Jack Watson (15 May 1915 – 4 July 1999) was an English
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
who appeared in many British films and television dramas from the 1950s onwards.
Early life
Watson was born in
Thorney,
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
. He was the son of a
Gaiety Girl
Gaiety Girls were the chorus girls in Edwardian musical comedies, beginning in the 1890s at the Gaiety Theatre, London, in the shows produced by George Edwardes. The popularity of this genre of musical theatre depended, in part, on the beautifu ...
, Barbara Hughes, and a
music hall
Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
comedian,
Nosmo King. Watson often appeared on stage with his father as straight man, where he was known simply as Hubert.
Military service
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
he was a
physical training instructor
Physical training instructor (PTI) is a term used primarily in the British Armed Forces and British police, as well as some other Commonwealth countries, for an instructor in physical fitness.
United Kingdom
In the British Army, specialist Phys ...
in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
, and his physique was much in evidence in many of his subsequent screen roles.
Career
During the war Watson was resident compère of the BBC radio comedy ''The Navy Mixture''. After the war, his talent as an impersonator resulted in his becoming a regular on
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
''. He gradually made the transition to television, where his first major role was in ''
) first lover. Watson appeared in Coronation Street as Bill Gregory on and off between 1961 and 1984 ; his final episode in 1984 was also the final episode for Pat Phoenix who played his love interest Elsie Tanner in the series. He appeared as a powerful but shell-shocked ex-soldier in ''
'', in an episode entitled "Not qualified" which formed part of the 8th series of the popular British programme. Probably his best-known television role was as
''. His last major TV role was in the award-winning ''
''.