Geoffrey Hutchings
Geoffrey Hutchings | |
---|---|
Mel Harvey from the comedy TV series Benidorm | |
Born | Dorchester, Dorset, England, UK | 8 June 1939
Died | 1 July 2010 , England, UK | (aged 71)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1964–2010 |
Spouse(s) | June Watts (1969 – 2002) Andi Godfrey (? – 2010) (his death) |
Children | 3 |
Geoffrey Hutchings (8 June 1939 – 1 July 2010)[1][2] was an English stage, film and television actor.
Early life and career
Hutchings was born in
Career
Stage
With the RSC from 1968 until the 1980s Hutchings played many roles in Shakespeare including Launce, Octavius Caesar and Pandar.[3] He played Bosola in the 1971 RSC production of John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi. Hutchings made his name particularly in Shakespeare's comic roles including Dromio of Syracuse, Bottom, Feste, Lavache, Autolycus and Doctor Caius. Hutchings' singing voice often featured in his comic roles, with his appearance in 1982 as Lady Dodo in the musical Poppy winning a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance.
In 1998, he played
Film and TV
In 1980, Hutchings starred as a character called Trunky Porter in the TV series Juliet Bravo.
In 1987, Hutchings played Harry Stobbs in Series 3, episode 4 of The Bill.
A first collaboration with David Leland for the film Made in Britain (directed by Alan Clarke and starring Tim Roth) in 1981 has led to his notable role as Hubert Mansell, the father of Emily Lloyd in Wish You Were Here in 1987.
His other film successes included
On television, his most notable role has probably been in Our Friends in the North (1996), in which he played corrupt building contractor John Edwards, a character closely based on the real-life figure of John Poulson. He also had a semi-regular role as Bobby Hollamby in the ITV prison drama Bad Girls from 2000 to 2003. Earlier, he had played second fiddle to Michael Gambon in 12 episodes of Maigret in 1992–1993. He also narrated several audiobooks based on Georges Simenon's Maigret stories. In 2005 he played Lionel Morris in ITV's Heartbeat. Series 14 episode 23 Shadows from the Past. In 2007, Hutchings made a guest appearance in ITV drama Wild at Heart.
In December 2006, he made an appearance in the Sky One television adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Hogfather. From 2008 to 2009, he appeared in the ITV comedy series Benidorm as Mel Harvey and had a small role in the second Terry Pratchett adaptation Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic.
In February 2009, he appeared in EastEnders as Roger Clarke, Jane and Christian's father and in the BBC film Nativity!.
In 2010 he appeared in the BBC medical drama Casualty and the sitcom Grandma's House, both of which were screened after his death.
He was a regular as
Death
Hutchings died suddenly, in hospital, on the morning of 1 July 2010. The cause of death was meningitis.[2] He was surrounded by his family; second wife Andi Godfrey, and the three children of his first marriage: one son (Nathan Hutchings) and two daughters (Octavia Hutchings and Holly Hutchings). He was cremated at Kensal Green Cemetery, Kensal Green, West London.
Selected filmography
Film
Title | Year | Role/Character | Director | Type/Notes/Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rime of the Ancient Mariner | 1975 | The pilot (voice) | Raúl daSilva | Photoanimated film |
Made in Britain | 1982 | Superintendent | Alan Clarke | Television film |
Clockwise | 1986 | Mr. Wisely | Christopher Morahan | Feature film |
Wish You Were Here | 1987 | Hubert Mansell | David Leland | Feature film |
On the Black Hill | 1988 | Solicitor | Andrew Grieve | Feature film |
Henry V | 1989 | Corporal Nym | Kenneth Branagh | Feature film |
White Hunter Black Heart | 1990 | Squadron Leader Alec Laing | Clint Eastwood | Feature film |
Topsy-Turvy | 1999 | Armourer | Mike Leigh | Feature film |
Mike Bassett: England Manager | 2001 | Geoffrey Lightfoot | Steve Barron | Mockumentary |
The Affair of the Necklace | 2001 | President D'Aligre | Charles Shyer | Feature film |
It's All About Love | 2003 | Mr. Morrison | Thomas Vinterberg | Feature film |
Cheeky | 2003 | Sid the Barman | David Thewlis | Feature film |
The Thief Lord | 2006 | Conte | Richard Claus | Feature film |
She, a Chinese | 2009 | Geoffrey Hunt | Xiaolu Guo | Documentary |
Nativity! | 2009 | Father Tom | Debbie Isitt | Feature film |
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger | 2010 | Alan's Father | Woody Allen | Feature film Last final film role to date |
Television
Title | Year | Role/Character | Type/Notes/Description |
---|---|---|---|
The Ambassadors | 1965 | Jacques Montan | Television film |
The Scarlet and the Black | 1965 | Student | Episode: "Entry Into Society" |
Mrs Thursday | 1966 | M. Grandjean | Episode: "A Little of What You Fancy" |
Antony and Cleopatra | 1974 | A Fig Seller | Television film |
A Little Bit of Wisdom | 1975 | Bandaged Man | Episode: "#2.2" |
Clayhanger
|
1976 | Arthur Dayson | 2 episodes |
The Squirrels | 1976 | First Man | Episode: "The Snatch" |
Raffles | 1977 | Bank Official | Episode: "The Chest of Silver" |
Strangers | 1980 | Stanley Roberts | Episode: "Retribution" |
Juliet Bravo | 1980 | Trunky Porter / Commander Nigel Scott | Episode: "The One Who Got Away" |
Widows | 1983 | Willy Daily | Episode: "#1.2" |
All the World's a Stage | 1984 | Reading from the 1572 Act of Parliament | Episode: "A Muse of Fire" |
Charlie | 1984 | Dave Abbott | 2 episodes |
Hot Metal | 1986 | Max Rutherford | 5 episodes |
Lytton's Diary | 1986 | Florist | Episode: "The Ends and the Means" |
Onassis: The Richest Man in the World | 1986 | Meneghini | Television film |
Bergerac | 1989 | Sylvester Silver | Episode: "Weekend Off" |
Saracen | 1989 | James Silverdale | Episode: "Infidels" |
Home James! | 1989 | Sir Linus Brinks / Wainwright | 2 episodes |
Brass | 1990 | George Fairchild | 6 episodes |
The Gravy Train | 1990 | Gustave | 4 episodes |
Traitors | 1990 | Fr. Henry Garnet | Television film |
Pirate Prince | 1991 | Rochefort | Television film |
Perfect Scoundrels | 1992 | Alan Fry | Episode: "The Long Way Home" |
Minder | 1992 | Heart Attack | Episode: "Last Orders at the Winchester" |
A Year in Provence | 1993 | Ralph Tompkins | Episode: "Room Service" |
Maigret | 1992-1993 | Sgt. Lucas | 12 episodes |
Screen One | 1991-1993 | Barton / Carwyn Phillips | 2 episodes |
Heart of Darkness | 1993 | Delcommune | Television film |
Cracker | 1993 | Pathologist | Episode: "One Day a Lemming Will Fly: Part 1" |
Drop the Dead Donkey | 1994 | Alfred | Episode: "Helen's Parents" |
Degrees of Error | 1995 | Professor Marshall | 3 episodes |
Performance | 1995 | Bardolph | Episode: "Henry IV" |
Our Friends in the North | 1996 | John Edwards | 4 episodes |
Witness Against Hitler | 1996 | Prison Governor | Television film |
The Famous Five | 1996 | Binks | 2 episodes |
Accused | 1996 | Dan Chapman | 4 episodes |
Mortimer's Law | 1998 | Chris Borland | Episode: "#1.2" |
Duck Patrol | 1998 | Malcolm White | 8 episodes |
Goodnight, Mister Tom | 1998 | Ralph Briggs | Television film |
Kavanagh QC | 1999 | Trevor Gregton | Episode: "Previous Convictions" |
The Bench | 1999 | Cyril | Television film |
Longitude | 2000 | Estate Manager | Television film |
Cor, Blimey! | 2000 | Sid James | Television film |
Doctors | 2000 | Chief Supt. Len Salter | Episode: "Family Law" |
Holby City | 2002 | George Fry | Episode: "Second Chances" |
Where the Heart Is | 2002 | Ray Ballinger | Episode: "Count on Me" |
The Safe House | 2002 | Det. Supt. Bill Matthews | Television film |
Foyle's War | 2002 | Harold Smith | Episode: "Eagle Day" |
Down to Earth | 2003 | Fenner / Mr. Fenner | 2 episodes |
Bad Girls | 2000-2003 | Bobby Hollamby | 4 episodes |
The Bill | 1987-2004 | Arthur Penrose / Martin Jackson / Harry Stobbs | 3 episodes |
The Royal | 2005 | Arthur Cordell | Episode: "Duty Bound" |
Heartbeat | 2005 | Lionel Morris | Episode: "Shadows from the Past" |
Derailed | 2005 | Robin Kellow | Television film |
Funland | 2005 | Howdy Doodere | Episode: "#1.4" |
Hogfather | 2006 | Mr. Brown | Television film as Geoffrey Hutchins |
Wild at Heart | 2007 | Bill | Episode: "#2.2" |
Maxwell | 2007 | George Wheeler | Television film |
The Whistleblowers | 2007 | Fred Barrass | Episode: "Environment" |
The Colour of Magic | 2008 | Picture Imp | 2 episodes |
Sunshine | 2008 | Bernard | Episode: "#1.2" |
EastEnders | 2009 | Roger | 3 episodes |
Midsomer Murders | 1999-2009 | Harry Claypole / Colin Smy | 2 episodes |
Benidorm | 2008-2009 | Mel Harvey | 15 episodes |
Casualty | 1994-2010 | Alan Carson / Mr. Ross / Oliver Flint / Paul Fenwick | 4 episodes |
Grandma's House | 2010 | Grandpa | 6 episodes |
References
- ^ a b Hayward, Anthony (6 July 2010). "Geoffrey Hutchings: Veteran character actor who portrayed Sid James on stage and screen and played 'minted' Mel in 'Benidorm'". The Independent. London.
- ^ a b "Stage and TV actor Geoffrey Hutchings dies aged 71". BBC News. BBC. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
- ^ Coveney, Michael (11 July 2010). "Geoffrey Hutchings obituary". Retrieved 1 January 2022.
External links
- Geoffrey Hutchings at IMDb