Patrick David Newell (27 March 1932 – 22 July 1988) was a British actor perhaps best known for playing

Mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

in '' The Avengers''.

Early life and education

The second son of Eric Llewellyn Newell, of High Lodge, Hadleigh, Suffolk, an Oxford-educated physician who served as a captain in the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

, Newell was educated at

Taunton School Taunton School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, now co-educational, in the county town of Taunton in Somerset in South West England. It serves boarding and day-school pupils from the ages of 13 to 18. The current headmaster i ...

and completed 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 ...

, where a fellow recruit was

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

, before training at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

, alongside

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining fame for movie acting during the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' ( ...

and Peter O'Toole.

Career

Newell began to be seen frequently on TV, usually cast as a fat villain or in comic roles. Given his rotund appearance and ability for playing slightly stuffy types, he was a natural stooge in several comedy shows, first for

Arthur Askey Arthur Bowden Askey (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation an ...

, in '' Arthur's Treasured Volumes'' (ATV, 1960), then for Jimmy Edwards in '' Faces of Jim'' (BBC, 1962), with

Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ...

also supporting. He was originally cast as one of the inept recruits in the first of the '' Carry On'' films, 1958's '' Carry On Sergeant'' but, according to producer Peter Rogers, Newell turned up on the first day of filming, only to recognise the real-life sergeant hired to drill the cast as the one who'd made his life hell in the Army. He then, so Rogers claims, got into his Rolls-Royce, drove off and was never seen again. In an interview with the ''TV Times'' in 1968, he claimed to have gained weight as a deliberate attempt to boost his career, marking him out for some niche roles. In ''Who's Who on Television'' in the late 1970s, Newell described himself as "Actor with a weight problem—the more he diets, the less work he seems to get." His most notable role was as "

", the spymaster in '' The Avengers''. He had previously appeared in two earlier ''Avengers'' episodes: "The Town of No Return" (

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...

's debut) and, as a Minister of the Crown, in series five's "Something Nasty in the Nursery". Other cult television appearances included roles in '' Maigret'', ''

The Persuaders! ''The Persuaders!'' is a British action comedy television series starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore, produced by ITC Entertainment, and initially broadcast on ITV and ABC in 1971. The show has been called 'the last major entry in the c ...

'', ''

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt (actor), Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Denn ...

'', the ''

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 ...

'' story " The Android Invasion", '' The Young Ones'' and '' Kinvig''. Newell played Inspector Lestrade in the 1980 TV series, '' Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson'', made in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. He also turned up as a Playboy Bunny in one of the

Benny Hill Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill (21 January 1924 – 18 April 1992) was an English comedian, actor and scriptwriter. He is best remembered for his television programme, ''The Benny Hill Show'', a comedy-variety show whose amalgam of slapstick, bu ...

comedy specials. Film appearances include the Gluttony segment of '' The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins'' (1971). In 1984, he landed a more significant role, as Sutton/Blessington in ITV's well-received '' The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' production of " The Adventure of the Resident Patient", alongside

Jeremy Brett Peter Jeremy William Huggins (3 November 1933 – 12 September 1995), known professionally as Jeremy Brett, was an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes from 1984 to 1994 in 41 episodes of a Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV ...

Death

Later in life Newell succeeded in losing a substantial amount of weight, but this did not prevent his early death from a heart attack. He was married and had two children.

Selected filmography

Film

* '' Dial 999'' (1955) – Brewers Man (uncredited) * '' The Rebel'' (1961) – Art Gallery Patron (uncredited) * '' Night Without Pity'' (1961) – Doctor * '' Crooks Anonymous'' (1962) – 2nd Jeweller * '' The Boys'' (1962) – Crowhurst * ''

The Dock Brief ''The Dock Brief'' (US title ''Trial and Error''; also known as ''A Case for the Jury'') is a 1962 black-and-white UK, British legal satire directed by James Hill (British director), James Hill, starring Peter Sellers and Richard Attenborough, a ...

'' (1962) – 1st Warder * '' Unearthly Stranger'' (1963) – Maj. Clarke * '' Never Mention Murder'' (1964) (''

Edgar Wallace Mysteries The ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' is a British second-feature film series mainly produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 48 films in the series, which were released between 1960 and 1965. The series was screened as ''Th ...

)'' – Barman * '' Father Came Too!'' (1964) – King Harold * '' Becket'' (1964) – William of Corbeil (uncredited) * '' Do You Know This Voice?'' (1964) – Neighbour * '' Every Day's a Holiday'' (1964) – Mr. Hoskins * '' The Alphabet Murders'' (1965) – Cracknell * '' A Study in Terror'' (1965) – PC Benson * '' Bindle (One of Them Days)'' (1966) – Mr. Hearty * '' The Sandwich Man'' (1966) – River Bus Man * '' The Long Duel'' (1967) – Colonel * ''Danny the Dragon'' (1967) – Potter * '' The Strange Affair'' (1968) – Victim * '' The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins'' (1971) – Doctor (segment "Gluttony") * ''

The Canterbury Tales ''The Canterbury Tales'' () is a collection of 24 stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. The book presents the tales, which are mostly written in verse, as part of a fictional storytelling contest held ...

'' (1972) – Prior (uncredited) * '' Go for a Take'' (1972) – Generous Jim * ''Where's Johnny?'' (1974) – Basil * '' Vampira'' (1974) – Man in Hotel Room * '' Man About the House'' (1974) – Sir Edmund Weir * '' The Incredible Sarah'' (1976) – Major * '' Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers'' (1977) – M. O. Billings * '' The Golden Lady'' (1979) – Charlie Whitlock * '' The Shillingbury Blowers'' (1980) – Mr. Meadows * ''

Young Sherlock Holmes ''Young Sherlock Holmes'' (also known with the title card name of ''Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear'') is a 1985 American mystery adventure film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Chris Columbus, based on the characters ...

'' (1985) – Bentley Bobster * ''Redondela'' (1987) – José María Gil Ramos * '' Consuming Passions'' (1988) – Lester (final film role)

Television

* '' Arthur's Treasured Volumes'' (1960) – Various characters * '' Maigret'' * '' Deadline Midnight'' (1961) – Bertie Miller * '' Faces of Jim'' (1962) – Various characters * ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...

'' (1964) – Alex * '' Thorndyke'' (1964) – Polton * ''The Idiot'' (1966) – Lebediev * '' The Illustrated Weekly Hudd'' (1966) * '' Room at the Bottom'' (1967) – Cyril Culpepper * ''

All Gas and Gaiters ''All Gas and Gaiters'' is a British television ecclesiastical sitcom which aired on BBC One, BBC1 from 1966 to 1971. It was written by Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps, a husband-and-wife team who used the pseudonym of John Wraith when writing th ...

'' (1967) - Ghost * '' The Avengers'' (1968) – Mother (the spymaster) / Sir George Collins / Smallwood * ''

- The Man From Nowhere'' (1968) – Mannering * '' Never Say Die'' (1970) – Mr. Oliphant * '' The Misfit'' (1971) – Stanley Allenby-Johnson * '' The Des O'Connor Show'' (1971) * '' Casanova'' (1971) – Schalon * ''

'' * '' Sadie, It's Cold Outside'' (1975) – Chip shop proprietor * ''

Moll Flanders ''Moll Flanders'' is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1722. It purports to be the true account of the life of the eponymous Moll, detailing her exploits from birth until old age. By 1721, Defoe had become a recognised novelist, wit ...

'' (1975) – Thomas Woodall * '' Doctor Who: The Android Invasion – Part Four'' (1975) – Colonel Faraday * '' Wilde Alliance'' ('A Question of Research ', 'A Game for Two Players', episodes) (1978) - Bailey * '' Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson'' (unscreened) (1980) – Inspector Lestrade * ''The Whizzkid's Guide'' (1981–1983) * '' Doctors' Daughters'' (1981) – Archdeacon Bellwether * '' Kinvig'' (1981) – Mr. Horsley * '' Jemima Shore Investigates'' – Jamie * '' Bottle Boys'' (1984) – Mr. Dawson * ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

'', "The Resident Patient" (1985) – Blessington/Sutton * '' Ladies in Charge'' (1986) – Maxwell * '' The Young Ones'' *

comedy special – Playboy Bunny

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Newell, Patrick 1932 births 1988 deaths English male television actors English male film actors People from Hadleigh, Suffolk 20th-century English male actors Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Royal Fusiliers soldiers Military personnel from Suffolk 20th-century British Army personnel