Michael John Elphick (19 September 1946 – 7 September 2002) was an English film and television actor. He played the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series ''

Boon Boon may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Boon (game), a trick-taking card game * ''Boon'' (novel), a 1915 satirical work by H. G. Wells * ''Boon'' (TV series), a British television series starring Michael Elphick * The Ultimate Boo ...

'' and Harry Slater in BBC's ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

''. He was nominated for a

BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor Best Actor in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film. Actors of all n ...

for his performance in the 1983 film '' Gorky Park''. In his prime, Elphick always looked older than he was, and with his gruff Sussex accent and lip-curling sneer he often played menacing hard men. Elphick struggled with a highly publicised

addiction to alcohol Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...

; at the height of his problem he admitted to consuming two litres of spirits a day, which contributed to his death from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

in 2002.

Early life

Elphick grew up in

Chichester Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ...

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the Englis ...

, where his family had a butcher's shop. He was educated at Lancastrian Secondary Modern Boys School in Chichester, where he took part in several school productions including ''Noah'' and ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. He initially considered joining the Merchant Navy and helped out in his local boatyard during school holidays. It has been reported that he stumbled upon acting by chance when, at the age of 15, he took a job as an

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

electrician An electrician is a tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance ...

at the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

while it was being built. He gained an interest in acting whilst watching stars such as Laurence Olivier,

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elec ...

and Sybil Thorndike. Olivier advised Elphick to go to drama school and gave him two speeches to use at auditions. Elphick was offered a number of places but decided to train at the

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...

Swiss Cottage Swiss Cottage is an area of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden, England. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and includes Swiss Cottage tube station. Swiss Cottage lies north-northwest of Charing Cross. Th ...

(aged 18), because Olivier had attended there.

Career

After graduating from drama school Elphick was offered roles primarily as menacing heavies. He made his debut in ''Fraulein Doktor'' (an Italian-made

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

film circa 1968). He went on to play the Captain in

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film ''Tom Jones''. Early ...

's version of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (1969); landed parts in cult films such as ''

The First Great Train Robbery ''The First Great Train Robbery'' (known in the United States as ''The Great Train Robbery'') is a 1978 Irish heist comedy film directed by Michael Crichton, who also wrote the screenplay based on his 1975 novel '' The Great Train Robbery''. ...

'' and ''

The Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then we ...

'' and appeared 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 allegorical ''

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). He was also seen as

Phil Daniels Philip William Daniels (born 25 October 1958) is an English actor, musician and singer, most noted for film and television roles playing Londoners, such as the lead role of Jimmy Cooper in ''Quadrophenia'', Richards in '' Scum'', Stewart in '' T ...

' father in the cult film ''

Quadrophenia ''Quadrophenia'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the two previous being the "mini-opera" song "A Quick One, Whil ...

'' (1979), as Pasha in '' Gorky Park'' (1983) and as the poacher, Jake, in '' Withnail & I'' (1987). In 1984 he played the lead, Fisher, a British detective recalling under hypnosis a dystopian, crumbling Europe and his hunt for a serial killer in Lars von Trier's

Palme D'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

nominated debut film, '' The Element of Crime''. On stage, Elphick played Marcellus and the Player King in Tony Richardson's stage version of ''Hamlet'' at the Roundhouse Theatre and on Broadway and he later played Claudius to

Jonathan Pryce Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor who is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. In 2021 he was ...

's Hamlet 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 ...

, directed by

Richard Eyre Sir Richard Charles Hastings Eyre (born 28 March 1943) is an English film, theatre, television and opera director. Biography Eyre was born in Barnstaple, Devon, England, the son of Richard Galfridus Hastings Giles Eyre and his wife, Minna Mar ...

. In 1981 he appeared in the

Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voc ...

Barrie Keeffe __NOTOC__ Barrie Colin Keeffe (31 October 1945 – 10 December 2019) was an English dramatist and screenwriter. Best known for his screenplay for the gangster classic, '' The Long Good Friday'' (1980), starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren, Ke ...

musical '' Chorus Girls'' at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East and he was also seen in '' The Changing Room'', directed by Lindsay Anderson, at the Royal Court Theatre. His last West End stage appearance was in 1997 as Doolittle in '' Pygmalion'' directed by Ray Cooney at the

Albery Theatre Albery is a name. It may refer to: ;People by given name *Albery Allson Whitman (1851−1901), African American poet, minister and orator ;People by surname: *A. S. Albery, British politician *Bronson Albery (1881−1971), English theatre director ...

. However, it was for his television roles that Elphick became best known. He briefly appeared in '' Coronation Street'' (1974) as Douglas Wormold, son of the landlord Edward, who for many years owned most of the properties in the road. Douglas unsuccessfully tried to buy the newsagent shop The Kabin from

Len Fairclough Leonard Franklin "Len" Fairclough is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', portrayed by Peter Adamson between his introduction in 1961 and the character's axing in 1983. Storylines Len was from Liverp ...

. He played three characters in the popular Granada Television series '' Crown Court''—in 1973 as a defendant, in 1975 as a witness (Frank Hollins, private secretary to a female soprano in the episode ''Songbirds out of Tune''), and from 1975 to 1983 as the barrister Neville Griffiths Q.C.. He played one of the main roles in the film ''Black Island'' in 1978 for the Children's Film Foundation, played a villain in '' The Sweeney'' episode "One of Your Own" (1978) and played a policeman in '' The Professionals'' episode "Backtrack" (1979) and had a minor role in '' Hazell'' (1979), and appeared in the

Dennis Potter Dennis Christopher George Potter (17 May 1935 – 7 June 1994) was an English television dramatist, screenwriter and journalist. He is best known for his BBC television serials '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Singing Detective'' (198 ...

play '' Blue Remembered Hills'' (1979). Elphick took the title role in Jack Pulman's six part comedy-drama '' Private Schulz'' (1981). Here he played alongside

Ian Richardson Ian William Richardson (7 April 19349 February 2007) was a Scottish actor. He portrayed the Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's '' House of Cards'' (1990–1995) television trilogy. Richardson was also a leading S ...

the German forger Gerhard Schulz, who is conscripted into SS Counter Espionage 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 opposi ...

to destroy the British economy by flooding it with forged money. He appeared as the Irish labourer Magowan during the first series of ''

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' () is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven British construction workers who leave the United Kingdom to search for employment overseas. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in ...

'' (1983) and starred as Sidney Mundy in the ITV sitcom ''Pull the Other One'' (1984), before playing Sam Tyler in four series of '' Three Up, Two Down'' (1985–89). In 1986 Elphick landed his biggest television success, ''

'' (1986–92, 1995). He played Ken Boon, a retired fireman who opened a motorbike despatch business and later became a private investigator. Boon was very successful and ran for seven series, attracting audiences of 11 million at its peak. There was also a one-off episode screened in 1995, two years after it had been made. During breaks from Boon, Elphick continued to act in film with cameo roles in '' The Krays'' (1990) and '' Let Him Have It'' (1991), and in 1991 he played Des King in '' Buddy's Song'', starring

Chesney Hawkes Chesney Lee Hawkes (born 22 September 1971) is an English pop singer and occasional actor. He started his career at the age of 19 when he appeared in the film '' Buddy's Song'', which featured his best-known single " The One and Only", which to ...

and

Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include " My Generation", " Pinball Wizard", " Won't Get Fooled ...

. In 1993 Elphick took the role of a former Fleet Street journalist running a Darlington news agency in ''

Harry Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

'' (1993, 1995). He played the alcoholic and ruthless Harry Salter, who frequently used exploitation and underhand tactics to get a story. This series however was less successful and it was soon cancelled. Elphick went on to play

Billy Bones Billy Bones is a fictional character appearing in the first section of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel ''Treasure Island''.''Treasure Island.'' In The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English (2000).Stevenson, Robert Louis. 1883 994The Old Se ...

in Ken Russell's televised version of ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

'' (1995) and Barkis in ''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

'' (1999). In 2001 he joined the cast of ''

'', where he played Harry Slater, a romantic interest for

Peggy Mitchell Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared in the episode broadcast on 30 April 1991, featuring in 10 episodes. ...

(

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.

). The plotline indicated that Slater had sexually abused his niece,

Kat Slater Kathleen "Kat" Slater (also Moon) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She is also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the sec ...

(

Jessie Wallace Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Kat Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' since 2000. Her role as Kat won her the Natio ...

), at the age of 13 and her "sister" Zoe (

Michelle Ryan Michelle Claire Ryan (born 22 April 1984) is an English actress. She played Zoe Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2000–2005). In 2007, she starred in the short-lived American television series ''Bionic Woman''. She appeared as th ...

) was the daughter born to her when she became pregnant by him. Elphick's heavy drinking began to affect his performances, so the character promptly left the series and was killed off off-screen.

Personal life

Elphick met his long-term partner, schoolteacher Julia Alexander, in 1963 and remained with her until her death from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

in 1996. The couple had a daughter, Kate. For many years Elphick struggled with

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

. He made the first of many attempts to stop drinking in 1988. He sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous in the early 1990s, although he admitted he was still drinking in 1993. In 1996, he admitted that he had begun drinking heavily again and also contemplated suicide after the death of his partner of 33 years. However he rallied and returned to the stage in ''Loot''. The actor also confessed to having taken

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

and once, while high on drugs, grabbing a shotgun and chasing a gang of thugs after he had been carjacked near his villa in Portugal. During the late eighties and early nineties, he had a brief, but ultimately unsuccessful business interest in The White Swan public house at

Henley-in-Arden Henley-in-Arden (also known as simply Henley) is a town in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England. The name is a reference to the former Forest of Arden. Henley is known for its variety of historic buildings, some of which date ...

. Elphick was admitted to the Priory Hospital in

Roehampton Roehampton is an area in southwest London, in the Putney SW15 postal district, and takes up a far western strip running north to south of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It contains a number of large council house estates and is home to the U ...

, in an attempt to beat his addictions. Reports of his alcohol abuse persisted, however, and during his brief spell on ''EastEnders'' during 2001, it was reported that the BBC was considering dropping his character if his drinking was not curtailed.

Death

On 7 September 2002, Elphick died of a heart attack complicated by his drinking problem. He had collapsed at his home in Willesden Green, London, after complaining of pains. He was rushed to hospital where he died, aged 55, shortly before his 56th birthday. His funeral was held at Chichester

Crematorium A crematorium or crematory is a venue for the cremation of the dead. Modern crematoria contain at least one cremator (also known as a crematory, retort or cremation chamber), a purpose-built furnace. In some countries a crematorium can also b ...

Filmography

*'' Fraulein Doktor'' (1968) as Tom *''

Where's Jack? ''Where's Jack?'' is a 1969 British adventure film recounting the exploits of notorious 18th-century criminal Jack Sheppard and London "Thief-Taker General" Jonathan Wild. The film was produced by Stanley Baker through his company Oakhurst Pro ...

'' (1969) as Hogarth *''

'' (1969) as Captain *''

Parkin's Patch ''Parkin's Patch'' is a Yorkshire Television production that aired on ITV from 1969 to 1970. John Flanagan played PC Moss Parkin, a police constable in the North York Moors. The series was filmed in the North York Moors as well as certain sce ...

'' (1970) as Thomas *''The Best Things in Life'' (1970) as Jed Lucas *'' Cry of the Banshee'' (1970) as Burke *''

The Buttercup Chain ''The Buttercup Chain'' is a 1970 British drama film directed by Robert Ellis Miller and starring Hywel Bennett, Jane Asher, and Leigh Taylor-Young. It was entered into the 1970 Cannes Film Festival. The film is an adaptation of the 1967 novel ...

'' (1970) as The Driver *''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canad ...

'' (1971) as Robert Delmonds *'' The Misfit'' (1971, TV Series) as Mike Halloran *'' See No Evil'' (1971) as Gypsy Tom *''

Albert and Victoria ''Albert and Victoria'' is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1970 to 1971. Starring Alfred Marks, it was written by Reuben Ship. It was made for the ITV network by Yorkshire Television. In ''Albert and Victoria'', Marks plays Albert Ha ...

'' (1971) as Nigel Godfrey *''Adult Fun'' (1972) as Garage Manager *''Country Matters'' (1973) as Jack *'' Adam Smith'' (1973) as Ben Davies *''

'' (1973) as Bill *'' And Now the Screaming Starts!'' (1973) as Drunk (uncredited) *''

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

'' (1973, TV Series) as Peter Rodwell *'' Orson Welles Great Mysteries'' (1973) as Gorenflot *''Amchair Theatre'' (1973) as Chopper / Best Man *''

New Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London' ...

'' (1973) as Al Farmer *'' Crown Court'' (1973-1983, TV Series) as Simon Chase *''

'' (1974) as Joss Adrian *''

ITV Playhouse ''Playhouse'' is a British television anthology series that ran from 1967 to 1983, which featured contributions from playwrights such as Dennis Potter, Rhys Adrian and Alan Sharp. The series began in black and white, but was later shot in colour ...

'' (1974-1979, TV Series) as Norma's Friend / Barrister at Partyzs / Oscar / Jack *''The Nearly Man'' (1974) as Ron Hibbert *'' The Brothers'' (1974, TV Series) as Patrolman *'' Coronation Street'' (1974) as Douglas Wormold *'' Crown Court'' (1975–1983, TV Series) as Neville Griffiths QC / Frank Hollins *'' The Nearly Man'' (1975) as Ron Hibbert *'' Three Men in a Boat'' (1975) as 2nd Porter *'' Hadleigh'' (1976, TV Series) as Brian Ainsworth *''BBC2 Playhouse'' (1976) as Frank / Charlie / Eddie *''Holding On'' (1977) as Charlie Wheelright *''This Year Next Year'' (1977) as Jack Shaw *''

Last Summer ''Last Summer'' is a 1969 teen drama film about adolescent sexuality based on the 1968 novel of the same name by Evan Hunter. Director Frank Perry filmed at Fire Island locations. It stars Catherine Burns, Barbara Hershey, Bruce Davison and R ...

'' (1977) as Oscar *''ITV Sunday Night Drama'' (1977) as Himself *''Saturday, Sunday, Monday'' (1978) as Michel *'' Hazell'' (1978, TV Series) as Griffiths *''Send in the Girls'' (1978) as Jimmy *'' Play for Today'' (1978-1979, TV Series) as Thomas Venables/Peter *'' The Ghosts of Motley Hall'' (1978) as Captain Narcissus Bullock *''

The Odd Job ''The Odd Job'' is a 1978 British comedy film starring Monty Python member Graham Chapman. It tells the story of a man named Arthur Harris (Chapman) who is recently abandoned by his wife. He becomes so depressed that he hires an "odd job man" ...

'' (1978) as Raymonde *''

The One and Only Phyllis Dixey ''The One and Only Phyllis Dixey'' is a 1978 British television film directed by Michael Tuchner and starring Lesley-Anne Down, Michael Elphick and Patricia Hodge. Based on the career of the burlesque artist Phyllis Dixey, it was produced by Tha ...

'' (1978) as Wallace Parnell *'' The Sweeney'' (1978) as Jimmy Fleet *'' The Knowledge'' (1979) as Gordon Weller *''

'' (1979) as Burgess *''

'' (1979) as Jimmy's Father *'' The Professionals'' (1979, TV Series) as Sergeant Garbett *''The Quiz Kid'' (1979) as Jack *''Black Island'' (1979) as Jack Daker *''

Cribb ''Cribb'' (''Sergeant Cribb'' in North America) is a television police drama, which debuted in 1979 as a 90-minute TV film from Granada Television in the United Kingdom. Later, thirteen 50-minute episodes were produced, which ran from 1980 to ...

'' (1980) as Sol Herriott *''

'' (1980) as Night Porter *'' Shoestring'' (1980, TV Series) as Pete Johnson *''

Masada Masada ( he, מְצָדָה ', "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the D ...

'' (1981, TV Mini-series) as Vettius *'' Private Schulz'' (1981) as Gerhard Schulz *''Roger Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1981) as Stanley *''Tony'' (1981–1988, TV Series) as Johnny Magowan *'' Andy Robson'' (1982) as Jake Carnaby *''

Smiley's People ''Smiley's People'' is a spy novel by British writer John le Carré, published in 1979. Featuring British master-spy George Smiley, it is the third and final novel of the " Karla Trilogy", following ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' and ''The Hono ...

'' (1982, TV Mini-series) as Detective Chief Superintendent *''Bird Fancier'' (1983) as Darville *''Bloomfield'' (1983) as Billy Gibbs *''

Privates on Parade ''Privates on Parade: A Play with Songs in Two Acts'' is a 1977 farce by English playwright Peter Nichols (book and lyrics), with music by Denis King. Plot The play is set around the activities and exploits of the fictional Song and Dance Uni ...

'' (1983) as Sergeant Major Reg Drummond *'' Krull'' (1983) as Rhun (voice, uncredited) *''

Curse of the Pink Panther ''Curse of the Pink Panther'' is a 1983 comedy film and a continuation of ''The Pink Panther'' series of films created by Blake Edwards in the early 1960s. The film was one of two produced concurrently following the death of the series' star Pet ...

'' (1983) as Valencia Police Chief *'' Gorky Park'' (1983) as Pasha *''

'' (1983–84) as Magowan *'' Memed My Hawk'' (1984) as Jabbar *'' The Element of Crime'' (1984) as Fisher *''

Ordeal by Innocence ''Ordeal by Innocence'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 3 November 1958 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retaile ...

'' (1984) as Inspector Huish *''Pull the Other One'' (1984) as Sidney Mundy *''Arthur's Hallowed Ground'' (1984) as Len *''

Oxbridge Blues ''Oxbridge Blues'' is a 1984 British television series, produced and broadcast in the UK by the BBC. It is an anthology of seven approximately 75-minute television plays by Frederic Raphael, most of which focus on relationships of one kind or ano ...

'' (1984) as Curly Bonaventura *''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' (1984) as Dogberry *'' Three Up, Two Down'' (1985–89) as Sam Tyler *''

Super Gran ''Super Gran'' is a fictional series about a grandmother with super powers. Initially a series of books written by Forrest Wilson, a children's television show was adapted by Jenny McDade and produced by Tyne Tees Television for Children's ITV. ...

'' (1985) as Roly Roofless *'' Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil'' (1985) as Ernst Röhm *''Lake Starter'' (1985) as Jack Owen *''

Jenny's War ''Jenny's War'' is a 1985 war television serial set during World War II, made by HTV in association with Columbia Pictures Television. It is directed by and written by Steve Gethers. The screenplay is based on the novel with the same name of J ...

'' (1985) as Schumann *''Tony'' (1985) as Johnny Magowan *''

The Supergrass ''The Supergrass'' is a 1985 British comedy film directed by Peter Richardson, (who also plays a major role) who also wrote the screenplay with Pete Richens. The film stars Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith Allen, Nigel ...

'' (1985) as Constable Collins *''

'' (1986–1995, TV Series) as

Ken Boon Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in ...

*'' Pirates'' (1986) as Sentry *''

Valhalla In Norse mythology Valhalla (;) is the anglicised name for non, Valhǫll ("hall of the slain").Orchard (1997:171–172) It is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. Half of those who die in combat e ...

'' (1986) as Udgaardsloki (English version, voice) *''Fellows and Magowan'' (1987–91) as Johnny Magowan *'' Withnail & I'' (1987) as Jake *''

Little Dorrit ''Little Dorrit'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. The story features Amy Dorrit, youngest child of her family, born and raised in the Marshalsea prison for debtors in London. Arthur Cl ...

'' (1987) as Mr Merdle *''

Asterix and the Big Fight ''Asterix and the Big Fight'' is a French comic book, the seventh in the Asterix comic book series. It was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. Its original French title is ''Le Combat des chefs'' ("The Battle of the Chief ...

'' (1989) as Crysus (English version, voice) *'' The Krays'' (1990) as George in Prison (uncredited) *'' I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle'' (1990) as Inspector Cleaver *'' Buddy's Song'' (1991) as Des King *'' Let Him Have It'' (1991) as Prison Officer Jack *''

Stanley and the Women ''Stanley and the Women'' is a British television drama miniseries starring John Thaw, Samuel West, Geraldine James, Sheila Gish, Penny Downie and Sian Thomas. This series based on the 1984 novel of the same name by Kingsley Amis and adapted ...

'' (1991) as Bert Hutchinson *''The Ballad of Kid Divine: The Cockney Cowboy'' (1992) as Dr. Nathaniel Bonner *''

'' (1993–1995, TV Series) as Harry Salter *''

Murder Most Horrid ''Murder Most Horrid'' is a British black comedy anthology series starring Dawn French. It was broadcast on BBC Two for four series runs, in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999. Created by Paul Smith, who also co-created ''Colin's Sandwich'' (with Terry ...

'' (1994) as Bill Todd *'' Richard III'' (1995) as 2nd Murderer (uncredited) *''Treasure Island'' (1995) as

*'' Dangerfield'' (1997, TV Series) as Brian Taylor *'' The Fix'' (1997) as Peter Campling *''

'' (1999) as Barkis *''

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big ci ...

'' (2000, TV Mini-series) as Brickhill *''

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 ...

'' (2001) as George Stubbs *''

Baddiel's Syndrome ''Baddiel's Syndrome'' is a British television sitcom that originally aired on Sky One in 2001. It centered on a therapy-attending architect played by David Baddiel. Cast *David Baddiel as David *Morwenna Banks as Eva Starzia Schnorbitz Melitzsk ...

'' (2001) as Drugs tsar *''

'' (2001) as Harry Slater *''

Out of Bounds In sports, out of bounds (or out-of-bounds) refers to being outside the playing boundaries of the field. Due to the chaotic nature of play, it is normal in many sports for players and/or the ball to go out of bounds frequently during a game. T ...

'' (2003) as Lionel Stubbs (final film role)

References

External links

*
BBC tribute page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elphick, Michael 1946 births 2002 deaths Alcohol-related deaths in England Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama English male soap opera actors English male film actors English male stage actors People from Chichester