Roy Mitchell Kinnear (8 January 1934 – 20 September 1988) was a British

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 ...

. He was known for his roles in films such as

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' ''

Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the singles " Help!" and " Ticket to Ride", ...

'' (1965), Clapper in '' How I Won the War'' (1967) and Planchet in ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'' (1973). He reprised the role of Planchet in the 1974 and 1989 sequels, and died following an accident during filming of the latter. He played Private Monty Bartlett in ''

The Hill ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1965), Henry Salt in the 1971 film ''

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The fi ...

'', and cruise director Curtain in ''

Juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originated in the mid-nineteenth century and was adapted from the Sanskrit word Jagannath. ...

'' (1974), '' The Dick Emery Show'' (1979–1981), and in the sitcoms '' Man About the House'' (1974–1975), ''

George and Mildred ''George and Mildred'' is a British sitcom produced by Thames Television and first aired between 1976 and 1979. It is a spin-off from '' Man About the House'', and starred Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as constantly-sparring married couple ...

'' (1976–1979) and '' Cowboys'' (1980–1981).

Early life

Kinnear was born on 8 January 1934 in

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancas ...

, the son of Annie (''née'' Durie, previously Smith) and Roy Kinnear. He had a sister, Marjory. His parents were Scottish, originally from

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. His father was an international in both rugby union and rugby league, having played for and

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

. He scored 81 tries in 184 games for

; he collapsed and died while playing

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

with the RAF in 1942, at the age of 38.

Scotland Rugby League The Scotland Rugby League is the governing body for rugby league football in Scotland. It administers the Scotland national rugby league teams. The Scotland Division of the Rugby League Conference serves as the domestic competition. It was fo ...

have named their Student Player of the Year Award after him. Kinnear was educated at

George Heriot's School George Heriot's School is a Scottish independent primary and secondary day school on Lauriston Place in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. In the early 21st century, it has more than 1600 pupils, 155 teaching staff, and 80 non-teaching staff. ...

in Edinburgh. At the age of 17, he enrolled in 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 ...

(RADA).

Career

Kinnear's acting career began in 1955, playing Albert in ''The Young in Heart'', at the

repertory theatre A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawin ...

, Newquay. In 1959 he joined

Joan Littlewood Joan Maud Littlewood (6 October 1914 – 20 September 2002) was an English theatre director who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is best known for her work in developing the Theatre Workshop. She has been called "The Mother of M ...

Theatre Workshop Theatre Workshop is a theatre group whose long-serving director was Joan Littlewood. Many actors of the 1950s and 1960s received their training and first exposure with the company, many of its productions were transferred to theatres in the West E ...

at the

Theatre Royal Stratford East The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with director Joan Littlewood, whose ...

, performing in both the 1960 play and 1963 film of ''

Sparrows Can't Sing ''Sparrows Can't Sing'' is a 1963 British kitchen sink comedy film. Based on a 1960 play, ''Sparrers Can't Sing'', it was directed by Joan Littlewood and was from a story by Stephen Lewis. The producer was Donald Taylor and the original music b ...

''. Kinnear's television debut was on the STV children's series, ''Mr. Fixit'' in 1959, before gaining national attention as a participant in the television show ''

That Was the Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pr ...

''. Kinnear later appeared in many films and television shows, including ''

'', '' Till Death Us Do Part'', '' Doctor at Large'', '' Man About the House'', ''

'', ''The

Dick Emery Richard Gilbert Emery (19 February 19152 January 1983) was an English comedian and actor. His broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television series ran from 1963 to 1981. Life and career Richard Gilbert Emery was ...

Show'' (as Gaylord's long-suffering father) and four episodes of '' The Avengers''. He starred in ''Cowboys'', a sitcom about builders. His best-known films are those he made with director and close friend

Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director based in the United Kingdom. He is best known for directing the Beatles' films '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) and '' Help!'' (1965), and the superhero films ' ...

: ''

'', ''

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman playwright Plautu ...

'', '' How I Won the War'', '' The Bed Sitting Room'', ''

'' and the ''

Musketeer A musketeer (french: mousquetaire) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare particularly in Europe as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a pr ...

'' series of the 1970s and 1980s. He appeared with

Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultim ...

in the Hammer horror film ''

Taste the Blood of Dracula ''Taste the Blood of Dracula'' is a 1970 British supernatural horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions. Directed by Peter Sasdy from a script by Anthony Hinds, it is the fifth installment in Hammer's ''Dracula'' series, and the fourth to ...

'' (1970). Also in 1970 he played Mr. Perkins, Melody's father in Waris Hussein's ''

Melody A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combina ...

'', a puppy love story. He played the father of spoiled rich girl

Veruca Salt Veruca Salt is an American alternative rock band founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1992 by vocalist-guitarists Nina Gordon and Louise Post, drummer Jim Shapiro and bassist Steve Lack. They are best known for their first single, "Seether", tha ...

in the film ''

'' (1971), an adaptation of

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...

's children's novel ''

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The story was originall ...

''. He guest-starred in '' The Goodies''' episode "

Rome Antics "Rome Antics" is a 1975 episode of the British comedy television series ''The Goodies''. Written by The Goodies, with songs and music by Bill Oddie. Plot In Queen Boadicea's Britain, the Ancient Goodies are wearing animal skins, and Graeme's ...

" (1975) as the Roman Emperor, and in the BBC's '' Ripping Yarns'' episode "Escape From Stalag Luft 112B" (1977) as the fearsome German Sergeant Vogel. He narrated and provided voices for the stop-motion children's television show '' Bertha''. He appeared in two music videos for Mike and the Mechanics (" All I Need Is a Miracle" and " Taken In") as the band's manager; in the former, he was reunited with his ''Help!'' co-star

Victor Spinetti Vittorio Giorgio Andre "Victor" Spinetti (2 September 1929 – 19 June 2012) was a Welsh actor, author, poet, and raconteur. He appeared in dozens of films and stage plays throughout his 50-year career, including the three 1960s Beatles films ...

. He narrated ''

Towser {{Infobox television , image = , caption = , alt_name = , genre = Animation , creator = Tony Ross , developer = , writer = Tony Ross , direc ...

'' and '' Bertha'', voiced Pipkin in the 1978 film ''

Watership Down ''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Berkshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural ...

'' and voiced Texas Pete's henchman Bulk in '' SuperTed'' (also with Victor Spinetti, who voiced the evil Texas Pete). Kinnear appeared regularly on the stage. In later life he appeared in productions such as ''The Travails of Sancho Panza'' (playing the title role), and in ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...

'', in 1985. His final completed roles were in '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1988) a made-for-television film directed by and starring

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten ...

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Brit ...

and

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...

, as a patient in the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

hospital drama '' Casualty'', and a voice role as Mump in ''

The Princess and the Goblin ''The Princess and the Goblin'' is a children's fantasy novel by George MacDonald. It was published in 1872 by Strahan & Co., with black-and-white illustrations by Arthur Hughes. Strahan had published the story and illustrations as a serial in ...

'', which was released in 1991, three years after his sudden death in September 1988. Following his death, the ''Casualty'' episode was postponed. It finally aired in August 1989.

Personal life

Kinnear was married to actress

Carmel Cryan Carmel Cryan (born 8 July 1949) is an English actress, known for the role of Brenda Boyle in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. She was the wife of the actor Roy Kinnear (1934–1988). Life and career Cryan was born in London. She was married to ...

. They had three children, including actor Rory and casting director Kirsty. Their elder daughter, Karina, was quadriplegic and had learning difficulties; she died in May 2020.

Death

On 19 September 1988, Kinnear fell from a horse during the making of '' The Return of the Musketeers'' in

Toledo, Spain Toledo ( , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, capital of the province of Toledo and the ''de jure'' seat of the government and parliament of the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UN ...

, and sustained a

broken pelvis A pelvic fracture is a break of the bony structure of the pelvis. This includes any break of the sacrum, hip bones ( ischium, pubis, ilium), or tailbone. Symptoms include pain, particularly with movement. Complications may include interna ...

and internal bleeding. He was taken to a hospital in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, but died the next day 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 ...

, brought on by his injuries. He was 54 years old. He was buried in

East Sheen Cemetery East Sheen Cemetery, originally known as Barnes Cemetery, is a cemetery on Sheen Road in East Sheen in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. The cemetery opened in 1906 on what was previously woodland in a rural area of Surrey. ...

, London. Following his death, Kinnear's family sued the production company and the film's director, charging, from eyewitness testimonies, that the producer was cutting corners to save money and time, and that the rushed speed of filming contributed to the accident. In 1991, they received a £650,000 settlement.

Legacy

In May 1994, the ''Roy Kinnear Trust'', which was inspired by his daughter, Karina (1972–2020), was founded to help improve the life of young adults with physical and mental disabilities.

Shows

*''The Roy Kinnear Show'' * '' The Clairvoyant''

Filmography

* ''

The World Owes Me a Living ''The World Owes Me a Living'' is a 1945 British Second World War drama film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring David Farrar and Judy Campbell. The film is based on a novel by John Llewellyn Rhys, a young author who was killed in action in 1 ...

'' (1944) (uncredited) * '' Oh... Rosalinda!!'' (1955) * ''

The Millionairess ''The Millionairess'' is a 1960 British romantic comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith, and starring Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers. Set in London, it is a loose adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1936 play of the same name. Plot By the ...

'' (1960) as Man Carrying Crate (uncredited) * '' Tiara Tahiti'' (1962) as Capt. Enderby * '' The Boys'' (1962) as Bus conductor (uncredited) * ''

'' (1963) as Fred * ''

The Small World of Sammy Lee ''The Small World of Sammy Lee'' is a 1963 British crime film written and directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Julia Foster and Robert Stephens. A striptease-show compere is hunted across the seedy London underworld of Soho by de ...

'' (1963) as Lucky Dave * ''

Heavens Above! ''Heavens Above!'' is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge. It is in a similar vein to the earlier collabor ...

'' (1963) as Fred Smith * ''

The Informers ''The Informers'' is a collection of short stories, linked by the same continuity, written by American author Bret Easton Ellis. The collection was first published as a whole in 1994. Chapters 6 and 7, "Water from the Sun" and "Discovering Jap ...

'' (1963) as Shorty * '' French Dressing'' (1964) as Henry Liggott * ''

A Place to Go ''A Place to Go'' is a 1963 British crime drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Bernard Lee, Rita Tushingham and Michael Sarne. Set in contemporary Bethnal Green in the East End of London, it charted the dramatic changes that were the ...

'' (1964) as Bunting * '' A World of His Own'' (1964–65) as Stanley Blake * '' The Avengers'' (1965, Episode: The Hour That Never Was) as Benedict Napoleon Hickey (vagrant) * ''

'' (1965) as Monty Bartlett * ''

'' (1965) as Algernon * ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman playwright Plautu ...

'' (1966) as Gladiator Instructor * '' The Deadly Affair'' (1967) as Adam Scarr * '' How I Won the War'' (1967) as Clapper * ''

The Mini-Affair ''The Mini-Affair'' is a 1967 British romantic comedy film directed by Robert Amram, and starring Georgie Fame, Rosemary Nicols and John Clive. Music is provided by the Bee Gees. Plot summary A leading pop star is kidnapped in swinging London. ...

'' (1967) as Fire Extinguisher Salesman * '' Albert Carter, Q.O.S.O.'' (1968) as Albert Carter * “ Lock_Up_Your_Daughters''_(1969)_as_Sir_Tunbelly_Clumsey *_''_The_Bed_Sitting_Room''_(1969)_as_Plastic_mac_man *_''Taste_the_Blood_of_Dracula_ ''Taste_the_Blood_of_Dracula''_is_a_1970_British_supernatural_horror_film_produced_by_Hammer_Film_Productions._Directed_by_Peter_Sasdy_from_a_script_by_Anthony_Hinds,_it_is_the_fifth_installment_in_Hammer's_''Dracula''_series,_and_the_fourth_to__...