Clive Swift
Encyclopedia
Clive Walter Swift is an English
character comedy
actor
and songwriter
. He is best known for his role as character Richard Bucket
in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances
. He is less known for his role as character Roy in the British television series The Old Guys
. Swift was born in Liverpool
, England
, the son of Lily Rebecca (née
Greenman) and Abram Sampson Swift. He was educated at Clifton College
and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
, where he read English literature
. He was previously a teacher at LAMDA and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
. Swift has appeared in many TV series and movies.
In the 1970s, he appeared as Doctor Black in two of the BBC
's M.R. James adaptations
: The Stalls of Barchester
and A Warning to the Curious
. He is most noted for his performance in Keeping Up Appearances
, starring as Richard Bucket
, the long-suffering husband of Hyacinth
. He also starred in the BBC
adaptation of The Barchester Chronicles
and appeared in the Doctor Who
story Revelation of the Daleks
. On 25 December 2007, he appeared in a Doctor Who
Christmas special
as Mr Copper. He also played Sir Ector
, the adoptive father of King Arthur
in John Boorman
's 1981 film Excalibur
.
Swift was formerly married to novelist Margaret Drabble (1960-1975). He is the father of one daughter, Rebecca, who runs The Literary Consultancy in London's Free Word Centre
and two sons, Adam Swift
, an academic, and Joe Swift
, a TV gardener. His brother, David Swift, is also an actor.
As well as acting, he is a songwriter. Many of his songs are included in his show, Richard Bucket Overflows: An Audience with Clive Swift, which toured the UK in 2007 and Clive Swift Entertains, performing his own music and lyrics, which toured the UK in 2009.
He also played the part of the Reverend Eustacius Brewer, which aired on BBC 1,from 2002-2005.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
character comedy
Character comedy
Character comedy is a method/genre used by some comedians. In character comedy the comedian performs as though he was a character created by him/her...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He is best known for his role as character Richard Bucket
Richard Bucket
Richard Bucket is a fictional character played by Clive Swift in the British comedy TV series Keeping Up Appearances, which was aired from 1990 to 1995...
in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
. He is less known for his role as character Roy in the British television series The Old Guys
The Old Guys
The Old Guys is a British comedy television series that revolves around two aging housemates: Tom Finnan and Roy Bowden . The pair live across the street from Sally , whom they both find attractive. Tom moved in with Roy after Roy's wife Penny deserted him...
. Swift was born in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of Lily Rebecca (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Greenman) and Abram Sampson Swift. He was educated at Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
, where he read English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
. He was previously a teacher at LAMDA and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
. Swift has appeared in many TV series and movies.
In the 1970s, he appeared as Doctor Black in two of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's M.R. James adaptations
A Ghost Story for Christmas
A Ghost Story for Christmas is a strand of annual British short television films originally broadcast on BBC One from 1971 to 1978, and later revived in 2005 on BBC Four. With one exception, the original instalments are directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark and the films are all shot on 16 mm...
: The Stalls of Barchester
The Stalls of Barchester
The Stalls of Barchester is the first of the BBC's Ghost Story for Christmas strand, first broadcast on BBC 1 at 11pm on 24 December 1971. Based on the story "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" from the 1911 collection More Ghost Stories by M.R...
and A Warning to the Curious
A Warning to the Curious
"A Warning to the Curious" is a ghost story by M.R. James, found in his book A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories first published in 1925. The tale tells the story of Paxton, an amateur archeologist who travels to "Seaburgh" and inadvertently stumbles across one of the lost crowns of...
. He is most noted for his performance in Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
, starring as Richard Bucket
Richard Bucket
Richard Bucket is a fictional character played by Clive Swift in the British comedy TV series Keeping Up Appearances, which was aired from 1990 to 1995...
, the long-suffering husband of Hyacinth
Hyacinth Bucket
Hyacinth Bucket, who insists her last name is pronounced "Bouquet" , is the main character in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances , played by Patricia Routledge.-Personality:...
. He also starred in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
adaptation of The Barchester Chronicles
The Barchester Chronicles
The Barchester Chronicles is a 1982 British television serial produced by the BBC. It is an adaptation of Anthony Trollope's first two Barchester novels, The Warden and Barchester Towers, and was directed by David Giles...
and appeared in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
story Revelation of the Daleks
Revelation of the Daleks
Revelation of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on 23 March and 30 March 1985...
. On 25 December 2007, he appeared in a Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
Christmas special
Voyage of the Damned (Doctor Who)
"Voyage of the Damned" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. First broadcast on 25 December 2007, it is 72 minutes long and the third Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005...
as Mr Copper. He also played Sir Ector
Sir Ector
Sir Ector is the father of Sir Kay and the foster father of King Arthur in the Arthurian legend. Sometimes a king instead of merely a lord, he has an estate in the country as well as properties in London. In The Once and Future King T. H...
, the adoptive father of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
in John Boorman
John Boorman
John Boorman is a British filmmaker who is a long time resident of Ireland and is best known for his feature films such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Zardoz, Excalibur, The Emerald Forest, Hope and Glory, The General and The Tailor of Panama.-Early life:Boorman was born in Shepperton, Surrey,...
's 1981 film Excalibur
Excalibur (film)
Excalibur is a 1981 dramatic fantasy film directed, produced and co-written by John Boorman that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Adapted from the 15th century Arthurian romance, Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory, Excalibur features the music of Richard Wagner...
.
Swift was formerly married to novelist Margaret Drabble (1960-1975). He is the father of one daughter, Rebecca, who runs The Literary Consultancy in London's Free Word Centre
Free Word Centre
The Free Word Centre is an international centre promoting literature, literacy and free expression, based in Farringdon, London. It is funded by the Arts council and its director is Rose Fenton. It opened in June 2009 and hosts ten resident organisations including ARTICLE 19, English PEN and Index...
and two sons, Adam Swift
Adam Swift
Adam Swift is a British political philosopher and sociologist who specialises in debates surrounding liberal egalitarianism. He has published books on communitarianism, on the philosophical aspects of school choice, and on social justice, as well as an extremely successful introduction to...
, an academic, and Joe Swift
Joe Swift
Joe Swift is an English garden designer, journalist and television personality.-Television career:Swift is a regular presenter and designer on the BBC's Gardeners' World, co-presenter on the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show, Gardeners' World Live, Hampton Court, RHS Tatton Park...
, a TV gardener. His brother, David Swift, is also an actor.
As well as acting, he is a songwriter. Many of his songs are included in his show, Richard Bucket Overflows: An Audience with Clive Swift, which toured the UK in 2007 and Clive Swift Entertains, performing his own music and lyrics, which toured the UK in 2009.
He also played the part of the Reverend Eustacius Brewer, which aired on BBC 1,from 2002-2005.
Film
- Death LineDeath LineDeath Line is a 1972 British horror film, distributed as Raw Meat in the United States. The film stars Donald Pleasence as Inspector Calhoun, and was directed by the American filmmaker Gary Sherman.-Plot:...
(1972) - FrenzyFrenzyFrenzy is a 1972 British thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The film is based upon the novel Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square by Arthur La Bern, and was adapted for the screen by Anthony Shaffer. La Bern...
(1972) - The National HealthThe National Health (film)The National Health is a 1973 British comedy film directed by Jack Gold and starring Lynn Redgrave, Colin Blakely and Eleanor Bron. It is based on the play The National Health by Peter Nichols, in which the staff struggle to cope in an underfunded NHS hospital...
(1973) - Man at the TopMan at the Top (film)Man at the Top is a 1973 British drama film directed by Mike Vardy and starring Kenneth Haigh, spun off from the television series Man at the Top which itself was inspired by the 1959 film Room at the Top and its sequel Life at the Top.-Cast:...
(1973) - Romeo and Juliet (1976)
- ExcaliburExcalibur (film)Excalibur is a 1981 dramatic fantasy film directed, produced and co-written by John Boorman that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Adapted from the 15th century Arthurian romance, Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory, Excalibur features the music of Richard Wagner...
(1981) - A Passage to IndiaA Passage to India (film)A Passage to India is a 1984 drama film written and directed by David Lean. The screenplay is based on the 1924 novel of the same title by E. M. Forster and the 1960 play by Santha Rama Rau that was inspired by the novel....
(1984) - Gaston's WarGaston's WarGaston's War is a 1997 drama film directed by Robbe De Hert and starring Werner De Smedt, Mapi Galán and Peter Firth. Many decades after the Second World War, a Belgian resistance fighter, Gaston Vandermeerssche, tries to discover who betrayed them to the Nazis. It is based on a novel by Allan...
(1997) - Othello (2004)
Television
- Hustle (TV series)Hustle (TV series)Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but...
as Yusef - The Old GuysThe Old GuysThe Old Guys is a British comedy television series that revolves around two aging housemates: Tom Finnan and Roy Bowden . The pair live across the street from Sally , whom they both find attractive. Tom moved in with Roy after Roy's wife Penny deserted him...
as Roy - Born and BredBorn and BredBorn and Bred is a light-hearted British drama series that aired on BBC One from 2002 to 2005. Created by Chris Chibnall and Nigel McCrery, Born and Breds cast was led by James Bolam and Michael French, who play a father and son who run a cottage hospital in Ormston, a fictional Lancashire village...
as Reverend Brewer - Peak PracticePeak PracticePeak Practice is a British drama series about a GP surgery in Cardale — a small fictional town in the Derbyshire Peak District — and the doctors who worked there. It ran on ITV from 10 May 1993 to 30 January 2002 and was one of their most successful series at the time...
as Norman Shorthose - Aristocrats (TV mini-series)Aristocrats (TV mini-series)Aristocrats is a 1999 Television series, based on the biography by Stella Tillyard. The series consists of six episodes of 50 minutes each and was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC, starting on 22 June 1999...
as King George II - Keeping Up AppearancesKeeping Up AppearancesKeeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
as Richard Bucket - Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
- Revelation of the DaleksRevelation of the DaleksRevelation of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on 23 March and 30 March 1985...
as Jobel - Voyage of the DamnedVoyage of the Damned (Doctor Who)"Voyage of the Damned" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. First broadcast on 25 December 2007, it is 72 minutes long and the third Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005...
as Mr Copper
- Revelation of the Daleks
- Waugh on Crime as Inspector Waugh
- BeastsBeasts (TV series)Beasts is a series of six television plays by Manx writer Nigel Kneale, unconnected but for a bestial horror theme, made by ATV for ITV in the United Kingdom and broadcast in 1976.-Episodes:-External links:* at the BFI's Screenonline...
- "The Dummy" as Bunny - First Among EqualsFirst Among Equals (TV series)First Among Equals is a ten-part miniseries based on Jeffrey Archer's 1984 novel First Among Equals, produced by Granada Television and aired on ITV in 1986....
as Alec Pimkin - Inspector Morse - The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn as Doctor Bartlett
- The Liver Birds - as Jim Royle
- Stalls of Barchester
- A Warning to the Curious
- South Riding
- The Pickwick Papers (1985 television series)The Pickwick Papers (1985 television series)The Pickwick Papers is a twelve-part BBC adaption of The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, made in 1985. It starred Nigel Stock, Alan Parnaby, Clive Swift and Patrick Malahide, with narration spoken by Ray Brooks.- Central characters :...
Radio
- OblomovOblomovOblomov is the best known novel by Russian writer Ivan Goncharov, first published in 1859. Oblomov is also the central character of the novel, often seen as the ultimate incarnation of the superfluous man, a symbolic character in 19th-century Russian literature...
as the Doctor - The Right Time
- From Fact to Fiction - The Orchard as The Narrator
- Measure for MeasureMeasure for MeasureMeasure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. It was classified as comedy, but its mood defies those expectations. As a result and for a variety of reasons, some critics have labelled it as one of Shakespeare's problem plays...
as Escalus - "Jorrocks's Jaunts and Jollities" as Nash
Television roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Nesbitts Are Coming | Ernie Nesbitt |
| 1985 | The Pickwick Papers The Pickwick Papers (1985 television series) The Pickwick Papers is a twelve-part BBC adaption of The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, made in 1985. It starred Nigel Stock, Alan Parnaby, Clive Swift and Patrick Malahide, with narration spoken by Ray Brooks.- Central characters :... |
Tracy Tupman |
| 1985/2007 | Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior... |
Jobel/Mr. Copper |
| 1990 to 1995 | Keeping Up Appearances Keeping Up Appearances Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society... |
Richard Bucket |
| 2009 to Present | The Old Guys The Old Guys The Old Guys is a British comedy television series that revolves around two aging housemates: Tom Finnan and Roy Bowden . The pair live across the street from Sally , whom they both find attractive. Tom moved in with Roy after Roy's wife Penny deserted him... |
Roy Bowden |