Benjamin Patrick Aris (16 March 1937 – 4 September 2003) was an English actor who was best known for his parts in '' Hi-de-Hi!'' and '' To the Manor Born'', and was also very active on stage. He was often cast as an eccentric, upper-class or upper-middle class man.

Early life and education

Benjamin Patrick Aris was born on 16 March 1937 in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he trained at the Arts Educational School. At the age of 16, he joined a national tour of the show '' Zip Goes a Million''. He then did his

national service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...

in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

Early career

After completing his national service, Aris appeared in many musicals and films, including '' The Plague of the Zombies'', '' The Charge of the Light Brigade'' and '' if....''. On stage, Aris was in the 1960 production of the revue " One Over The Eight" at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

in London. He also appeared in

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director, producer and screenwriter, whose career spanned five decades. He was identified with the "angry young men" group of British directors and play ...

's 1969 production of "Hamlet" at London's '' Roundhouse'', its

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

transfer to the

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by C ...

, and also its film version the same year.

Film and television career

His first television role was in the children's series ''Jamie'' in 1971. He also appeared in '' Invasion of the Dinosaurs'', a 1974 ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' serial. His other early television roles included ''

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC1, created and written by Raymond Allen (scriptwriter), Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice. It was first broadcast in 1973 and ran for two series, inc ...

'', ''Sam and the River'' (1975), ''

Crown Court The Crown Court is the criminal trial court, court of first instance in England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals of the decisions of magistrates' courts. It is ...

'', '' Wodehouse Playhouse'' and '' Target''. During that time he also appeared in the films '' Get Carter'', ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'', '' Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World'' and ''

Juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originates in the mid-nineteenth century. ''Juggernaut'' is the early rendering in English ...

''. He also worked several times for director

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films were mainly liberal adaptations of ...

, in films '' The Music Lovers'', '' Savage Messiah'', and '' Tommy'', and in TV's ''

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ''The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'' (originally ''The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere''), written by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797–98 and published in 1798 in the first edition of '' Lyrical Ballads'', is a poem that recounts th ...

'' and '' Lady Chatterley''. For three episodes, from 1980 to 1981, he played Mr Spalding in ''To the Manor Born'', and then in 1983, he portrayed Edmund Waller, one of Tom Lacey's friends at the court of Charles I, in '' By the Sword Divided.'' In 1984, he made his first appearance in ''Hi-de-Hi!'' as Julian Dalrymple-Sykes, a dancer. He became a regular in 1986 and played the part until the show's end in 1988. He also starred in '' Bergerac'', ''

Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'', or simply ''Poirot'' (), is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2020. The ITV show is based on many of Agatha Christie's famous crime fiction series, wh ...

'', '' You Rang, M'Lord?'' and '' Boon''. As well as acting with

Penelope Keith Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith (''née'' Hatfield; born 2 April 1940) is an English actress and presenter, active in film, radio, stage and television and primarily known for her roles in the British sitcoms '' The Good Life'' and '' To the ...

in ''To the Manor Born'', he also appeared with her in '' Executive Stress'' and '' No Job for a Lady''.

Later years

One of the most memorable stage performances was in the West End playing Geoffrey in '' Stepping Out'' by

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. Having studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he rose to prominence as an icon of the British New Wave. He received numerous a ...

. His final stage appearance was in ''The Lady in the Van'' by

Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. He has received numerous awards and honours including four BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2005 he received the Socie ...

, opposite Dame Maggie Smith. His final TV appearance was in the 2002 drama ''Ready''. He died in

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

in 2003 aged 66. His son Jonathan Aris followed him into acting.

Selected filmography

Film

* ''

Tom Brown's Schooldays ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is a novel by Thomas Hughes, published in 18 ...

'' (1951) - Tadpole (uncredited) * '' The Plague of the Zombies'' (1966) - John Martinus * '' The Mini-Affair'' (1968) - TV Producer * '' The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (1968) - Lt. Maxse * '' if....'' (1968) - John Thomas: Staff * '' Lionheart'' (1968) - Capt. Harris * ''

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

'' (1969) - Rosencrantz * '' The Reckoning'' (1970) - Moustached Party Guest (uncredited) * '' Say Hello to Yesterday'' (1971) - Floor Walker (uncredited) * '' The Music Lovers'' (1971) - Young Lieutenant * '' Get Carter'' (1971) - Architect #2 * '' Savage Messiah'' (1972) - Thomas Buff * ''

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 Anderso ...

'' (1973) - Mr. MacIntyre / Dr. Hyder / Flight Lt. Wallace * '' Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World'' (1973) - Army Captain * ''

'' (1973) - 1st Musketeer * ''

'' (1974) - The Walker * '' Vampira'' (1974) - Policeman * ''Smokey Joe's Revenge'' (1974) - Mr. Fawcett * '' Alfie Darling'' (1975) - Advertising Man * '' Tommy'' (1975) - Reverend Simpson * '' Royal Flash'' (1975) - Fireman * '' I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight'' (1976) - Trampas B. Hildebrand * '' The Ritz'' (1976) - Patron With Bicycle * ''

Voyage of the Damned ''Voyage of the Damned'' is a 1976 drama (film and television), drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, with an Ensemble cast, all-star cast featuring Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, James Mason, Lynne Frederick and Malco ...

'' (1976) - German Jewish Passenger (uncredited) * '' Sir Henry at Rawlinson End'' (1980) - Lord Tarquin of Staines * '' King of the Wind'' (1990) - Squire Dunn * '' U.F.O.'' (1993) - Doctor * '' Up at the Villa'' (2000) - Col. Trail * '' Relative Values'' (2000) - (uncredited) * ''Undertaker's Paradise'' (2000)

TV

* ''

Gazette A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

'' (1968) - Potter (1 episode) * ''

The Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of United Kingdom, British television plays which ran on BBC One, BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic ...

- Mad Jack'' (1970) - Jenkins * ''Jamie'' (1971) - David Dodger (9 episodes) * '' Owen, M.D.'' (1971) - Mr. Clarke (2 episodes) * ''The Silver Sword'' (1971) - Russian Commisar (1 episode) * '' Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' - Brown (1 episode) * ''

- Invasion of the Dinosaurs'' (1974) - Lieutenant Shears (1 episode) * ''

'' (1975) - Dr. Bruce Morgan (3 episodes) * ''Sam and the River'' (1975) - Lt. Hodges (6 episodes) * ''

Village Hall A village hall is a public building in a rural or suburban community which functions as a community centre without a religious affiliation. United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, a village hall is a building which is owned by a local gover ...

'' (1975) - Stan (1 episode) * '' Wodehouse Playhouse'' (1976) - Lester Mapledurham (1 episode) * '' Get Some In!'' (1977) - Dr. Purnell (1 episode) * '' Target'' (1977) - Phillips (1 episode) * '' Hazell'' (1978) - T.P. Eades (1 episode) * '' The Famous Five'' (1978) - Mr Durleston (1 episode) * ''Spy!'' (1980) - Skier (1 episode) * ''The Assassination Run'' (1980) - Frank Lloyd (3 episodes) * '' To the Manor Born'' (1980-1) - Spalding (3 episodes) * ''

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 ...

'' (1981) - Captain Allbright (1 episode) * '' The Bagthorpe Saga'' (1981) - P.J. (1 episode) * ''The Trechary Game'' (1981) - Frank Lloyd (3 episodes) * '' Bergerac'' (1982) - Executive (1 episode) * '' By the Sword Divided'' (1983) - Edmund Waller (1 episode) * '' Night Train to Murder'' (1984) - Theatre Manager (TV Movie) * '' Shine on Harvey Moon'' (1984) - Doctor (1 episode) * '' He-De-Hi!'' (1984-8) - Julian Dalrymple-Sykes (13 episodes) * '' All in Good Faith'' (1985) - Dillforth (1 episode) * ''Star Quality'' (1985) - Eric Larch (TV Movie) * '' Call Me Mister'' (1986) - Registrar (1 episode) * '' Chance in a Million'' (1986) - Club Secretary (1 episode) * ''Executive Stress'' (1986) - Andrew Morgan (2 episodes) * '' Paradise Postponed'' (1986) - TV Newsreader (1 episode) * '' Slinger's Day'' (1986) - Forbes-Fortescue (1 episode) * '' A Hazard of Hearts'' (1987) - Lieutenant of Dragoons (TV Movie) * ''

Hold the Dream ''Hold the Dream'' is a British two-part serial made in 1986, based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Barbara Taylor Bradford. It is the second book in the Emma Harte series, following '' A Woman of Substance''. ''Hold the Dream'' continues ...

'' (1987) - Doctor (1 episode) * ''First of the Summer Wine'' (1988) - First Visitor (1 episode) * '' The Comic Strip Presents...'' (1988) - Party Guest * ''

Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by the English writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is Christie's most famous and longest-running character, appearing in 33 novels, two plays (''Black Coffee (play), Black Coffee'' and '' ...

'' (1989) - Captain Fowler (1 episode) * ''Young Charlie Chaplin'' (1989) - Mr. Vernon (1 episode) * '' Boon'' (1990) - Maitre D' (1 episode) * '' Mr Majeika'' (1990) - Flight Office Pongo (1 episode) * '' You Rang, M'Lord?'' (1990) - Special Branch Policeman (1 episode) * '' Further Up Pompeii'' (1991) - Flatus (TV Movie) * '' No Job for a Lady'' (1991) - Roland (1 episode) * '' Eldorado'' (1992) - Kenneth Owen (2 episodes) * '' Me, You and Him'' (1992) - Headmaster (1 episode) * ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

'' (1992) - Judge (1 episode) * '' Lady Chatterley'' (1993) - Tommy Dukes (1 episode) * '' September Song'' (1994) - Simon Anderson (5 episodes) * ''The Last Englishman'' (1995) - Doctor, 1917 (TV Movie) * '' The Queen's Nose'' (1996-9) - Max (4 episodes) * ''

Equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun appears directly above the equator, rather than to its north or south. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise directly east and set directly west. This occurs twice each year, arou ...

'' (1998) - Director General BBC (1 episode)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aris, Ben 1937 births 2003 deaths Actors educated at the Arts Educational Schools English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from London