Richard Coleman

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Richard Coleman
Born	Ronald Coleman (1930-01-20)20 January 1930 Peckham, London, England
Died	16 December 2008(2008-12-16) (aged 78) France
Spouse	Peggy Sinclair

Richard Coleman (20 January 1930 – 16 December 2008) was a British film, television and stage actor.^[1]

Early life

Richard Coleman was born Ronald Coleman in Peckham, London in 1930.^[2] He was educated at Wilson's Grammar School, Peckham. After three years' National Service in the R.A.F., he worked as a salesman in a West End gentleman's outfitters. While there he became interested in amateur dramatics, joining "The Taverners", a group which visited local inns and public houses, giving performances of Shakespeare. Bob and Frances Fish, who ran The Taverners, recognised Coleman's potential and entered him in 1951 for the Leverhulme Scholarship to RADA, which he won. To make ends meet during the Academy's vacations, he was forced to do a variety of jobs, including working on the Thames River Bus and selling razors. He graduated from RADA in 1953 with the Principal’s Medal.^[3][4] He adopted the stage name Richard Coleman, to avoid confusion with the film star Ronald Colman.^[2] He then spent two years with the Worthing Repertory Company, appearing in many plays.

Career

Theatre

Coleman made his professional acting debut in 1955, playing Albert Tufnell, A.B., in the stage adaptation of