John Slade Nettleton (5 February 1929 – 12 July 2023) was an English actor. He played Sir Arnold Robinson, Cabinet Secretary in Yes Minister (1980–1984) and President of the Campaign for Freedom of Information in the follow-up Yes, Prime Minister (1985–1988). Another political role for Nettleton was as Conservative Party MP Sir Stephen Baxter in the sitcom The New Statesman.
Early life Nettleton was born in Sydenham, London, and graduated from RADA in 1951.
Career Nettleton played Sir Arnold Robinson, Cabinet Secretary in Yes Minister (1980–1984) and President of the Campaign for Freedom of Information in the follow-up Yes, Prime Minister (1985–1988). He also played a Conservative Party Member of Parliament (Sir Stephen Baxter) in the sitcom The New Statesman.
Nettleton's other television roles included a Ministry of Defence department chief in The Avengers (episode "The See-Through Man", 1967), a police sergeant in Please Sir! (1969), Alfred Booker in The Champions (episode "Full Circle", 1969), Froggett in the office comedy series If It Moves File It (1970), Francis Bacon in Elizabeth R (1971), a Detective Superintendent in Doctor at Large in 1971, George Pattinson in a now lost episode ("The Uninvited") of Out of the Unknown (also in 1971), as Arthur Bellamy, brother to Viscount Bellamy, in Upstairs, Downstairs (1972), The Country Wife (1977), Brideshead Revisited (1981), The Flame Trees of Thika (1981), The Citadel (1983), Martin Luther, Heretic (1983), Brass (1983), East of Ipswich (1987), Major Membury in A Perfect Spy (1987), Reverend Ernest Matthews in the Doctor Who serial Ghost Light (1989), Longitude (2000), Midsomer Murders (2005) and Kingdom (2008). In the 1960s and 1970s, Nettleton was the reader of various illustrated stories on children's television programme Blue Peter. Often these were about historical figures, such as Florence Nightingale.
On stage, Nettleton appeared in the Lyttelton Theatre at the Royal National Theatre in the 2006 productions of Harley Granville-Barker's The Voysey Inheritance, directed by Peter Gill. He also appeared at the Olivier Theatre in the 1990 production of Alan Bennett's Wind in the Willows, directed by Nicholas Hytner. He also voiced Grandpa in the PC video game The Scruffs.
Personal life and death Nettleton married actress Deirdre Doone in 1954. They had three daughters. Nettleton and Doone were members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. He died on 12 July 2023, aged 94.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1966 A Man for All Seasons Jailer 1969 The Last Shot You Hear Det. Inspector Nash 1970 Some Will, Some Won't Wagstaff And Soon the Darkness Gendarme 1971 Black Beauty Sir William 1975 All Creatures Great and Small Head Waiter 1982 Anyone for Denis? Jenkins 1983 Martin Luther, Heretic Andreas Karlstadt Television film 1988 Burning Secret Doctor Weiss 1991 American Friends Rev. Groves 1998 Jinnah General Gracie 2005 Oliver Twist 1st Magistrate 2007 Fishtales Professor Coulter
References
External links
John Nettleton(Aveleyman)(Wayback Machine)