Brian Glover (2 April 1934 – 24 July 1997) was an English actor and writer. He worked as a teacher and

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

before commencing an acting career which included films, many roles on British television and work on the stage. His film appearances include '' Kes'' (1969), '' An American Werewolf in London'' (1981) and '' Alien 3'' (1992). Described by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' as a "robust

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

" who played "gruff but likable roles", he had a "string of roles playing tough guys and criminals". He once said, "You play to your strengths in this game, and my strength is as a bald-headed, rough-looking Yorkshireman". Glover was also known as the voice of the

Tetley Tetley is an English beverage manufacturer founded in 1837 in Yorkshire. It is the largest tea company in the United Kingdom and Canada, and the second largest in the United States by volume. Since 2000, Tetley has been a wholly owned subsi ...

tea commercials. ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' described him upon his death as "one of Britain's best-loved actors".

Early life and wrestling career

Glover was born at the Women's Hospital,

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire ...

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...

and he lived in Sheffield until

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into ...

when his parents moved to Lundwood near

Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough ha ...

. His father, Charles Glover, was a wrestler, performing as "the Red Devil". He attended Barnsley Grammar School and the

University of Sheffield , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...

, where he supplemented his student grant with appearances as a professional wrestler, going under the ring name "Leon Arras the Man From Paris". He adopted that name from a wrestler who didn't turn up to a match one night, for whom Glover stood in. His wrestling style incorporated a lot of comedy, including the catchphrases "ask 'im, ref" and "'ow about that then". In 1954 he married his first wife Elaine Foster, and became a teacher at the same Barnsley school where he had been a pupil. He taught English and French from 1954 until 1970, some of it at Longcar Central School, Barnsley, where he met Barry Hines who was also teaching there. He managed to combine this with regular performances as "Leon Arras", whose appearances included bouts on '' World of Sport'', and in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

, Zurich and

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

Acting career

Glover's first acting job came playing Mr Sugden, the comically overbearing sports teacher in Ken Loach's film '' Kes'' (a job offered to him when Barry Hines, who wrote the film, suggested him to the director). Although untrained, Glover proved to be a skilled and flexible character actor, using techniques learnt during his wrestling career. His large bald head, stocky build, and distinctive voice, with his

Yorkshire accent The Yorkshire dialect (also known as Broad Yorkshire, Tyke, Yorkie or Yorkshire English) is a dialect of English, or continuum of dialects, spoken in the Yorkshire region of Northern England. The dialect has roots in Old English and is influen ...

, garnered him many roles as tough guys and criminals. He played Bottom in ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict a ...

'' (BBC TV, 1981) and had a recurring role in the classic sitcom ''

Porridge Porridge is a food made by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, (dried) fruit or syrup to make a sweet cereal, ...

'' as dim-witted prison inmate Cyril Heslop who, when accused of being illiterate, utters the memorable line "I read a book once! Green, it was." He played Quilp in '' The Old Curiosity Shop'', and lent his voice to a number of animated characters, including the "gaffer" of the "

Tetley Tea Folk The Tetley Tea Folk are animated characters used to advertise Tetley Tea from 1973 to 2001, and from 2010 to 2016. Tea Folk history The Canadian copywriter John McGill Lewis (1929–2009) of the advertising agency McCann Erickson originated ...

" in a long-running series of television advertisements for

tea, the voice behind the advertising slogan "Bread wi' nowt taken out" for

Allinson Allinson is a brand of bread and of flour made by Allied Bakeries being owned by Associated British Foods History Dr Thomas Allinson was born in the Hulme district of Manchester in 1858. He trained as a medical doctor in Edinburgh, graduating i ...

bread, and the voice of "Big Pig", the mascot for the long-running '' Now That's What I Call Music!'' album series, appearing on the TV adverts for '' Now 3'', '' Now 4'' and '' Now 5''. He also appeared in '' An American Werewolf in London'', '' The First Great Train Robbery'', '' Jabberwocky'', '' Alien 3'', '' Leon the Pig Farmer'' and as General Douglas in a Bollywood hit '' 1942: A Love Story''. He appeared seven times in ''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

'', in three of them as part of a recurring trio of Yorkshiremen: ''The Fishing Party'', ''Shakespeare or Bust'' and ''Three for the Fancy''. Glover's performance in ''Kes'' led to parts at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...

, London, notably in

Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Gordon Anderson (17 April 1923 – 30 August 1994) was a British feature-film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading-light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave. He is most widely remembered for ...

's '' The Changing Room'' (1971). A season with Britain's

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

followed, where his roles included Charles the wrestler (and, drawing on his wrestling experience, the fight arranger) in ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 h ...

'', and a robust Peter in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

''. For the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

he appeared in '' The Mysteries'' (as God, creating the world with the help of a real fork-lift truck), '' Saint Joan'' and ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

''. In the film '' Brannigan'' he claimed to have lost the only fight in his acting career, fighting

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

. His performance in ''The Mysteries'' secured additional work in the commercial theatre. ''

The Canterbury Tales ''The Canterbury Tales'' ( enm, Tales of Caunterbury) is a collection of twenty-four stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. It is widely regarded as Chaucer's '' magnum opus ...

'' ("Chaucer wi' nowt taken owt")( West End) was followed by a return to television and the ''

'' series, both as writer and performer and, in turn, more screen roles. Glover wrote a horror themed episode of ''Theatre Box'' called ''Death Angel'', which aired in 1981. He went on to play Lugg, the endearing rogue manservant to Albert Campion in the series '' Campion'', and the role of a crook, Griffiths, in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' story ''

Attack of the Cybermen ''Attack of the Cybermen'' is the first serial of the 22nd season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on 5 and 12 January 1985. It was credited to the pseudonymous autho ...

'' in 1985. He played Edouard Dindon in the original London cast of '' La Cage aux Folles''. In 1991 he starred in the second episode of '' Bottom'', in the episode " Gas", as the perpetually angry neighbour Mr Rottweiler. At the end of his life he acted in John Godber's

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

comedy ''

Up 'n' Under ''Up 'n' Under'' is a comedy by English playwright John Godber, first staged at the Hull Truck Theatre in 1984. It won The Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy that same year. The sequel, ''Up 'n' Under II'', followed in 1985. Plot It f ...

'' (1998). He was also the voice for the UNO Upholstery TV adverts in 1995 and 1996. Glover also wrote over 20 plays and short films. In 1982 he was a guest presenter in series six of '' Friday Night Saturday Morning'', a late-night BBC chat show. BrianGloverBrompton

Personal life

Glover was married twice, secondly to television producer Tara Prem, the daughter of TV actor Bakhshi Prem, on 2 October 1996. He had two children, one daughter from his first marriage and one son from his second marriage. In September 1996, Glover developed a

brain tumour A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and second ...

and underwent an operation for it. The tumour was removed and it appeared he had made a full recovery but it returned in the summer of 1997 and Glover died in his sleep in a London hospital on 24 July 1997. He was buried in Brompton Cemetery, London on 30 July 1997.

Film and television credits

* '' Kes'' (1969) as Mr Sugden * '' On the House'' (1971, TV series) as Bagley * ''

Paul Temple Paul Temple is a fictional character created by English writer Francis Durbridge. Temple is a professional author of crime fiction and an amateur private detective. With his wife Louise, affectionately known as 'Steve' in reference to her ...

'' (1971, TV series) as Waites * '' Joy'' (1972, TV movie) as Extra * ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Orig ...

'' (1972, soap opera) as Fred Henshaw * '' Sez Les'' (1972, TV series) * ''A Day Out'' (1972, TV movie) as Boothroyd * ''The Fishing Party'' (1972,

) as Art * ‘’

The Frighteners ''The Frighteners'' is a 1996 supernatural comedy horror film directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with Fran Walsh. The film stars Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace Stone, Jeffrey Combs, R. Lee Ermey an ...

’’ (1972),ep.4 ‘The Minder’ * '' Thirty-Minute Theatre'' (1973, TV series) as The Guard * '' Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'' (1973, sitcom) as Flint * ''

The Regiment The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...

'' (1973, TV series) as Sergeant Dyke * ''

O Lucky Man! ''O Lucky Man!'' is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Lindsay Anderson, and starring Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Ander ...

'' (1973) as Plantation foreman / Bassett (Power station guard) * '' The Protectors'' (1973, TV series) as Allen * ''Shakespeare or Bust'' (1973,

) as Art * ''You'll Never Walk Alone'' (1974, TV short) as Maurice Pouncey * ''

'' (1974,sitcom) as Heslop * '' Centre Play'' (1974, TV series) as Nobby * ''Three for the Fancy'' (1974,

) as Art * ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective Insp ...

'' (1975, TV series) as Moose * ''

Not On Your Nellie ''Not On Your Nellie'' is a British sitcom that ran from 1974 until 1975. It starred veteran actress Hylda Baker as Nellie Pickersgill, a Bolton woman who moves to London to help run her ailing father's Chelsea pub. Seventeen episodes of the ...

'' (1975, TV series) .... Battling Bill * '' Dixon of Dock Green'' (1975, TV series) ... Chuck Windell * '' Brannigan'' (1975) .... Jimmy-the-Bet * ''

Quiller Quiller is a fictional character created by English novelist Elleston Trevor. Quiller, whose one-word name is a pseudonym, works as a spy, and he is the hero of a series of 19 Cold War thrillers written under the pseudonym Adam Hall, and becam ...

'' (1975, TV series) .... Sergeant * '' Mister Quilp'' (1975) .... Furnaceman * ''

Trial by Combat Trial by combat (also wager of battle, trial by battle or judicial duel) was a method of Germanic law to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession in which two parties in dispute fought in single combat; the winner of the ...

'' (1976) .... Sidney Gore * ''

Sweeney! ''Sweeney!'' is a 1977 British action crime drama film and extension of the ITV television series ''The Sweeney'' which aired on ITV from 1975 to 1978. The film did well enough at the box office that a sequel, ''Sweeney 2'', was released in ci ...

'' (1977) .... Mac * ''

Joseph Andrews ''The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of his Friend Mr. Abraham Adams'', was the first full-length novel by the English author Henry Fielding to be published and among the early novels in the English language. Appearing in 1742 ...

'' (1977) .... Gaoler * '' Jabberwocky'' (1977) .... Armourer * '' Secret Army'' (1977, TV series) .... Corporal Emil Schnorr * '' The First Great Train Robbery'' (1978) .... Captain Jimmy * '' Absolution'' (1978) .... First Policeman * '' The Famous Five'' (1978) .... Tiger Dan, circus clown * '' Sounding Brass'' (1980, TV series) .... Horace Gilbert Beswick * '' Minder'' (1980, TV series) .... Yorkie * '' An American Werewolf in London'' (1981) .... Chess Player * ''

'' (1981, TV movie) .... Nick Bottom * '' Britannia Hospital'' (1982) .... Painter: The Workers * '' Red Monarch'' (1983, TV movie) ....

Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev st ...

* '' Ordeal by Innocence'' (1984) .... Executioner * '' The Company of Wolves'' (1984) .... Amorous Boy's Father * '' Last of the Summer Wine'' (1985, sitcom) .... Oggie Buttercluff * ''

'' (1985, serial: ''

'') .... Griffiths * ''

Lost Empires ''Lost Empires'' is a 1986 television miniseries adaptation of J. B. Priestley's 1965 novel of the same name and starred Colin Firth, John Castle and Laurence Olivier. Produced by Granada Television, it was shown as a serial, and premiered on ...

'' (1986, TV mini-series) .... Tommy Beamish * '' To Kill a Priest'' (1988) .... Judge * '' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1989, TV series) ... Mr Dawson * '' Campion'' (1989–1990, TV series) ....

Magersfontein Lugg Magersfontein Lugg is a fictional character in the Albert Campion detective novels, written by Margery Allingham. Servant and factotum to Mr Campion, Lugg is a former burglar, with a gruff manner, who hinders Campion socially as much as he helps ...

* '' Bottom'' (1991, TV series) .... Mr. Rottweiler * '' Kafka'' (1991) .... Castle Henchman * '' Alien 3'' (1992) .... Harold Andrews * '' Leon the Pig Farmer'' (1992) .... Brian Chadwick * ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...

'' (1993, TV series) .... Ken Farley * '' Prince of Jutland'' (1994) .... Caedman * '' Anna Lee'' (1994, TV series) .... Selwyn Price * '' 1942: A Love Story'' (1994) .... General Douglas * '' Rumble'' (1995) .... Johnny Pecs * ''Bob's Weekend'' (1996) .... The Boss * '' Snow White: A Tale of Terror'' (1997) .... Lars * ''

'' (1998) .... Jack, Doreen's father * '' Stiff Upper Lips'' (1998) .... Eric (final film role)

References

External links

*
BiographyBrian Glover at the National Portrait Gallery, London
{{DEFAULTSORT:Glover, Brian 1934 births 1997 deaths 20th-century English male actors Actors from Barnsley Alumni of the University of Sheffield Burials at Brompton Cemetery Deaths from brain cancer in England Neurological disease deaths in England English male film actors English male professional wrestlers English male television actors Male actors from Sheffield Male actors from Yorkshire Sportspeople from Sheffield