guide.
  6. "In pictures: View from the Hogs Back". 30 November 2009 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  7. "Fawlty Towers - S2 - Episode 4: The Kipper and the Corpse". Radio Times.
  8. "BFI Screenonline: 'Allo 'Allo (1984-92) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  9. "A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery: Strong Poison". 25 March 1987. p. 65 – via BBC Genome.
  10. "Derek Royle | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  11. Clark, Steve; Paphitis, Theo (30 August 2011). Only Fools and Horses - The Official Inside Story. Splendid Books Limited. ISBN 9780956950536 – via Google Books.
  12. Hayward, Anthony (7 March 2011). "Jane Royle obituary" – via www.theguardian.com.
  13. "Derek Royle (1928-1990) - Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com.


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