Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter | |
---|---|
Born | Wavertree, Liverpool, England | 21 October 1926
Died | 5 October 1984 Lyric Theatre, London, England | (aged 57)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1954–1984 |
Spouses | |
Children | 1 |
Leonard Rossiter (21 October 1926 – 5 October 1984) was an English actor. He had a long career in the theatre but achieved his highest profile for his television comedy roles starring as Rupert Rigsby in the ITV series Rising Damp from 1974 to 1978, and Reginald Perrin in the BBC's The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin from 1976 to 1979.[1]
Early life and stage work
Rossiter was born on 21 October 1926 in
Rossiter started acting after his actress girlfriend challenged him to try it, after he had scoffed at the performances of the amateur group she was in.
He later became assistant stage manager there, and then went on to
In 1957–58, he played in the musical Free as Air and then toured in Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh. He joined the Bristol Old Vic and was there for two years, from 1959 to 1961, a time he described as "the bedrock of his career", followed by other stage work, in, among other plays, The Strange Case of Martin Richter, Disabled, The Heretic, The Caretaker and Semi-Detached (in New York). His performance in the premiere of Michael Blakemore's stage production of Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui in 1969 met with critical acclaim.[14]
Film and television career
Rossiter soon established himself as a character actor in films and television, as well as on stage. He stated: "I think I sensed fairly early on that I was not physically or facially built in the way that would ever fit even remotely into heroic or what used to be called juvenile parts. I always played character parts - right from the start."[15] His first film role was in A Kind of Loving (1962). In Billy Liar (1963) he played the title character's boss. His first major television role was as Detective-Inspector Bamber in the long-running police television series Z-Cars.[16] He also had guest roles in series as diverse as The Avengers ("Dressed to Kill", 1963) and Steptoe and Son ("The Lead Man Cometh", 1964; "The Desperate Hours", 1972). Among his early film credits were four films directed by Bryan Forbes, namely King Rat (1965), The Wrong Box (1966), The Whisperers (1967), and Deadfall (1968).
In 1968, he played Mr Sowerberry in the film version of
In
From 1978 to 1983, Rossiter performed in ten commercials for Cinzano. The series of adverts was created by film director Alan Parker and, at Rossiter's suggestion, used an old music hall joke where he spills a drink over his wife, played by Joan Collins. In the Channel 4 programme The 100 Greatest TV Ads (2000) Terry Lovelock, the director of two of the commercials, said that Rossiter used to refer jokingly to Collins as "The Prop".[3][20]
Rossiter reprised Rigsby for a film version of Rising Damp in 1980, thus achieving the distinction of playing the same role on stage, television, and film. He continued to make a steady stream of film appearances, including a role in Lindsay Anderson's Britannia Hospital (1982).[21] His last television role was as the supermarket manager in another ITV sitcom, Tripper's Day (1984).[22]
He performed comic monologues in The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog, which was recorded 1982, and broadcast by Channel 4 in 1983.[23]
Rossiter also played the title role in the
Radio and voice work
In the animated adaptation of
Writing
Rossiter displayed his acid wit in two books: The Devil's Bedside Book (1980),
Personal life
Rossiter's first marriage was to the actress Josephine Tewson, with whom he had worked many times in repertory theatre in the 1950s. They married in 1958. The marriage ended in divorce in 1961. His second wife was the actress Gillian Raine, with whom he had a daughter, Camilla, and to whom he was still married at the time of his death.[32] Rossiter had met Raine when he played the lead role of Fred Midway in David Turner's play Semi-Detached, in a production directed by Tony Richardson. The play opened on 8 June 1962 at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry and ran for a week. During the play's second run at the Belgrade, in September 1963, the couple fell in love and moved in together, but they did not marry until 1972.[33]
Rossiter was an Everton fan.[34][35] He was also a wine connoisseur, and converted his attic into a sort of wine cellar.[36]
After his death, it was revealed that during the early 1980s Rossiter had had a five-year relationship with the broadcaster Sue MacGregor.[37] His wife had not been aware of the affair until she received a letter from MacGregor breaking the news that her memoirs, which were about to be published, would include an account of the affair.[3]
Since his childhood, Rossiter had been an enthusiastic sportsman in football, cricket, tennis and later squash.[citation needed]
Death
On 5 October 1984, Rossiter died from
A memorial service was held on 15 November 1984 at St Paul's, Covent Garden.[38] Attendees included Rossiter's Loot castmates, as well as Derek Nimmo, Fulton Mackay, and Ned Sherrin.[39] Loot director, Jonathan Lynn, gave a eulogy in which he said of Rossiter: "Now that Leonard is up there, things had better be properly managed: I hope that the Heavenly Gates opened on cue and that the Choir of Angels is singing in tune. They had better be professional in Paradise. Because, if not, they'll certainly hear about it from Leonard."[40]
Legacy and tributes
Rossiter was posthumously nominated for a
In 1985, the book Leonard Rossiter by author Robert Tanitch was published. The book featured a collection of rare photos and reminiscences from friends and colleagues of Rossiter's.[42][43]
In 2000, the ITV biography series The Unforgettable broadcast an episode about Rossiter's life. His wife and daughter were interviewed, as well as former colleagues, including Don Warrington, Joan Collins, and Sue Nicholls.
A biography of Rossiter, titled Leonard Rossiter: Character Driven was published in 2010 by author Guy Adams.[44][3]
TV and film appearances
Year | Title | Role | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962 | A Kind of Loving | Whymper | |||
1963 | This Sporting Life | Phillips, sports writer | |||
1963 | Billy Liar | Mr Shadrack | |||
1964 | Steptoe and Son | Lead Man | Series 3 Episode 3: "The Lead Man Cometh" | ||
1964 | The Long Ships | Persian Soldier | Uncredited | ||
1964 | A Jolly Bad Fellow | Dr. Fisher | |||
1965 | King Rat | McCoy | |||
1966 | Hotel Paradiso | Inspector | |||
1966 | The Wrong Box | Vyvyan Montague | |||
1966 | The Witches | Dr. Wallis | |||
1966 | Death is a Good Living | Norman Lynch | TV series | ||
1967 | Deadlier Than the Male | Henry Bridgenorth | |||
1967 | The Whisperers | Assistance Board Officer | |||
1968 | 2001: A Space Odyssey |
Dr. Andrei Smyslov | |||
1968 | Oliver! | Mr. Sowerberry | |||
1968 | Deadfall | Fillmore | |||
1968 | Diamonds for Breakfast | Inspector Dudley | |||
1968 | The Year of the Sex Olympics | Ugo Priest | |||
1968 | Otley | Johnson | |||
1968 | Theatre 625: The Fanatics | Voltaire | |||
1971 | Thick as Thieves | Eddie, the Safe Breaker | T.V. Film | ||
1972 | Steptoe and Son | Johnny the Prisoner | Series 7 Episode 7:
"The Desperate Hours" | ||
1973 | Luther |
Brother Weinand | |||
1974–1978 | Rising Damp | Rupert Rigsby | TV series | ||
1974 | If There Weren't Any Blacks You'd Have To Invent Them | Blind Man | |||
1975 | Barry Lyndon | Capt. John Quin | |||
1976 | The Pink Panther Strikes Again | Superintendent Quinlan | |||
1976 | Voyage of the Damned | Commander Von Bonin | |||
1976 | Machinegunner | ||||
1976–1979 | The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin | Reginald Perrin | TV series | ||
1977 | The Galton & Simpson Playhouse | Uncle Jim | "I Tell You It's Burt Reynolds" | Pilot Episode only made | |
1978 | The Losers | Sydney Foskett | |||
1978 | The Waterloo Bridge Handicap | Charles Barker | Short Film | ||
1978 | The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show | Himself | |||
1979 | Le Pétomane | Joseph Pujol | Short Film | ||
1980 | Rising Damp | Rupert Rigsby | Film | ||
1982 | Britannia Hospital | Vincent Potter | |||
1984 | Tripper's Day | Norman Tripper | TV series | ||
1984 | Play for Today: Dog Ends | ||||
1984 | The Life and Death of King John (BBC Shakespeare) | King John | |||
1985 | Water | Sir Malcolm Leveridge |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Director | Playwright(s) | Theatre |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | The Clandestine Marriage | Canton | John Hale | George Colman and David Garrick | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1959 | Romeo and Juliet | Sampson & Friar John | John Hale | William Shakespeare | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1959 | The Silent Woman
|
Sir John Daw | John Hale | Ben Jonson | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1959 | The Long and the Short and the Tall | Private Bamforth | David Scase | Willis Hall | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1959 | Hooray for Daisy! | Harry Tuck | Denis Carey | Julian Slade and Dorothy Reynolds | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | A Taste of Honey | Peter | John Hale | Shelagh Delaney | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | Mary Stuart | Lord Burleigh | John Hale | Friedrich Schiller (adapted by Stephen Spender) | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | The Woodcarver | Griff | Prunella Scales | Morris Brown | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | She Stoops to Conquer | Tony Lumpkin | Dudley Jones | Oliver Goldsmith | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | The Hostage | Pat | John Hale | Brendan Behan | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | The Comedy of Errors | Dromio of Syracuse | John Hale | William Shakespeare | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | Romeo and Juliet | Friar Lawrence
|
John Hale | William Shakespeare | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | Rhinoceros | The Logician | John Hale | Eugène Ionesco | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | The Tempest | Stephano | John Hale | William Shakespeare | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | Caesar and Cleopatra | Rufio | Tony Robertson | George Bernard Shaw | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | One Way Pendulum | Arthur Groomkirby | Alan Bridges | N.F. Simpson
|
Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1960 | Dick Whittington | Cicely Suett | Frank Dunlop | V.C. Clinton-Baddeley and Gavin Gordon | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1961 | Roots | Mr. Bryant | Duncan Ross | Arnold Wesker | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1961 | A Passage to India | Richard Fielding | Alan Bridges | E.M. Forster )
|
Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1961 | Richard II | Henry Bolingbroke | John Hale | William Shakespeare | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1961 | The Killer | The Architect & Second Policeman | John Hale | Eugène Ionesco | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1961 | A Man for All Seasons | The Common Man | Warren Jenkins | Robert Bolt | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1961 | Goat Song | Celestino | John Hale | Martin Shuttleworth | Theatre Royal, Bristol
|
1961 | North City Traffic Straight Ahead | Harry Hopkins | Alan Simpson | James Douglas | Gaiety Theatre, Dublin |
1961 | The Caretaker | Davies | Gareth Davies | Harold Pinter | The Leatherhead Theatre Club |
1962 | The Recruiting Officer | Sergeant Kite | Frank Dunlop | George Farquhar | Nottingham Playhouse |
1962 | Arms and the Man | Sergius Saranoff | David Forder | George Bernard Shaw | Belgrade Theatre, Coventry |
1962 | Red Roses for Me | Brennan o' the Moor | Julius Gellner | Seán O'Casey | Mermaid Theatre, London |
1962–1963 | Semi-Detached | Fred Midway | Tony Richardson | David Turner | Belgrade Theatre, Coventry; Music Box Theatre, New York |
1964 | Hamp | Lieutenant Tom Webb | John Gibson | John Wilson | Theatre Royal, Newcastle |
1965 | Ghosts | Pastor Menders | Adrian Rendle | Henrik Ibsen | Theatre Royal Stratford East |
1966 | Volpone | Corvino | Frank Hauser | Ben Jonson | Oxford Playhouse |
1967–1968 | The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui | Arturo Ui | Michael Blakemore | Bertolt Brecht (adapted by George Tabori) | Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh |
1968 | The Strange Case of Martin Richter | Martin Richter | Michael Blakemore | Stanley Eveling | Hampstead Theatre, London |
1969 | The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui | Arturo Ui | Michael Blakemore | Bertolt Brecht (adapted by George Tabori) | Nottingham Playhouse; Saville Theatre, London |
1970 | The Heretic | Giordano Bruno | Morris West and Joseph O'Connor | Morris West | Duke of York's Theatre, London |
1971 | Disabled | Barker | Vivian Matalon | Peter Ransley | Hampstead Theatre, London |
1971 | Richard III | Richard III | Peter McEnery | William Shakespeare | Nottingham Playhouse |
1972 | The Caretaker | Davies | Christopher Morahan | Harold Pinter | Mermaid Theatre, London |
1973 | The Banana Box | Rooksby | David Scase | Eric Chappell | Adeline Genée Theatre, East Grinstead; Apollo Theatre, London |
1974 | Abel, Where Is Your Brother? | The Narrator & I | Amos Mokadi | Julius Edliss (translated by Ariadne Nicolaeff) | Act-In Theatre Club, Piccadilly, London |
1974 | The Looneys | Brian | Michael Rudman | John Antrobus | Hampstead Theatre, London |
1975 | A Christmas Carol | Scrooge | Michael Fabian | Charles Dickens | Touring production |
1976–1977 | The Frontiers of Farce (adaptation of the plays The Purging by Georges Feydeau & The Singer by Frank Wedekind) | Follavoine & Dhuring | Peter Barnes | George Feydeau & Frank Wedekind (adapted by Peter Barnes )
|
Theatre Royal, Bristol; Criterion Theatre, London
|
1976 | Tartuffe | Tartuffe | David Thompson | Molière (translated by David Thompson) | Greenwich Theatre, London |
1977–1978 | The Immortal Haydon (one-man show) | Haydon | Alan Strachan | John Wells | Mermaid Theatre, London; Greenwich Theatre, London |
1979 | Semi-Detached | Fred Midway | Leonard Rossiter & Alan Strachan | David Turner | Greenwich Theatre, London and toured |
1980 | Make and Break | Garrard | Michael Blakemore | Michael Frayn | Lyric Theatre, London; Theatre Royal Haymarket |
1982 | The Rules of the Game | Leone Gala | Anthony Quayle | Luigi Pirandello (translated by Robert Rietti & Noel Gregeen) | Theatre Royal, Nottingham; Theatre Royal Haymarket; Phoenix Theatre, London |
1983–1984 | Tartuffe | Tartuffe | Peter Coe | Molière (adapted by Miles Malleson) | Churchill Theatre, Bromley |
1984 | Loot | Truscott | Jonathan Lynn | Joe Orton | Ambassadors Theatre, London; Lyric Theatre, London |
Awards and nominations
Year | Awards | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | British Academy of Film and Television Arts | BAFTA Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance | The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin | Nominated | [45] |
1978 | The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin + Rising Damp | Nominated | [45] | ||
1979 | The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin + Rising Damp + The Losers | Nominated | [45] | ||
1981 | Evening Standard British Film Awards | Peter Sellers Award for Comedy | Outstanding career in British film comedy | Won | [45] |
References
- ^ New York Times. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
Leonard Rossiter, one of Britain's most popular comic actors, collapsed during a performance in London and died Friday night, apparently of a heart attack. Mr. Rossiter, who was 57 years old, was declared dead at Middlesex Hospital. ...
- ^ "Rossiter profile at FilmReference.com".
- ^ a b c d "Leonard Rossiter, Character Driven: review". Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ R. Tanitch Leonard Rossiter p. 149
- ^ Coslett, Paul. "Leonard Rossiter". BBC. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ "Mums and babies among victims of Liverpool's Mill Road Hospital raids during May Blitz". Liverpool Echo. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ISBN 0-947728-19-8
- ^ Knight, Val (1 April 1978). "The joke that led Leonard Rossiter to stardom...and Rigsby". TVTimes.
I was in just before the end of the Japanese war. The war in Germany was over, clearly why I went to Germany at that time...to teach soldiers, most of whom had missed schooling during the war, to read and write. It was weird really. I was immediately made a sergeant. Well you had to have some sort of rank because as a private in the classroom, teaching old soldiers their A, B, C, you'd soon have been given the brush off. I spent most of the time writing their letters home, you know 'Dear Mum...'
- ^ Interview on BBC R4 Desert Island Discs 12 April 1980
- ^ "Rossiter revels in Rising Damp". TVTimes. 7 November 1975.
Having Rossiter in the part, incidentally, is all down to a former girlfriend who is called Ida. She was in an amateur group and when the young Rossiter watched her at rehearsals, he told her he thought he could do better. 'I suppose you could do better!' she snapped. 'I couldn't do worse,' he said. So he joined the group.
- ^ Tanitch, p. 8
- ^ "Change of Policy". The Stage. 18 November 1954.
Twenty-seven year-old Leonard Rossiter, Reginald Salberg's latest 'find' at Preston, was an insurance inspector in Liverpool until about three months ago. For years before he nursed an ambition to become an actor, and it was only the stress of domestic circumstances that baulked earlier efforts to reach his goal. Last August his family responsibilities were considerably relieved and he sought an interview with Mr. Salberg. As it happened, the application that got him his first small part (in 'The Gay Dog') was most opportunely timed. If it had been made a week before, or a week later, he would probably be still carrying out duties as an insurance claims assessor...
- ^ Tanitch, p. 25
- ^ Tanitch, p. 47
- ^ Sutcliffe, Tom (4 September 1982). "Rossiter's irresistible rise". The Guardian.
- ISBN 9780313295508.
- ^ "Rossiter revels in Rising Damp". TVTimes. 7 November 1975.
Having Rossiter in the part, incidentally, is all down to a former girlfriend who is called Ida. She was in an amateur group and when the young Rossiter watched her at rehearsals he told her he thought he could do better. 'I suppose you could do better!' she snapped. 'I couldn't do worse,' he said. So he joined the group. When 'This Is Your Life' descended on Rossiter who do you think was one of the surprise guests? That's right. Ida.
- ^ Gary Mills (4 March 2015). "Leonard Rossiter: a conviction in comedy". British Film Institute. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ^ John Oliver. "Rossiter, Leonard (1926-1984)". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ The Cinzano commercials, LeonardRossiter.com. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- ^ Utting, David (23 November 1981). "Mr. Rossiter is anxious not to bore the kids". Liverpool Echo.
- ^ Knowles, Stewart (22 September 1984). "Rossiter's hated hair apparent". TVTimes.
When I was offered Tripper, it was pointed out that it wasn't terribly deep stuff, just smash-bang basic comedy in short, sharp scenes. I said I wasn't averse to doing anything if I liked it, and this is fast and funny, very well written by Brian Cooke.
- ^ [1] The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog production website
- ^ "The Perishers have Rossiter". The Stage and Television Today. 15 March 1979.
- ^ "Desert Island Discs: Leonard Rossiter". BBC Radio 4. 12 April 1980. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ "With Great Pleasure". BBC Genome. 28 August 1981. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ "Leonard Rossiter - In a Nutshell". BBC Radio 4. 1981. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- ^ "Story Teller 2". Story Teller Website.
- ISBN 0-600-20105-8
- ISBN 0-7221-7513-2.
- ^ Jaine, Tom (15 September 2009). "Keith Floyd obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "Personal Remembrances, includes many pictures with Raine and his daughter". Retrieved 2 February 2009.
- ^ "Personal Remembrances, includes many pictures with Raine in Semi-Detached". Retrieved 2 February 2009.
- ^ Macdonald, Neil (4 October 2014). "Pics and video: Remembering Leonard Rossiter". Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ Knight, Val (1 April 1978). "The joke that led Leonard Rossiter to stardom...and Rigsby". TVTimes.
Of course I'm an Evertonian by tradition and so is my family. Tommy Lawton was my hero.
- ^ Knight, Val (1 April 1978). "The joke that led Leonard Rossiter to stardom...and Rigsby". TVTimes.
Wine connoisseur Rossiter keeps his several hundred bottles of vintage wine, rather surprisingly, in his attic in the pleasant once two-up-two down cottage he has converted.
- ISBN 0-7472-4989-X.
- ^ "Memorial Service to Leonard Rossiter at St Paul's Church, Covent Garden yesterday". The Daily Telegraph. 16 November 1984.
- ^ "Last tribute to Rossiter". Liverpool Echo. 15 November 1984.
- ISBN 978-0571277957.
- ^ "Rossiter in line for 'Larry' award". The Stage. 29 November 1984.
- ISBN 0-947728-19-8.
- ^ "Leonard Rossiter". www.tanitch.co.uk.
- ISBN 978-1-84513-596-6.
- ^ a b c d "Leonard Rossiter Awards". IMDB (Index source only). Retrieved 7 November 2022.
Further reading
- Tanitch, Robert (1985), Leonard Rossiter, Robert Royce Ltd. ISBN 0-947728-19-8
- Adams, Guy (2010), Leonard Rossiter: Character Driven, Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84513-596-6
- Lynn, Jonathan (2011), Comedy Rules: From the Cambridge Footlights to Yes Prime Minister, Faber and Faber. ISBN 0571277950