George Anthony Haygarth (4 February 1945 – 10 March 2017) was an English television, film and theatre actor.

Life and career

After leaving Marlborough College, Liverpool, Haygarth worked unsuccessfully in 1963 as a

lifeguard A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and CPR/ AED first a ...

Torquay Torquay ( ) is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies south of the county town of Exeter and east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton ...

, and also tried

escapology Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps. Escapologists (also classified as escape artists) escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, cages, coffins, steel boxes, barrels, bags, burning buildings, fish-tanks, and ot ...

, equally unsuccessfully. Other jobs included psychiatric nursing and he was an amateur actor before turning professional and appearing in repertory theatre, followed by the

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 ...

and the National Theatre. Haygarth played a milkman in ''

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads ''Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'' is a British sitcom which was broadcast on BBC1 between 9 January 1973 and 9 April 1974. It was the colour sequel to the mid-1960s hit ''The Likely Lads''. It was created and written, as was its predec ...

'' and made his film debut in the comedy film ''

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into use ...

'' (1971), from then on playing many roles in police and historical dramas, as well as

situation comedies A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new ...

. He was normally cast as a solid, reliable character with a down-to-earth attitude. From 1977 to 1981 he played PC Wilmot in

Roy Clarke Royston Clarke Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 28 January 1930), usually known as Roy Clarke, is an English comedy writer best known for creating the sitcoms ''Last of the Summer Wine'', ''Keeping Up Appearances'', ''Open All Hours'' a ...

's series '' Rosie''. He played Milo Renfield in ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'' (1979) opposite

Frank Langella Frank A. Langella Jr. (; born January 1, 1938) is an American stage and film actor. He has won four Tony Awards: two for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance as Richard Nixon in Peter Morgan's '' Frost/Nixon'' and as André in Flori ...

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...

and

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

. Haygarth played the title role in ''

Kinvig ''Kinvig'' is a 1981 sci-fi comedy television series made by London Weekend Television which ran for one series of seven episodes. It was the only sit-com written by Nigel Kneale who was more famous for creating serious science fiction dramas su ...

'' (1981), a science-fiction comedy series produced by

London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 unt ...

, ''

Boys from the Blackstuff ''Boys from the Blackstuff'' is a British drama television series of five episodes, originally transmitted from 10 October to 7 November 1982 on BBC2. The serial was written by Liverpudlian playwright Alan Bleasdale, as a sequel to a televisio ...

'' (1982) as a docker, '' Shoestring'', series 1 episode 1, the swindling but loveable Sanchez in ''

Farrington of the F.O. {{infobox television , runtime = 30 minutes , creator = Dick Sharples , starring = Angela Thorne Joan Sims John Quayle Tony Haygarth Freddie Earlle Judy Cornwell , director = Ronnie Baxter Don Clayton , composer = Alan ParkerAl ...

'' (1986–87) and in 2005 appeared in the television adaptation of ''

Under the Greenwood Tree ''Under the Greenwood Tree: A Rural Painting of the Dutch School'' is a novel by the English writer Thomas Hardy, published anonymously in 1872. It was Hardy's second published novel, and the first of what was to become his series of Wessex n ...

''. He also played leading character Vic Snow in the ITV series '' Where the Heart Is'' from 1997 to 2002. Haygarth's work in theatre included '' The Tempest'' and ''

Twelve Angry Men ''Twelve Angry Men'' is an American courtroom drama written by Reginald Rose concerning the jury of a homicide trial. It was broadcast initially as a television play in 1954. The following year it was adapted for the stage. It was adapted for a 1 ...

'' in 1996, for both of which he was nominated for

Laurence Olivier Theatre Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

s for Best Actor in a Supporting Role; he was also the author of several plays. He won the

Clarence Derwent Award The Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the Actors' Equity Association on Broadway in the United States and by Equity, the performers' union, in the West End in the United Kingdom. Clarence Derwent (23 March 1884 – 6 Aug ...

for ''Simpatico'' (1995). His first play, ''The Lie'', dealt with the death of Shakespeare's rival

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (; baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights. Based upon the ...

. In 1995 he appeared in ''

Our Friends In The North ''Our Friends in the North'' is a British television drama serial produced by the BBC. It was originally broadcast in nine episodes on BBC2 in early 1996. Written by Peter Flannery, it tells the story of four friends from Newcastle upon Tyne ...

'' as Roy Johnson, a police officer attempting to uncover police corruption. He also appeared in ''

Inspector Morse Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series '' Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...

'' ("Daughters of Cain") as Ted Brooks, as well as two episodes of '' Sharpe'' ('' Sharpe’s Enemy'' and ''

Sharpe's Justice ''Sharpe's Justice'' is a British television drama, the 13th of a series that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. Unlike most of the other instalments of the series, this episode was n ...

''). His films included ''

Chicken Run ''Chicken Run'' is a 2000 stop-motion animated comedy film produced by Pathé and Aardman Animations in partnership with DreamWorks Animation. Aardman’s first feature-length film and DreamWorks Animation's fourth film, it was directed by Pe ...

'' and ''

Fakers ''Fakers'' is a 2004 United Kingdom, British film directed by Richard Janes and starring Matthew Rhys as con-man with a big debt to pay off to wanna-be crime lord Art Malik. It was produced by Richard Janes Claire Bee and Todd Kleparski, three g ...

''. In 2008 he played Alfred Doolittle in

The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit organization, not-for-profit producing house, producing theatre in Waterloo, London, Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Th ...

's production of ''

Pygmalion Pygmalion or Pigmalion may refer to: Mythology * Pygmalion (mythology), a sculptor who fell in love with his statue Stage * ''Pigmalion'' (opera), a 1745 opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Pygmalion'' (Rousseau), a 1762 melodrama by Jean-Jacques ...

''. In November 2008 he joined the cast of ''

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, '' ...

'' as Mick Naylor. In 2010 he appeared in the London production of '' Little Voice'', as Mr Boo. He appeared in the role of Peter Cooper in an episode of ''

New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the ...

'' (BBC1) (Series 8: 10 - Tiger Tiger) first shown 5 September 2011.

Other interests

Haygarth was also a scholar of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's Dark Lady, an unidentified character in the

Sonnet A sonnet is a poetic form that originated in the poetry composed at the Court of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the Sicilian city of Palermo. The 13th-century poet and notary Giacomo da Lentini is credited with the sonnet's invention, ...

s. He analysed a

Nicholas Hilliard Nicholas Hilliard () was an English goldsmith and limner best known for his portrait miniatures of members of the courts of Elizabeth I and James I of England. He mostly painted small oval miniatures, but also some larger cabinet miniatures, ...

portrait A portrait is a portrait painting, painting, portrait photography, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, Personality type ...

, ''Mistress Holland'', concluding that it was in fact of

Emilia Lanier Emilia Lanier (also Aemilia or Amelia Lanyer, 1569–1645), ''née'' Aemilia Bassano, was an English poet and the first woman in England to assert herself as a professional poet, through her volume ''Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum'' (''Hail, God, King ...

, a candidate for the identity of ''The Dark Lady''. His play ''Dark Meaning Mouse'' features Emilia, Shakespeare and

Simon Forman Simon Forman (31 December 1552 – 5 or 12 September 1611) was an Elizabethan astrologer, occultist and herbalist active in London during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and James I of England. His reputation, however, was severely tarnishe ...

Death and family

Haygarth died from the complications of

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

on 10 March 2017 at his home in

Royal Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. At the time of his death, he was divorced from Carole Winter with whom he had two daughters, Katie and Becky.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1971) - Purdey * '' Unman, Wittering and Zigo'' (1971) - Cary Farthingale * ''

The Love Ban ''The Love Ban'' is a 1973 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Hywel Bennett, Nanette Newman and Milo O'Shea. It was based on a play by Kevin Laffan. It is also known under the alternative titles of ''It's a 2'6" Above th ...

'' (1973) - Policeman #2 * ''

Last of the Summer Wine ''Last of the Summer Wine'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke and originally broadcast by the BBC from 1973 to 2010. It premiered as an episode of ''Comedy Playhouse'' on 4 January 1973, and the first series of episodes foll ...

'' (1973) - Chip Simmonite * ''

I, Claudius ''I, Claudius'' is a historical novel by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934. Written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, it tells the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the early years of the Roma ...

'' (1976, TV Mini-Series) - Claudius' Slave * ''Rachel and the Beelzebub Bombardiers'' (1977) - Reformed drunkard * ''

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

'' (1978, TV Mini-Series) - Heinz Muller * ''

Let's Get Laid ''Let's Get Laid'' is a 1978 British comedy film directed by James Kenelm Clarke and starring Robin Askwith, Fiona Richmond and Anthony Steel. The screenplay concerns a man, Gordon Laid, who returns to London after being demobbed at the end of ...

'' (1978) - Sgt. Costello * ''

'' (1979) - Milo Renfield * '' S.O.S. Titanic'' (1979, TV movie) - Engineer Officer (uncredited) * '' The Human Factor'' (1979) - Buffy * '' McVicar'' (1980) - Rabies Pendel * ''Outside In'' (1981) * ''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting st ...

'' (1982, TV Movie) - Friar Tuck * ''Two Gentlemen of Verona'' (1983, TV Movie) - Launce * ''

Britannia Hospital ''Britannia Hospital'' is a 1982 British black comedy film, directed by Lindsay Anderson, which targets the National Health Service and contemporary British society. It was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival and Fantasporto. ''Britan ...

'' (1982) - Fraser: The Workers * ''

A Private Function ''A Private Function'' is a 1984 British comedy film starring Michael Palin and Maggie Smith. The film was predominantly filmed in Ilkley, and Ben Rhydding in West Yorkshire. The film was also screened in the section of Un Certain Regard at the ...

'' (1984) - Sutcliff * '' The Bride'' (1985) - Tavern Keeper * ''

Dreamchild ''Dreamchild'' is a 1985 British drama film written by Dennis Potter, directed by Gavin Millar, and produced by Rick McCallum and Kenith Trodd. The film, starring Coral Browne, Ian Holm, Peter Gallagher, Nicola Cowper and Amelia Shankley, is ...

'' (1985) - Mad Hatter (voice) * ''

Clockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...

'' (1986) - Ivan with the Tractor * '' A Month in the Country'' (1987) - Douthwaite * ''

Hardwicke House ''Hardwicke House'' is a seven-episode sitcom produced by Central Independent Television for the ITV network. It was originally produced in the beginning of 1987. It was so negatively received that only the first two episodes were transmitted. ...

'' (1987 TV series originally cancelled after first two episodes aired, remaining five uploaded to

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

in 2019) - Mr Savage * ''The Most Dangerous Man in the World'' (1988) - Yildirim * '' The Dressmaker'' (1988) - Mr. Manders * ''

Tree of Hands ''Tree of Hands'' (released in the US as ''Innocent Victim'') is a 1989 British psychological drama film directed by Giles Foster and starring Helen Shaver, Lauren Bacall, Malcolm Stoddard and Peter Firth. It is based on the 1984 novel ''The ...

'' (1989) - Kostas * '' London Kills Me'' (1991) - Burns * ''

Between The Lines (TV series) ''Between the Lines'' is a television police drama series created by J. C. Wilsher and produced by World Productions for the BBC. It was first shown on BBC1 between 1992 and 1994, running for three series. The show centred on the eventful l ...

'' (1992) - Colin Keogh * ''

The Trial ''The Trial'' (german: Der Process, link=no, previously , and ) is a novel written by Franz Kafka in 1914 and 1915 and published posthumously on 26 April 1925. One of his best known works, it tells the story of Josef K., a man arrested and p ...

'' (1993) - Willem * ''

Prince of Jutland ''Prince of Jutland'', also known as ''Royal Deceit'' and ''Thrones & Empires'', is a 1994 drama adventure film co-written and directed by Gabriel Axel and starring Christian Bale, Gabriel Byrne, Helen Mirren, and Kate Beckinsale. It is an adapt ...

'' (1994) - Ragnar * ''

Sharpe (TV Series) ''Sharpe'' is a British television drama series starring Sean Bean as Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars, with Irish actor Daragh O'Malley playing his second in command Patrick Harper. Sharpe and Harper are the ...

'' (1994) - Pot Au Feu * '' Swept from the Sea'' (1997) - Mr. Smith * ''

The Woodlanders ''The Woodlanders'' is a novel by Thomas Hardy. It was serialised from May 1886 to April 1887 in ''Macmillan's Magazine'' and published in three volumes in 1887. It is one of his series of Wessex novels. Plot summary The story takes place in ...

'' (1997) - Mr. Melbury * ''

'' (2000) - Mr. Tweedy (voice) * ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...

'' ("Destroying Angel") (2001) - Tyson * ''

'' (2004) - Phil Norris * ''

Ghostboat ''Ghostboat'' is a 2006 British television film, based on a novel by George E. Simpson and Neal R. Burger. The film features David Jason as its star. It is a fantasy tale of HMS Scorpion, His Majesty's Submarine ''Scorpion'' vanishing during th ...

'' (2006, TV Movie) - Cassidy * ''

'' ("King’s Crystal") (2007) - Jack Tewson * ''

'' ("Tiger Tiger") (2011) - Peter Cooper * ''

'' ("A Rare Bird") (2012) - George Napier

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Haygarth, Tony 1945 births 2017 deaths English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from Liverpool Shakespearean scholars English male Shakespearean actors Deaths from dementia in England Deaths from Alzheimer's disease