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Paul Darrow (born Paul Valentine Birkby; 2 May 1941 – 3 June 2019) was an English actor. He became best known for playing
Kerr Avon This is a list of characters from ''Blake's 7'', a media franchise created by Terry Nation. Kerr Avon Kerr Avon is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series ''Blake's 7'', played by Paul Darrow (who was recrea ...
in the
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. ...
...
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
television series ''
Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ...
'' between 1978 and 1981. His many television roles included two appearances in another BBC science fiction series, '' Doctor Who'', playing Captain Hawkins in '' Doctor Who and the Silurians'' (1970) and Tekker in ''
Timelash ''Timelash'' is the fifth serial of the 22nd season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on BBC1 on 9 and 16 March 1985. In the serial, the Borad ( Robert Ashby), the m ...
'' (1985). He was also the voice of "Jack" on independent radio stations JACKfm and
Union JACK The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
, whose lines included dry-witted comments pertaining to current events.


Early years

Darrow was born Paul Valentine Birkby in
Chessington Chessington is an area in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames within Greater London. Historically part of Surrey, today it is the largest salient of Greater London into that county. At the 2011 census it had a population of 18,973. The ...
, Surrey, on 2 May 1941. He received his formal education at
Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School Haberdashers' Boys' School (also known as Haberdashers', Habs, or Habs Boys), until September 2021 known as Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, is a Independent school (United Kingdom), public school for pupils age 4 to 18 in Elstree, Hertfo ...
, before studying at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...
. While at RADA, he shared a flat with fellow actors
John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in t ...
and
Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor, producer and director. He is known for his television performances, particularly as the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (20 ...
.


Career

Darrow worked extensively in
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
and television. His television appearances include: ''
Emergency – Ward 10 ''Emergency Ward 10'' is a British medical soap opera series shown on ITV between 1957 and 1967. Like ''The Grove Family'', a series shown by the BBC between 1954 and 1957, ''Emergency Ward 10'' is considered to be one of British television's ...
'', '' The Saint'', ''
Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debut ...
'', ''
Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...
'', ''
Within These Walls ''Within These Walls'' is a British television drama programme made by London Weekend Television for ITV and shown between 1974 and 1978. It portrayed life in HMP Stone Park, a fictional women's prison. Unlike later women-in-prison TV series, ...
'', as the
Sheriff of Nottingham The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, ...
in the 1975 BBC series '' The Legend of Robin Hood'', as Mr. Tallboy in the 1973 adaptation of
Dorothy L. Sayers Dorothy Leigh Sayers (; 13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an English crime writer and poet. She was also a student of classical and modern languages. She is best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between th ...
' ''
Murder Must Advertise ''Murder Must Advertise'' is a 1933 mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, the eighth in her series featuring Lord Peter Wimsey. Most of the action of the novel takes place in an advertising agency, a setting with which Sayers was familiar as s ...
'', as Thomas Doughty in the television film ''
Drake's Venture ''Drake's Venture'' is a 1980 film depiction of Francis Drake's voyage of Francis Drake's Circumnavigation, circumnavigation. Produced by Westward Television to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the event, it nevertheless focuses on the voyag ...
'', ''
Dombey and Son ''Dombey and Son'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens. It follows the fortunes of a shipping firm owner, who is frustrated at the lack of a son to follow him in his footsteps; he initially rejects his daughter's love before eventual ...
'', '' Maelstrom'', '' Making News'', ''
Pie in the Sky Pie in the sky, an idiom meaning an impossible or unlikely idea or plan as well as an empty wish or promise. Pie in the sky may refer to: * ''Pie in the Sky'' (TV series), a UK television series about a police officer turned restaurateur * ''Pie ...
'', ''
Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera '' Brookside''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on sister channel E4 a ...
'', '' Toast of London'' and '' Little Britain''. He provided the voiceover for Biblical quotations in Richard Dawkins's ''
The Root of All Evil? ''The Root of All Evil?'', later retitled ''The God Delusion'', is a television documentary written and presented by Richard Dawkins in which he argues that humanity would be better off without religion or belief in God. The documentary was ...
''. He had a one-off appearance in the 1990 series of ''
Cluedo ''Cluedo'' (), known as ''Clue'' in North America, is a murder mystery game for three to six players (depending on editions) that was devised in 1943 by British board game designer Anthony E. Pratt. The game was first manufactured by Waddin ...
'' but did not play the murder victim. He was also the presenter of the BBC3 reality series ''Hercules'' (2004). Darrow appeared as the character Avon, for which he was best known, in all but the first episode of ''
Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ...
''. Proud of his work on that series, Darrow acted as its most prolific spokesman, both in the UK and the US, during the late 1980s. In the mid-to-late 1990s, he purchased the rights to ''Blake's 7'' and attempted to produce a big-budget follow-up mini-series, ''Blake's 7: A Rebellion Reborn''. According to Darrow, it would have begun 25 years after the ending of the original series and might have included an ageing Avon passing the torch to a new generation. His film credits are few, but include roles as doctors in '' The Raging Moon'' (1971) and the Bond movie '' Die Another Day'' (2002), for which he filmed but much of his material was deleted before the film went on release to cinemas. Darrow appears briefly in the final product. Darrow recorded
voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentation ...
s and straplines for UK JACKfm station in Oxfordshire. He also provided the voice of the character
Grand Moff Tarkin Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise, introduced as the main antagonist of the original 1977 ''Star Wars'' film (played by Peter Cushing). In the film, Tarkin is depicted as a high-ranking officer ...
in the computer game '' Star Wars: Empire at War''. He also voiced the character of Zarok in the PlayStation game ''
MediEvil ''MediEvil'' is an Action-adventure game, action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by SCE Studio Cambridge and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation. The game is set in the medieval Ki ...
''; his recordings were re-used in the game's 2019 remake. Darrow appeared in ''
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, ...
'' from 13 July 2009, playing Eddy Fox, Alan Turner's friend; he knows Turner as "Tank". He also played the character of Kaston Iago in the ''
Kaldor City ''Kaldor City'' is a series of audio plays using elements from the British TV series ''Doctor Who'' and ''Blake's 7''. Many of the elements borrowed from these series for use in ''Kaldor City'' were originated by Chris Boucher, who wrote for '' ...
'' audio releases. Darrow also provided the voice of a main character in the PC game '' Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising''. The actress
Glynis Barber Glynis Barber (born Glynis van der Riet; 25 October 1955) is a South African actress. She is known for her portrayals of Sgt. Harriet Makepeace in the British police drama '' Dempsey and Makepeace'', Glenda Mitchell in ''EastEnders'', DCI Grac ...
, who played Soolin in ''Blake's 7'', provided the voice for the main female character. The game was narrated by
Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1974 to 1981.Scott, Danny. (1 ...
of ''Doctor Who'' fame. Darrow played the role of
Sam Vimes His Grace, The Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel "Sam" Vimes is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. Vimes is depicted in the novels as somewhere between an Inspector Morse-type 'old-school' British policeman, and ...
in the 1998/99 touring production of the play based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel ''
Guards! Guards! ''Guards! Guards!'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the eighth in the '' Discworld'' series, first published in 1989. It is the first novel about the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. The first ''Discworld'' point-and-click adventu ...
''. In 2004, Darrow was the subject of the fourth volume of MJTV's "The Actor Speaks" audio CDs, featuring frank interviews and dramatic pieces, alongside guest Peter Miles, with a piece specifically written by Tanith Lee. Darrow narrated the 2008 audio book of Terry Nation's classic children's story ''Rebecca's World: Journey to the Forbidden Planet'' (2008) In December 2011, Darrow voiced the character of Overseer Tremel in the Bioware MMORPG release '' Star Wars: The Old Republic''. In 2012, Darrow returned to the role of Kerr Avon in Big Finish Productions' ''Blake's 7: The Liberator Chronicles'', a series of dramatic readings which take place during Series One, Two and Three of the original show. He also reprised the part in ''Blake's 7: The Classic Audio Adventures'', a full-cast audio drama series. In 2015, Darrow starred as Paul Rand, the enigmatic business man in charge of the business institute Atlas in the interactive video game '' Contradiction: Spot the Liar!''. A sequel was planned in 2016, but never came to fruition. Darrow was Patron of the University of York Astronomy Society (AstroSoc) from 1981 to 1984. An extinct crocodile from the
Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
of Australia, '' Baru darrowi'', was named after Darrow. On 27 October 2018, Darrow appeared on (and won) a celebrity sci-fi edition of the quiz show ''
Pointless ''Pointless'' is a British television quiz show produced by Banijay subsidiary Remarkable Television for the BBC. It is hosted by Alexander Armstrong. In each episode four teams of two contestants attempt to find correct but obscure answers t ...
'', along with fellow ''Blake's 7'' star Michael Keating.


Personal life

In the mid-1960s Darrow married the actress Janet Lees-Price. They were married almost fifty years, until her death in 2012, and lived in later life in
Billingshurst Billingshurst is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. The village lies on the A29 road (the Roman Britain, Roman Stane Street (Chichester), Stane Street) at its crossroads with the A272 road, A272, south- ...
,
West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ...
.


Illness and death

In his last years Darrow suffered a decline in health. In 2014, he had an aortic aneurysm, and due to complications during its treatment, surgeons had to amputate both his legs. He died on the morning of 3 June 2019 at the age of 78. The 2019 remake of ''MediEvil'', which featured Darrow as the voice of the main antagonist Zarok, was dedicated to his memory.


Publications

* '' Avon: A Terrible Aspect'' (1989) (), a ''Blake's 7'' prequel novel about Avon's father and Avon's own early life. * '' Queen: The eYe'' (1997) (), a novelisation of the video game of the same name. * ''You're Him, Aren't You?'' (2006) (), autobiography. (Re-released as an audio book narrated by Darrow in 2016.) * ''Lucifer'' (2013) (), first of a trilogy of books set after the events of ''Blake's 7''. * ''Lucifer: Revelation'' (2014) (), second of a trilogy of books set after the events of ''Blake's 7''. * ''Lucifer: Genesis'' (2015) (), third of a trilogy of books set after the events of ''Blake's 7''.


Filmography


Film


Television


Video Games


Radio and CD audio dramas


References


External links


Paul Darrow
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Darrow, Paul 1941 births 2019 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English amputees English male television actors English male voice actors English male writers English writers Male actors from Surrey People educated at Haberdashers' Boys' School