Lyndam Gregory (c. 1955 – 15 July 2014) was an Indian-born British

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

, and

voiceover Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non- ...

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. His best known credits include his portrayal of Sammy Patel on ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'' in 1983, his recurring role as

Guppy Sharma The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1995, by order of first appearance. Tiffany Mitchell Tiffany Mitchell (also Raymond) is played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The ...

on ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television 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 East End of London, the ...

'' from 1995 to 1996, and Ashkok in ''

The Archers ''The Archers'' is a British radio soap opera currently broadcast on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word Radio broadcasting, channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now pr ...

''. Gregory also played Dr. Simon Field on

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...

television series, '' Surgical Spirit'', for 23 episodes from 1989 to 1992.

Early life

Gregory was born in

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...

, West Bengal, India. His father, Neville, was a tea planter, while his mother, Marina, who was originally from Burma, was a local schoolteacher. Gregory and his family moved to London during the early 1960s.

Professional career

Gregory studied at the

Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, formerly the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, was a drama school, and originally a singing school, in London. It was one of the leading drama schools in Britain, and offered comprehen ...

. His first professional acting role was in a production of "The Blue Monster", performed at the Arts Theatre in London. His first television role was an episode of ''

Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, ...

'' as Latif Khan in 1979. Gregory became best known for his work on British soap operas, including his recurring role as businessman

on ''

'' during the mid-1990s. According to his wife, Gregory especially enjoyed working on ''EastEnders'' because

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

, where the show was filmed, was the site of numerous, classic film productions. Gregory also worked narrating

audiobooks An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...

Personal life

Gregory died from lung cancer on 15 July 2014 at the age of 59. His death was announced on 21 August in an obituary by his wife, Christine Gregory, published in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''. A non-smoker, Gregory had first been diagnosed in July 2013. His funeral was held at the Breakspear Crematorium in

Ruislip Ruislip ( ) is a suburb in the London Borough of Hillingdon in northwest London. Prior to 1965 it was in Middlesex. Ruislip lies west-north-west of Charing Cross, London. The manor of Ruislip appears in the Domesday Book, and some of the ear ...

on 1 August 2014. Gregory was survived by his wife, Christine, and their daughter, Dominique.

Partial filmography

*'' Funny Money'' (1983) – Ashed

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, Lyndam 2014 deaths 20th-century British male actors English male soap opera actors English male stage actors English male voice actors Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Indian emigrants to England People from Darjeeling Male actors from London 1950s births Indian people of Anglo-Burmese descent English people of Burmese descent