John Le Mesurier (born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 1912 – 15 November 1983) was an English actor who performed in many mediums of light entertainment, including film, radio and theatre. Le Mesurier's career spanned from 1934 until his death in 1983. He is best remembered for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC situation comedy Dad's Army, between 1968 and 1977.

Le Mesurier made his professional stage debut in September 1934 in Dangerous Corner at the Palladium Theatre in Edinburgh under his birth name, and appeared on television for the first time four years later as Seigneur de Miolans in the BBC Television broadcast of "The Marvellous History of St Bernard". The broadcast was adapted from a 15th-century manuscript by Henri Ghéon. After wartime service as a captain in the Royal Tank Regiment, Le Mesurier returned to acting and made his radio debut on the BBC Home Service in a March 1947 broadcast of Escape or Die. He continued working in television roles throughout his career, but it was his portrayal in the BBC television play Traitor, of a character loosely based on Kim Philby, which earned him the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1972.

In 1948, Le Mesurier worked on his first film, Death in the Hand, a mystery in which he played the character Jack Mottram. He went on to appear in over 100 films, including Private's Progress (1955), I'm All Right Jack (1959), The Punch and Judy Man (1962), Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1959), The Pink Panther (1963), Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965), and The Italian Job (1969). He always appeared in supporting roles.

Le Mesurier took a relaxed approach to acting, saying: "I'm a jobbing actor ... as long as they pay me I couldn't care less if my name is billed above or below the title". He was known for playing "an indispensable figure in the gallery of second-rank players which were the glory of the British film industry in its more prolific days". Le Mesurier died in November 1983 from a stomach haemorrhage; his last words before slipping into a coma were: "It's all been rather lovely." The Guardian noted that Le Mesurier gave the impression of an "inimitable brand of bewildered persistence under fire which [he] made his own", while Philip Oakes considered that Le Mesurier single-handedly "made more films watchable, even absorbing than anyone else around".

Selected stage credits

+ Selected stage credits of John Le Mesurier Production Date Theatre Role Notes Dangerous Corner Palladium Theatre, Edinburgh Billed as John Halliley Philip Mason Billed as John Halliley Leonard Billed as John Halliley She Stoops to Conquer Sir Charles Marlow Billed as John Halliley Billed as John Halliley Grumpy Ernest Heron Billed as John Halliley Colonel MacHashit Billed as John Halliley Billed as John Halliley While Parents Sleep Billed as John Halliley Dangerous Corner Cavalcade Up in Mabel's Room Coliseum Theatre, Oldham Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Sheffield Repertory Company Twelfth Night Malvolio Peace in Our Time Croydon Repertory Theatre Mr Platt Dusty Ermine Bees on the Boat Deck Ah! Wilderness Lewis Dodd Charley's Aunt Love on the Dole Payment Deferred Theatre Royal, Glasgow Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh Theatre Royal, Glasgow Petticoat Influence Theatre Royal, Glasgow Husband to a Famous Woman Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh Theatre Royal, Glasgow Three Sisters Konstantin with the Howard and Wyndham Players Tovarich Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh Prince Mikail Private Lives Elyot Chase Gaslight  – May 1939 Apollo Theatre, London (understudy) Finsbury Park Empire, London Mr Manningham  – June 1939 Savoy Theatre, London Chiswick Empire, London Chelsea Palace Theatre, London Grand Theatre, Blackpool Prince's Theatre, Manchester Goodness, How Sad  – December 1939 On tour Journey's End Palace Court Theatre French Without Tears  – February 1940 Grand Theatre, Blackpool Brixton Theatre, London Mystery at Greenfingers French Without Tears ENSA Just William New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham Uncle Noel Empire Theatre, Chatham  – November 1947 Princes Theatre, London New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham Love in Idleness Playbill Queen of Hearts  – January 1950 Traveller's Joy New Theatre, Bromley Angry Dust New Torch Theatre, London Doctor  – December 1952 New Theatre, London Governor of Norwich Gaol Piccolo  – August 1953 Connaught Theatre with Worthing rep. The New Watergate, London Here Comes April Connaught Theatre Twenty Minutes South Players' Theatre, London  – October 1955 St Martin's Theatre, London Coroner's Verdict Richmond Theatre London Malice Domestic New Lindsey Theatre Dr. James Gully Army Benevolent Fund Gala Victoria Palace Theatre, London Lyceum Theatre, London Homage to T. S. Eliot London Fringe Theatre Poetry Reading Little Medway Theatre, Kent Royal Albert Hall, London Dad's Army Forum Theatre, Billingham Sergeant Arthur Wilson  – February 1976 Shaftesbury Theatre, London  – August 1976 On tour One of Us Aldwych Theatre, London Salisbury, Rhodesia In Concert New Fair Oak Theatre, Rogate Bedroom Farce  – March 1979 Hilton Playhouse, Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur Hay Fever  – 31 May 1980 Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith David Bliss  – September 1980 Provincial tour Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guilford  – October 1981 Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon October 1981 Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

Television