Terence Joseph Alexander (11 March 1923 – 28 May 2009) was an English film and television actor, best known for his role as Charlie Hungerford in the British TV drama '' Bergerac'', which ran for nine series on

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

between 1981 and 1991.

Early life and career

Alexander was born in London, the son of a doctor, and grew up in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

. He was educated at Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire, and Norwood College,

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...

, and started acting in the theatre at the age of 16. During 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 served 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 ...

as a lieutenant with the 27th Lancers, and was seriously wounded when his armoured car was hit by artillery fire in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. In 1956, Alexander appeared on stage in ''Ring For Catty'' at the Lyric Theatre in London. He is probably best remembered as Charlie Hungerford from the detective series '' Bergerac'', though he was also very prominent in the 1967

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

adaptation of ''

The Forsyte Saga ''The Forsyte Saga'', first published under that title in 1922, is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by the English author John Galsworthy, who won the 1932 Nobel Prize in Literature. They chronicle th ...

''. One of his early roles was in the children's series '' Garry Halliday''. In 1970, he appeared in an episode of '' Please Sir'' in 1970 as the headmaster of a rival school, and as Lord Uxbridge in

Sergei Bondarchuk Sergei Fyodorovich Bondarchuk (25 September 192020 October 1994) was a Soviet and Russian actor and filmmaker of Ukrainian origin who was one of the leading figures of Soviet cinema in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He is known for his sweeping p ...

's war epic '' Waterloo''. Alexander appeared in many other film and television roles including three appearances in different roles in ''

The Champions ''The Champions'' is a British espionage thriller/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure television series. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company, and consists of 30 episodes broadcast in the UK on ...

'', '' The Avengers'', ''

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 ...

'' (Powerswitch), ''

Terry and June ''Terry and June'' is a BBC television sitcom, broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The show was largely a reworking of '' Happy Ever After'', and starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-aged, middle-class suburban couple, Terry and J ...

'' (1979–1980), ''

Behind the Screen ''Behind the Screen'' is a 1916 American silent short comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, and also starring Eric Campbell and Edna Purviance. The film is in the public domain. Plot The film takes place in a ...

'' (1981–1982), the 1985 ''

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 '' The Mark of the Rani'', and ''

The New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...

'' (1987). On radio he starred as ''

The Toff In the series of adventure novels by John Creasey, the Toff is the nickname of the Honourable Richard Rollison, an upper-class crime sleuth. Creasey published almost 60 Toff adventures, beginning with ''Introducing the Toff'' in 1938 and conti ...

'' in the BBC radio adaptation of the

John Creasey John Creasey (17 September 1908 – 9 June 1973) was an English author known mostly for detective and crime novels but who also wrote science fiction, romance and westerns. He wrote more than six hundred novels using twenty-eight different p ...

novels. He appeared in all but two episodes of '' Bergerac'' from 1981 to 1991. He also played Commander Duffield in the 1985 pilot episode of ''

Dempsey and Makepeace ''Dempsey and Makepeace'' is a British television crime drama made by LWT for ITV, created and produced by Ranald Graham. Lead roles were played by Michael Brandon (Lieutenant Dempsey) and Glynis Barber (Sergeant Makepeace), who got married ...

'', Armed and Extremely Dangerous. Alexander appeared on the West End in comedies and farces, and his credits included ''Move Over Mrs Markham'' (1971), ''Two and Two Make Sex'' (1973), ''There Goes The Bride'' (1974–75) and ''Fringe Benefits'' (1976).

Personal life

By the time of '' Bergerac'' Alexander was blind in one eye due to a condition of the retina, which seriously threatened his sight in the other eye. He retired from acting in 1999, suffering from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

. He lived in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

, London, with his second wife, the actress

Jane Downs Jane Margaret Downs (22 January 1935 – 20 May 2015) was an English actress. Early life Downs was born in Bromley, Kent, England. Career She started her career in the theatre, and later appeared on radio and in film, playing Kenneth More ...

. He died on 28 May 2009 aged 86.

Filmography

Film

* ''Comin' Thro the Rye'' (1947) as

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

(film debut) * '' The Woman with No Name'' (1950) as 2nd Sapper Officer * '' The Elusive Pimpernel'' (1950) as

Duke of Dorset Duke of Dorset was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1720 for the politician Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, Lionel Sackville, 7th Earl of Dorset. History The Sackville family descended from Richard Sackville (es ...

* ''

A Tale of Five Cities ''A Tale of Five Cities'' ( and released as ''A Tale of Five Women'' in the US) is a 1951 British-Italian international co-production comedy drama film directed by Romolo Marcellini, Emil E. Reinert, Wolfgang Staudte, Montgomery Tully, Irma ...

'' (1951) * '' Death Is a Number'' (1951) as Alan Robert * '' The Gentle Gunman'' (1952) as Ship's Officer (uncredited) * ''

Top Secret Classified information is confidential material that a government deems to be sensitive information which must be protected from unauthorized disclosure that requires special handling and dissemination controls. Access is restricted by law or ...

'' (1952) as second M.V.D. * '' Glad Tidings'' (1953) as First Lieutenant Spud Cusack * '' Park Plaza 605'' (1953) as Hotel Manager * ''

The Runaway Bus ''The Runaway Bus'' (also known as ''Scream in the Night'') is a 1954 British comedy film produced, written and directed by Val Guest. It stars Frankie Howerd, Margaret Rutherford and Petula Clark and an ensemble cast of character actors in a s ...

'' (1954) as Peter Jones * '' Dangerous Cargo'' (1954) as Harry Fraser * '' The Green Scarf'' (1954) as Wireless Operator * '' Hands of Destiny'' (1954) as Ranald's Office Manager * '' Out of the Clouds'' (1955) as Bob Robins – Duty Room Radio Operator (uncredited) * '' Portrait of Alison'' (1955) as Fenby * '' Who Done It?'' (1956) as Radio Show Official (uncredited) * '' The Green Man'' (1956) as Radio Announcer (uncredited) * ''The Eternal Question'' (1956) * '' The One That Got Away'' (1957) as R.A.F. Intelligence Officer * '' The Square Peg'' (1958) as Captain Wharton * '' The Doctor's Dilemma'' (1958) as Mr. Lanchester * '' Danger Within'' (1959) as Lt. Gibbs * '' Breakout'' (1959) as Farrow * '' Don't Panic Chaps!'' (1959) as Lieutenant Babbington * '' The Price of Silence'' (1960) as John Braine * ''

The League of Gentlemen ''The League of Gentlemen'' is a British surreal comedy horror series that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the lives ...

'' (1960) as Rupert * ''

The Bulldog Breed ''The Bulldog Breed'' is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom. It was written by Henry Blyth, Jack Davies and Wisdom. Plot Norman Puckle, a well-meaning but clumsy grocer's assistant, cannot seem to ...

'' (1960) as Defending Counsel * ''

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 ...

'', ''( Man at the Carlton Tower)'' (1961) as Johnny Time * ''

Carry On Regardless ''Carry On Regardless'' is a 1961 British comedy film, the fifth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film revolves loosely around the activities of a job agency, 'Helping Hand', run by Sid James's character, Bert Handy ...

'' (1961) as Trevor Trelawney * '' The Gentle Terror'' (1961) as David * '' The Fast Lady'' (1962) as Policeman on Motorcycle * '' On the Beat'' (1962) as Chief Supt. Bert Belcher * '' She Always Gets Their Man'' (1962) as Bob Conley * '' The Mind Benders'' (1963) as Rowing Coach (uncredited) * '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963) as Captain * '' Bitter Harvest'' (1963) as Andy * ''

The Intelligence Men ''The Intelligence Men'' (U.S. title: ''Spylarks'') is a 1965 comedy film directed by Robert Asher and starring the British comic duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. It is subtitled " M.I.5 plus 2 equals 0". Morecambe and Wise made two further ...

'' (1965) as Reed * ''

Judith The Book of Judith is a deuterocanonical book included in the Septuagint and the Catholic Church, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Christian Old Testament of the Bible but Development of the Hebrew Bible canon, excluded from the ...

'' (1966) as Carstairs * '' The Long Duel'' (1967) as Major * '' The Spare Tyres'' (1967) as Dennis Colville * '' Only When I Larf'' (1968) as Gee Gee Gray * '' What's Good for the Goose'' (1969) as Frisby * '' Run a Crooked Mile'' (1969) as Peter Martin * '' The Magic Christian'' (1969) as Mad Major * '' Waterloo'' (1970) as Lord Uxbridge * '' All the Way Up'' (1970) as Bob Chickman * '' The Vault of Horror'' (1973) as Breedley (Segment 5 "Drawn and Quartered") * '' The Day of the Jackal'' (1973) as Lloyd * '' Claudine'' (1974) as Teddy (uncredited) * '' The Internecine Project'' (1974) as Business Tycoon * ''

The Seven Dials Mystery ''The Seven Dials Mystery'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by William Collins & Sons on 24 January 1929 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. In this novel, Christie bri ...

'' (1981) as George Lomax * ''That Englishwoman: An Account of the Life of Emily Hobhouse'' (1989) as Rev. Reginald Hobhouse (final film)

Television

*'' The New Adventures of Charlie Chan'' (1958) as Gerald Torrance *'' Solo for Canary'' (1958) as Flash *'' Garry Halliday'' (1959–61) as Bill Dodds (co pilot) * ''

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created ...

'' *'' The Avengers'' (1965–1969) as 'Piggy' Warren/Ponsonby/Bromfield *''

'' (1967) as Montague Dartie *''

'' (1968) as Douglas Trennick * '' Ben Travers' Farces'' (1970) as Various roles *'' Bless This House'' (1971) as Dr. Ian McLaren * ''

Lord Peter Wimsey (TV series) ''Lord Peter Wimsey'' is a series of television serial adaptations of five Lord Peter Wimsey novels by Dorothy L. Sayers, starring Ian Carmichael as Wimsey. They were broadcast on BBC1 between 1972 and 1975, beginning with ''Clouds of Witness'' i ...

'' (''

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club ''The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club'' is a 1928 mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her fourth featuring Lord Peter Wimsey. Much of the novel is set in the Bellona Club, a fictional London club for war veterans ( Bellona being a Roman go ...

'', episode) (1973) as Robert Fentiman *'' The Pallisers'' (1974) as Lord George *'' Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill'' (1974) as

Henry Ainley Henry Hinchliffe Ainley (21 August 1879 – 31 October 1945) was an English actor. Life and career Early years Ainley was born in Morley, West Yorkshire, Morley, near Leeds, on 21 August 1879, the only son and eldest child of Richard Ainley (18 ...

*'' Ike'' (1979) as Gen. Arthur Tedder *'' Churchill and the Generals'' (1979) as Gen. Sir Harold Alexander *'' Bergerac'' (1981–1991) as Charlie Hungerford * ''Frankenstein'' (1984) as Alphonse Frankenstein *''

Strangers and Brothers ''Strangers and Brothers'' is a series of novels by C. P. Snow, published between 1940 and 1970. They deal with – among other things – questions of political and personal integrity, and the mechanics of exercising power. Plot All eleve ...

'' (1984) as R.S.Robinson *''

'' (1985) as Lord Ravensworth *

(1989-1992) as Sir Greville Macdonald *''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'' (1999) as Laurence Wilkinson (final appearance)

References

External links

*
Obituary in ''The Daily Telegraph''

Obituary in ''The Guardian''

Obituary in ''The Times''
– subscribers only
Obituary in ''The Scotsman''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Terence 1923 births 2009 deaths English male film actors English male radio actors English male stage actors English male television actors People educated at Ratcliffe College Actors from the London Borough of Islington Deaths from Parkinson's disease in England Royal Armoured Corps officers Military personnel from the London Borough of Islington British Army personnel of World War II 24th Lancers officers Male actors from Yorkshire Male actors from London People from Islington (district)