Derek Benfield: Difference between revisions

 

Line 11: Line 11:

| death_place = [[Esher]], England

| death_place = [[Esher]], England

| occupation = Playwright and Actor

| occupation = Playwright and Actor

| years_active = 1948-2005

| years_active =

| spouse = {{marriage|Susan Lyall Grant|1957}}

| spouse = {{marriage|Susan Lyall Grant|1957}}

| children = 2

| children = 2

British actor and playwright (1926–2009)

Derek Benfield
Born	Derek Benfield (1926-03-11)11 March 1926
Died	10 March 2009(2009-03-10) (aged 82)
Occupation(s)	Playwright and Actor
Years active	1948–2005
Spouse	Susan Lyall Grant ​ (m. 1957)​
Children	2

Derek Benfield (11 March 1926 – 10 March 2009) was a British playwright and actor.

He was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, and educated at Bingley Grammar School. He was the author of the stage farce Running Riot and played Patricia Routledge‘s character’s husband in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1996–1998).

Arguably, Benfield’s best known character portrayal was as transport company foreman Bill Riley in the UK television series The Brothers in the early 1970s. Before this, he starred as Frank Skinner in the 1970 cult sci-fi series broadcast on UK ITV, Timeslip. Some of his other television roles included Walter Greenhalgh in Coronation Street (1961–1969), Albert the Clerk in Rumpole of the Bailey (1978–80), and characters in Breakaway (1980) and First of the Summer Wine (1988).

His film credits include small roles in Crossplot (1969), I Don’t Want to Be Born (1975) and Lifeforce (1985). His plays included the farces Post Horn Gallop and Wild Goose Chase, both about the fictional exploits of the eccentric Lord and Lady Elrood and visitors to their castle.

He also appeared with Colin Baker as John Hallam in the Doctor Who audio play Catch-1782 produced by Big Finish Productions.

• The Young in Heart, 1953^[1]
• The Way the Wind Blows, 1954^[1]
• Champagne for Breakfast, 1954^[1]
• Wild Goose Chase, 1955
• Running Riot, 1958
• Out of Thin Air, 1961^[1]
• Fish out of Water, 1963
• Down to Brass Tacks, 1964
• Third Party Risk, 1964
• The Party, 1964
• Post Horn Gallop, 1965
• Murder for the Asking, 1967
• Off the Hook, 1970
• A Bird in the hand, 1973^[1]
• Panic Stations, 1975
• Caught on the Hop, 1979^[1]
• Beyond a Joke, 1980^[1]
• In for the Kill, 1981
• Look Who’s Talking, 1984^[1]
• Touch and Go, 1984^[1]
• Flying Feathers, 1987^[2]
• Bedside Manners, 1990^[1]
• Toe in the Water, 1991^[1]
• Don’t Lose the Place, 1992^[3]
• Anyone for Breakfast?, 1994^[4]
• Up and Running, 1995^[1]
• A Fly in the Ointment, 1996^[5]
• Two and Two Together, 1999^[1]
• Second Time Around, 2000?^[1][6]
• Funny Business, 2005^[1]
• In At the Deep End, 2005^[1]
• Over My Dead Body, 2005?^[1][7]
• First Things First, 2007^[1]

Benfield was married to actress Susan Lyle Grant from 1953 until his death in 2009. Together they had two children Jamie Benfield and Kate Plantin. He also had two grandchildren.^[8]

Benfield died of stomach cancer on 10 March in 2009 at the age of 82, on the day before his 83rd birthday.^[9][10][11]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1959	Room at the Top	Man in Bar	Uncredited
1962	A Matter of Conscience	Gerasimovich	TV film
1964	House of Glass	Sapper Maggs	TV film
1965	Jury Room[12]	Unknown
1969	Mosquito Squadron	Airman Valet	Uncredited
	Crossplot	Man in cafe
1975	I Don’t Want to Be Born	Police Inspector
	Safety – Everyone’s Business[12]	Unknown
	Safety in Shipbuilding[12]
1977	The Bia Safety Set: Safety – Hearing[12]
	The Bia Safety Set: Safety – Seeing[12]
	The Bia Safety Set: Safety – Dermatits[12]
	Safety Hearing[12]
1978	Charlie and Julie[12]	Uncle Charlie
1979	One Last Shock[12]	Unknown
	The Knowledge	Football Driver	TV film
1980	The Boy Who Never Was	Inspector	TV film
	Any Fool Can Do It?[12]	Unknown
	AA – The Sign for Service[12]
1982	Remembrance	Vincent’s Father
1984	Arthur’s Hallowed Ground	Eric	TV film
	Slimming Down[12]	Grandad
1985	Lifeforce	Physician
1986	FMI: Service Reception Service[12]	Unknown
1987	The Girl	Janitor
	Our Geoff	Ronnie	TV film
1995	Missing Persons[12]	Unknown