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Howard Lew Lewis (21 August 1941 – 20 January 2018)^[1] (born Howard R. Lewis) was an English comedian and actor, best known for his roles in comedy series includingMaid Marian and Her Merry Men,Brush Strokes andChelmsford 123.

Lewis was born inLondon, England. His parents were both born in southern Wales (Tenby and Bridgend). As a young man, Lewis flat-shared withKen Morley (Reg Holdsworth ofCoronation Street) and Andy Carr, actor and screenwriter. His first job was with the Royal Air Force, where he was a computer operator. He worked for several years in computing and telecommunications, but when promoted to manager-level he decided instead to pursue acting as a career after being asked to fire a colleague whom he believed to be a good worker.^[2] He was married twice. His first marriage lasted just over a year. His second marriage was to Anna Goodall. They married in 1990 with Ken Morley as best man.^{[citation needed]}

One of his more notable roles was as Rabies, one of the Merry Men in theBBC children's television comedy seriesMaid Marian and Her Merry Men where he appeared in all 26 episodes. He also had a prominent part as the dim barman Elmo Putney in the BBC sitcomBrush Strokes between 1986-91.

Lewis also featured in "Now You See Them", a 1988 episode of the ITV anthology drama seriesDramarama.

He appeared in two other prominent historical comedy series - as Blag in theChannel 4 sitcomChelmsford 123 (1988) set during the Roman occupation of Britain in AD 123, and as assortedmedieval peasants, (including Piers and Mr Applebottom) inThe Black Adder (1983) and he had minor parts in twoRonnie Barker sitcoms -The Magnificent Evans (1984) andOpen All Hours (1985) - and the ITV comedy-dramaMinder (1984).

Lewis appeared in several films, again mostly in minor roles. Notable film appearances includedTerry Gilliam's 1985 filmBrazil, where he played one of the Black Maria guards, and as one of Robin Hood's followers in the 1991 filmRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves, playing a character named Hal.^[3]

He also appeared in the 1992Oscar-nominated semi-biographical filmChaplin, and was theEnglish language voice ofObelix in the 1994 film ofAsterix in America toCraig Charles'Asterix. In 2005, he played the part of Lillas Pastia, the innkeeper, in Bizet'sCarmen at theRoyal Albert Hall, London, and in 2007, played alongsideWarwick Davis in the filmSmall Town Folk.

In an interview with theScottish Mail on Sunday in late 2017, Lewis confirmed he had been diagnosed withdementia.^[4] His fellow actor and friendTony Robinson announced on Twitter on 22 January 2018 that Lewis had died on 20 January 2018.^[1]

On 28 January 2018, it was reported that police in Edinburgh were investigating the circumstances surrounding the actor's death after his step-daughter Debora Milazzo claimed he had been placed on a regime of high-dose sedatives and maximum-strength opiate painkillers, and had been needlessly placed on the kind of treatment plan that would be prescribed for the terminal phase of a malignant disease, explaining that her father had not received a terminal diagnosis. Police Scotland confirmed it was investigating the complaint.^[5]

• 1941 births
• 2018 deaths
• English male comedians
• English male film actors
• English male television actors
• Male actors from London
• Comedians from London

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