Anthony Edward Lowry Britton (9 June 1924 – 22 December 2019) was an English actor. He appeared in a variety of films (including '' The Day of the Jackal'') and television

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

s (including '' Don't Wait Up'' and '' Robin's Nest'').

Background

Britton was born in

Erdington Erdington is a suburb and ward of Birmingham, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Warwickshire, it is located northeast of central Birmingham, bordering Sutt ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, the son of Doris Marguerite (née Jones) and Edward Leslie Britton. His father was landlord of the Trocadero

public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

on Temple Street in Birmingham. He attended Edgbaston Collegiate School, Birmingham and Thornbury Grammar School,

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

. 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

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

and he also worked for an

estate agent An estate agent is a person or business in the United Kingdom that arranges the selling, renting, or managing of real estate, properties and other buildings. An agent that specialises in renting is often called a Letting agent, letting or manag ...

and in an aircraft factory. He joined an

amateur dramatics Amateur theatre, also known as amateur dramatics, is theatre performed by amateur actors and singers. Amateur theatre groups may stage plays, revues, musicals, light opera, pantomime or variety shows, and do so for the social activity as well as f ...

group in

Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary district, in the county of Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. Its population ...

and then turned professional, appearing on stage at

the Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

and with the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

Career

He appeared in numerous British films from the 1950s onwards, including ''

Operation Amsterdam ''Operation Amsterdam'' is a 1959 black and white British action film, directed by Michael McCarthy (film director), Michael McCarthy, and featuring Peter Finch, Eva Bartok and Tony Britton. It is based on a true story as described in the book ' ...

'' (1959), '' Sunday Bloody Sunday'' (1971) and '' The Day of the Jackal'' (1973). Britton won the Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actor and was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1975 for '' The Nearly Man''. He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1977 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews outside London's Cafe Royal. In 1979, Britton was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for playing Henry Higgins in ''My Fair Lady'' at the Adelphi Theatre. From 1983 to 1990, he starred with Nigel Havers and Dinah Sheridan in the BBC

'' Don't Wait Up'', which became a highlight of his career. His other sitcom appearances included '' ...And Mother Makes Five'', '' Father, Dear Father'' and as James Nicholls in '' Robin's Nest''. Britton recorded many audiobook versions of novels by

Dick Francis Richard Stanley Francis (31 October 1920 – 14 February 2010) was a British steeplechase jockey and crime writer whose novels centre on horse racing in England. After wartime service in the RAF, Francis became a full-time jump-jockey, winn ...

. In September 2013 Sir

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, comedian and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...

directed a Gala Performance of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'' at

in London. Britton played the Earl of Gloucester.

Personal life

Britton and his first wife Ruth (née Hawkins), to whom he was married from 1948 until divorcing in 1961, had two children, scriptwriter Cherry Britton and TV presenter Fern Britton. Cherry was married to children's TV presenter Brian Cant. Fern was married to Phil Vickery until 2020. In 1962, Britton married Danish sculptor and wartime Danish resistance Eva Castle Britton (née Skytte Birkfeldt). They had one son, actor Jasper Britton. Britton lived in Fiddington, Somerset, in his later years. He died in the

London Borough of Hillingdon The London Borough of Hillingdon () is a London borough in Greater London, England. It forms part of outer London and West London, being the westernmost London borough. It was formed in 1965 from the districts of Hayes and Harlington Urban Distr ...

on 22 December 2019, at the age of 95.

Films

* '' Waterfront'' (1950) as Deck-Hand (uncredited) * '' Cage of Gold'' (1950) as Nicky (uncredited) * ''

Salute the Toff ''Salute the Toff'' is a 1952 British crime film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring John Bentley and Carol Marsh. The film was based on the 1941 novel of the same name by John Creasey, the sixth in the series featuring upper-class sleut ...

'' (1952) as Draycott * The Man who Stroked Cats (1955) as Tom Meredith ( Dir. by Anthony Pelissier with Peggy Anne Clifford) (short) * '' Loser Takes All'' (1956) as Tony * ''

The Birthday Present ''The Birthday Present'' is a 1957 British drama film directed by Pat Jackson and starring Tony Britton and Sylvia Syms. The screenplay was by Jack Whittingham who also produced the film for British Lion Films. Plot Simon Scott, a top toy s ...

'' (1957) as Simon Scott * '' Behind the Mask'' (1958) as Philip Selwood * '' The Heart of a Man'' (1959) as Tony Carlisle * ''

'' (1959) as Major Dillon * '' The Rough and the Smooth'' (1959) as Mike Thompson * '' The Last Winter'' (1960) as Stephen Burton * ''

Suspect In law enforcement jargon, a suspect is a known person accused or suspected of committing a crime. Police and reporters in the United States often use the word suspect as a jargon when referring to the perpetrator of the offense (perp in dated U. ...

'' (1960) as Robert Marriott * '' The Break'' (1963) as Greg Parker * '' Dr. Syn Alias the Scarecrow'' (1963) as Simon Bates * ''

There's a Girl in My Soup ''There's a Girl in My Soup'' is a 1970 British romantic comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn. Terence Frisby wrote the screenplay based on his 1966 stage play of the same name. Plot Robert Danve ...

'' (1970) as Andrew Hunter * '' Sunday Bloody Sunday'' (1971) as George Harding * '' Mr. Forbush and the Penguins'' (1971) as George Dewport * '' The Day of the Jackal'' (1973) as Superintendent Brian Thomas * '' Night Watch'' (1973) as Tony * '' The People That Time Forgot'' (1977) as Captain Lawton * '' Agatha'' (1979) as William Collins * '' Countdown to War'' (1989) as Sir

Nevile Henderson Sir Nevile Meyrick Henderson (10 June 1882 – 30 December 1942) was a British diplomat who served as the ambassador of the United Kingdom to Nazi Germany, Germany from 1937 to 1939. Early life and education Henderson was born at Sedgwick, Wes ...

* '' Run for Your Wife'' (2012) as Man on Bus (final film role)

Television

* ''

Melissa Melissa is a feminine given name. The name comes from the Greek language, Greek word μέλισσα (''mélissa''), "bee", which in turn comes from μέλι (''meli''), "honey". In Hittite language, Hittite, ''melit'' signifies "honey". Meliss ...

'' (1964) * '' The Saint'' (1968) * '' Marked Personal'' (1974) *'' The Nearly Man'' (1975) *'' ...And Mother Makes Five'' (1975) *'' Robin's Nest'' (1977–1981) *'' Don't Wait Up'' (1983–1990) *'' Strangers and Brothers'' (1984) *'' Don't Tell Father'' (1992) *''

The Royal ''The Royal'' is a British period medical drama, produced by Yorkshire Television (later part of ITV Studios), and broadcast on ITV from 2003 until its cancellation in 2011. The series is set in the 1960s and focuses on the lives of the st ...

'' (2006)

References

External links

*
Performances listed in Theatre Archive University of Bristol
{{DEFAULTSORT:Britton, Tony 1924 births 2019 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors British Army personnel of World War II English male film actors English male television actors Male actors from Birmingham, West Midlands Royal Artillery officers People from Edgbaston