Michael John Attwell (16 January 1943 – 18 March 2006) was an English film and television actor. He is possibly best known for his role as Kenny Beale in the television soap opera EastEnders.
Career Michael Attwell was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, on 16 January 1943.
After training at RADA (studying Stage ManagementMichael Atwell – RADA), Attwell went into repertory theatre at Newcastle Playhouse. Among his theatrical appearances include playing Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (both at Haymarket Theatre).Obituaries: Michael Attwell, The Independent, 25 March 2006 (pg.41)
In 1979 and 1980, he played Razor Eddie a.k.a. Edward Winston Malone in two series of the comedy-drama Turtle's Progress. The character had originally been created for the ITV drama serial The Hanged Man, where he was played by Gareth Hunt.
In 1978, he played Bill Sikes in the revival of Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! at the Albery Theatre and in 1985 he played Bill Sikes again in the BBC's Sunday afternoon classic serial Oliver Twist.
His other TV credits include: Doctor Who (in the serials The Ice Warriors and Attack of the Cybermen), The First Churchills, Only Fools and Horses, Minder, Bergerac, C.A.T.S. Eyes, Wycliffe, Inspector Morse, Bugs, Silent Witness, Pie in the Sky, Casualty, The Bill, Hotel Babylon, and Are You Being Served?.
He appeared in the 1988 film Buster, based on the life of the Great Train Robber Buster Edwards.
To supplement his theatre income, Attwell produced cartoon strips for IPC and DC Thomson comics including Bunty, Buster, Whizzer and Chips and The Hotspur.Michael Attwell (Zoke) – University of Kent As well as acting, between 1981 and 1993 Attwell also had a considerable career as a political cartoonist for several British national newspapers including The Sun, The Sunday People and the News of the World. A self-taught artist, Attwell signed himself as Zoke, an amalgam of the names of his children Zoe and Jake.
In 2002 he played Kenneth in the West End run of Debbie Isitt's The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at The Ambassadors Theatre.
Death Attwell died in London on the 18 March 2006 aged 63 from complications following heart surgery. His life and work was honoured at the British Academy Television Awards in 2006.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1986LabyrinthGoblinVoice1988BusterHarry1994Tom & VivW.I. Janes2000CircusMagnus2000New Year's DaySergeant Bristow2001High Heels and Low LifesDuty SergeantCredited as Mike Attwell2001BodyworkDavid Leer
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1968Coronation StreetKeith4 episodes1968The Root of All Evil?RonEpisode: "You Can Only Buy Once"1969The First ChurchillsHenry St. John3 episodes1979–1980Turtle's ProgressRazor Eddie Malone13 episodes1981Seconds OutJulianEpisode: "Round 8"1982The Chinese DetectiveHarry FossEpisode: "Bounty Hunter"1982Only Fools and HorsesEnglishmanEpisode: "It Never Rains..."1983BloomfieldBruce BrutonEpisode: "The Art of Finding Edina"1983BergeracFrankEpisode: "Almost Like a Holiday"1983Paul Squire Esq.UnknownEpisode: #1.61983Jemima Shore InvestigatesDennis JonesEpisode: "Death à la Carte"1984MinderHarryEpisode: "A Number of Old Wives Tales"1967–1985Doctor WhoIce Warrior Bates6 episodes1985Up the Elephant and Round the CastleTonkaEpisode: "Wakey Wakey"1985HilarySam ChanceEpisode: #1.41985Are You Being Served?BurglarEpisode: "The Hold-Up"1985Roll Over BeethovenPC CrosbyEpisode: #1.111985Oliver TwistBill Sikes9 episodes1986King and CastleStimsonEpisode: "Rivals"1987C.A.T.S. EyesJack LeeEpisode: "Country Weekend"1987Never Say DieMr. Danvers3 episodes1987GentrySlatterTelevision film1988EastEndersKenny9 episodes1988The Tenth ManKroghTelevision film1989CrossbowHeadhunters' LeaderEpisode: "Headhunters"1990Inspector MorseParsonsEpisode: "The Infernal Serpent"1990The New Adventures of Black BeautyBarrett2 episodes1990The Paradise ClubJohnny IvoryEpisode: "The Rotherhithe Project"1991ScreenPlayOliver RowntreeEpisode: "Redemption"1991SinglesJeffEpisode: "Flash Back"1989–1991BoonArthur Mitchell John Milne2 episodes1993Then Churchill Said to MePvt. Norman Pain6 episodes1993WestbeachRay Cromer8 episodes1993London's BurningPhil2 episodes1993Scarlet and BlackMonsieur Valenod2 episodes1993Horse OperaJohnsonTelevision film1994Red EagleBazarov (as Mike Attwell)Television film1994Anna LeeCharlie McKinnon Robert ThurmanEpisode: "Stalker"1995HarryRogerEpisode: "Over the Hills"1995BugsAlan MooreEpisode: "Out of the Hive"1995JosephJudah (as Mike Attwell)2 episodes1996PoldarkGeorge WarlegganTelevision film1996Thief TakersAssistant Commissioner Weldon2 episodes1997Silent WitnessJosef Quayle2 episodes1997Screen OneKuzmenkoEpisode: "Hostile Waters"1997Pie in the SkyMichaelEpisode: "In the Smoke"1991–1997CasualtyDavid Reed Sam Jones2 episodes1997–1998WycliffeDCC Stevens10 episodes1999The Colour of JusticeWilliam James MelishTelevision film2000Monsignor RenardM. Dufosse3 episodes2000Border CafeEdwardian Clive8 episodes2000Hope and GloryGeoff WilsonEpisode: #3.22001My FamilyMr. SmithEpisode: "Get Cartier"1989–2002The BillVarious4 episodes2002Daniel DerondaRev. Gascoigne2 episodes2003DinotopiaHugo2 episodes2003Seven Wonders of the Industrial WorldWilliam HopeEpisode: "The Great Ship"2004The Last DetectiveBilly ClemensEpisode: "The Long Bank Holiday"2004Doc MartinAlan GibsonEpisode: "Of All the Harbours in All the Towns"2004Trial & RetributionBrian the Bouncer2 episodes2004HeartbeatBob AcottEpisode: "Buried Secrets"2006MissingMr. GreensideTelevision series2006Hotel BabylonDerek Crisp6 episodes2006Agatha Christie's MarpleArchie StoneEpisode: "The Sittaford Mystery"
References
External links
Michael Attwell at Theatricalia