Tony Britton | |
|---|---|
 Portrait taken byAllan Warren in 1972 | |
| Born | Anthony Edward Lowry Britton (1924-06-09)9 June 1924 Birmingham, England |
| Died | 22 December 2019(2019-12-22) (aged 95) London, England |
| Years active | 1950–2013 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Fern Britton Jasper Britton Cherry Britton[1] |
| Awards | Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actor 1975The Nearly Man |
Anthony Edward Lowry Britton (9 June 1924 – 22 December 2019) was an English actor. He appeared in a variety of films (includingThe Day of the Jackal) and televisionsitcoms (includingDon't Wait Up andRobin's Nest).
Britton was born inErdington,Birmingham, the son of Doris Marguerite (née Jones) and Edward Leslie Britton. His father was landlord of the Trocaderopublic house on Temple Street in Birmingham.[2] He attended Edgbaston Collegiate School, Birmingham andThornbury Grammar School,Gloucestershire.[2] During theSecond World War he served in theArmy and he also worked for anestate agent and in an aircraft factory. He joined anamateur dramatics group inWeston-super-Mare and then turned professional, appearing on stage atthe Old Vic and with theRoyal Shakespeare Company.
He appeared in numerous British films from the 1950s onwards, includingOperation Amsterdam (1959),Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) andThe Day of the Jackal (1973). Britton won theBroadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actor and was nominated for theBritish Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1975 forThe Nearly Man.
He was the subject ofThis Is Your Life in 1977 when he was surprised byEamonn Andrews outside London's Cafe Royal.[citation needed]
In 1979, Britton was nominated for theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for playingHenry Higgins inMy Fair Lady at theAdelphi Theatre.[3]
From 1983 to 1990, he starred withNigel Havers andDinah Sheridan in the BBCsitcomDon't Wait Up, which became a highlight of his career.[4] His other sitcom appearances included...And Mother Makes Five,Father, Dear Father and as James Nicholls inRobin's Nest. Britton recorded many audiobook versions of novels byDick Francis.
In September 2013 SirJonathan Miller directed a Gala Performance ofWilliam Shakespeare'sKing Lear atthe Old Vic in London. Britton played the Earl of Gloucester.[5]
Britton and his first wife Ruth (née Hawkins), to whom he was married from 1948 until divorcing in 1961, had two children, scriptwriter Cherry Britton and TV presenterFern Britton.[2] Cherry was married to children's TV presenterBrian Cant. Fern was married toPhil Vickery until 2020.
In 1962, Britton married Danish sculptor andwartimeDanish resistance Eva Castle Britton (née Skytte Birkfeldt).[2][6] They had one son, actorJasper Britton.[2]
Britton lived inFiddington, Somerset, in his later years.[2] He died in theLondon Borough of Hillingdon on 22 December 2019, at the age of 95.[7][8][9]
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