Richard Coleman (20 January 1930 – 16 December 2008) was a British film, television and stage actor."Richard Coleman". bfi.org.uk. Retrieved on 20 September 2018.
Early life Richard Coleman was born Ronald Coleman in Peckham, London in 1930. 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. He adopted the stage name Richard Coleman, to avoid confusion with the film star Ronald Colman. 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 Sailor Beware! starring Peggy Mount, which opened in The Strand Theatre in London's West End on Wednesday 16 February 1955 and ran for 1231 performances. He also appeared in The World of Suzie Wong, The Big Killing, A Murder is Announced, The Mousetrap and had three years from 1968-70 playing both Andrew Hunter and Robert Danvers in the London West End stage version of There's a Girl in My Soup. Later in his career Coleman became a theatre producer and, among other ventures, toured Canada in 1976 with a well-received production of "Absurd Person Singular", starring John Thaw."Richard Coleman: Actor who made his name in '... And Mother Makes". independent.co.uk. Retrieved on 20 September 2018.
A full list of the plays in which Coleman appeared is:
1955-58 Sailor, Beware! (Albert Tufnell, A.B.)
1959 Suzie Wong (Ben Jeffcoat)
1962 The Big Killing
1968-70 There's A Girl in My Soup (Andrew Hunter and Robert Danvers)
1975 How It Can Ruin Your Health
1975 Cheaper by the Dozen
1976 Absurd Person Singular (Tour of Canada)
1976 The Roaring Forties (George)
1977 The Chiltern Hundreds (Beecham)
1977 A Murder is Announced
1978 Suddenly At Home (Glenn Howard)
1979 An Ideal Husband (Sir Robert Chiltern)
1982 Public Relations
1982 In Praise of Love.
He also appeared in: Lady Windermere's Fan (Lord Windermere), Staircase (Charles Dyer), The Mousetrap, Two and Two Make Sex and Not Now Darling.
Television He played David Redway in the situation comedy ...And Mother Makes Three (1972-3), and its sequel ...And Mother Makes Five (1974-6), opposite Wendy Craig. Other television roles included Nick Allardyce in The Adventures of Ben Gunn (1958), Alan-a-Dale in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1958–60), and Jack Royston in the short lived Anglia Television soap opera Weavers Green (1966). Coleman also made guest appearances in television series such as Dixon of Dock Green, No Hiding Place, Emergency Ward 10, Sergeant Cork, Zero One, The Avengers, Z-Cars, Thriller (A Coffin for the Bride), Robin's Nest, Surgical Spirit, Champion House, "Letters From The Dead", Whodunnit? (Worth Dying For) (1975), and Virtual Murder. He was a panellist on "Whose Baby?" (1973) in all 13 episodes of the first series and all 14 episodes of the second series.
Film Coleman appeared in a number films including The Dam Busters (1955), Yangtse Incident (1957), Girls at Sea (1958), The Navy Lark (1959), Ben-Hur (1959), Hell is a City (1960), The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961), 80,000 Suspects (1963), Rotten to the Core (1965) Naked Evil (1966) and Who Dares Wins (1982). He also had a cameo role in the film 10 Rillington Place (1971) as the police constable who arrests the murderer John Christie.
Personal life Coleman was married to the actress Peggy Sinclair. They had two daughters. At the end of the 1980s they went to live in rural France, where he indulged his lifelong love of dogs, good food and fine wine. He died from cancer in France on 16 December 2008, aged 78.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1955 The Dam Busters RAF Officer Uncredited1957 Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst Lt. Cmdr. Skinner 1958 Girls at Sea Capt. Robert 'Bobby' Randall 1959 Ben-Hur Metellus Uncredited1959 The Navy Lark Lt. Bates R.N. Uncredited1960 Hell Is a City Detective in Station Uncredited1961 The Day the Earth Caught Fire Partner of Stenning's divorced wife Uncredited1963 80,000 Suspects Scott James Uncredited1965 Rotten to the Core Inspector Hewlett Uncredited1966 Naked Evil Inspector Hollis 1967 Countdown to Danger Captain Wright Children's Film Foundation1971 10 Rillington Place Police Constable #4 1972 Hide and Seek Police Sergeant Children's Film Foundation1981 The Comoedia Virgilio 1982 Who Dares Wins Mr. Martin
Television Year Title Role Notes 1958 The Adventures of Ben Gunn Nick Allardyce 5 episodes 1959-1960 The Adventures of Robin Hood Alan-a-Dale 4 episodes 1961 Plateau of Fear Ralph Morton 3 episodes 1963 Zero One Pilot Episode: "Hurricane" 1963 Comedy Playhouse Charles Pratt Episode: "On the Knocker" 1963-1964 Dixon of Dock Green Mr. Holdsworth / Mr. Dykes 2 episodes 1964 Compact Mike Fuller 3 episodes 1964-1965 No Hiding Place Detective Sergeant Anstey / Pat Jenkins 2 episodes 1964-1965 Marriage Lines Dr. Harrison 2 episodes 1964-1966 Redcap Corporal Geott / Corporal Edge 2 episodes 1965 The Man in Room 17 Jaraslav Brunewski Episode: "The Seat of Power" 1965 Theatre 625 1st Policeman Episode: "Yob and Nabob" 1966 The Avengers Squadron Leader Freddy Episode: "The Danger Makers" 1966 Weavers Green Jack Royston 7 episodes 1966 Sergeant Cork PC Portello Episode: "The Case of the Silent Policeman" 1967 Room at the Bottom Dillington 1 episode 1967 Emergency Ward 10 James Fellowes Episode: "There's None So Blind" 1967 ITV Playhouse Detective Inspector Sullivan Episode: "The Confession" 1967-1968 Champion House Kevin Flinders 2 episodes 1971 That's Your Funeral Horatio Episode: "A Touch of Violet" 1972-1973 ...And Mother Makes Three David Redway 13 episodes 1973 Z-Cars Corder Episode: "Defection" 1973 CBS Children's Film Festival Captain Wright Episode: "Countdown to Danger" 1974 Thriller Weston Episode: "A Coffin for the Bride" 1974 The Capone Investment Duncan Hall 4 episodes 1974-1976 ...And Mother Makes Five David Redway 26 episodes 1975 Whodunnit? Henry Johnson Episode: "Worth Dying For" 1977 George & Mildred Charles Newman Episode: "All Around the Clock" 1978 Wings Samuel Triggers Episode: "The Price" 1979 Robin's Nest Fanthorpe Episode: "Sorry Partner" 1981 Private Schulz Policeman 1 episode 1990 She-Wolf of London PC Leary Episode: "The Bogman of Letchmoor Heath" 1991 Surgical Spirit Charles Mackland Smith Episode: "Making News" 1992 Virtual Murder Chief Inspector Trusscott Episode: "A Bone to Pick"
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