John Horsley (actor)
| John Horsley | |
|---|---|
| Born |
John Lovell Horsley 21 July 1920 Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK |
| Died |
12 January 2014 (aged 93) Northwood, Middlesex, England, UK |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–1997 |
| Spouse(s) | June Marshall (1948–1988) (her death) (2 children) |
John Lovell Horsley[1] (21 July 1920 – 12 January 2014) was an English actor.
He was born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England.[2] The son of a doctor, he made his acting debut at the Theatre Royal in Bournemouth. After appearing in repertory theatres he was called up for military service in the Royal Devon Yeomanry in which he served in Sicily and Italy during the Second World War. He then contracted hepatitis and become a member of an Army drama company that toured military units.
His early acting career saw him playing a succession of doctors and policemen in many films, the former on film in Hell Drivers (1957), the latter on television in Big Breadwinner Hog (1969). He was more prolific in television from the 1960s and played character roles in many series and programmes including The Lotus Eaters (1972-73) and The Duchess of Duke Street (1976-77), though is perhaps best known for his role as Doc Morrissey in the BBC sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79) in which his catchphrase was "Take two Aspirins".[3] He reprised the role in The Legacy of Reginald Perrin in 1996.
Horsley was also cast in the role of Sir Ralph Shawcross in the BBC sitcom You Rang, M'Lord? (1990–93), as the Bishop of Tatchester in the BBC adaptation of John Masefield's The Box Of Delights (1984), and appeared in Miss Marple (Nemesis) in 1987 and Agatha Christie's Poirot (Hercule Poirot's Christmas) in 1995. His final role was in the TV mini-series Rebecca in 1997.
Horsley was married to the actress June Marshall (1923-1988) from 1948 until her death, and had two daughters.[4] He died on 12 January 2014 at Denville Hall, the retirement home for actors.[5]
Selected filmography
- Blackmailed (1951)
- Appointment with Venus (1951)
- The Frightened Man (1952)
- The Long Memory (1953)
- Time Bomb (1953)
- Deadly Nightshade (1953)
- Sailor of the King (1953)
- Wheel of Fate (1953)
- Recoil (1953)
- Personal Affair (1953)
- Night People (1954)
- Above Us the Waves (1955)
- The Brain Machine (1955)
- Little Red Monkey (1955)
- A Time to Kill (1955)
- Breakaway (1955)
- Hell Drivers (1957)
- Barnacle Bill (1957)
- Dunkirk (1958)
- Operation Amsterdam (1959)
- Sink the Bismarck! (1960)
- The Sinister Man (1961)
- The Secret Ways (1961)
- Serena (1962)
- Jigsaw (1962)
- Panic (1963)
- The Comedy Man (1964)
- Where the Bullets Fly (1966)
- The Limbo Line (1968)
- Secrets (1983)
- The Doctor and the Devils (1985)
- The Fourth Protocol (1987)
- Stanley's Dragon (1994)
References
- ↑ "Deceased Estates" the gazette.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ↑ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
- ↑ http://www.leonardrossiter.com/reginaldperrin/BiogsMain.html John Horsley at Leonard Rossiter.com. retrieved 1 January 2012
- ↑ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ↑ Brian Pendreigh "Obituary: John Horsley, actor", The Scotsman, 16 January 2014