John Quayle (actor)
Encyclopedia
John Quayle is an English
actor
who is best remembered for his roles in many sitcoms including All Gas and Gaiters
, Terry and June
, Steptoe and Son
and The Liver Birds
.
serialisation of Treasure Island
alongside Bernard Miles
as Long John Silver. He also appeared in a 1952 episode of Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School. His roles in the 1960s included appearances in The Power Game and No Hiding Place
.
He appeared in the sitcom All Gas and Gaiters
in 1970. Later appearances included Steptoe and Son
, The Liver Birds
, Doomwatch
, The Dick Emery Show, The Good Life, The Duchess of Duke Street
, Happy Ever After
, Rising Damp
, Citizen Smith
, Mind Your Language
, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
, and the semi-regular role of Bunny Newbury in Upstairs, Downstairs
.
The 1980s saw Quayle play the two roles that he is perhaps the most remembered for. Firstly, he played the Duke of Broughton in the BBC period drama Nanny
. Secondly, in 1985 he became the third actor (after Terence Alexander
and Tim Barrett) to play the Medfords' best friend Malcolm in the sitcom Terry and June
. He also played a lead role in Yorkshire Television
's sitcom Farrington of the F.O.
alongside Joan Sims
and Angela Thorne
. Other appearances in the 1980s included roles in Johnny Speight
's The Nineteenth Hole and Only When I Laugh
.
In recent years Quayle has played Mr Wilcox in Hippies, Anthony Stephens in Coronation Street
, as well as roles in The Bill
, Midsomer Murders
, Monarch of the Glen, and Lab Rats
.
's Afternoon at the Seaside, and Light Up The Sky.
, Longitude, Seeing Red, A.K.A., and Fish Tales.
cat.
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...
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...
who is best remembered for his roles in many sitcoms including All Gas and Gaiters
All Gas and Gaiters
All Gas and Gaiters was a British television ecclesiastical sitcom which aired on 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 the pilot...
, Terry and June
Terry and June
Terry and June is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The programme is largely a continuation of Happy Ever After, and stars Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-class suburban couple, Terry and June Medford...
, Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...
and The Liver Birds
The Liver Birds
The Liver Birds is a British situation comedy, set in Liverpool, Merseyside, North-West of England, which aired on BBC1 from 1969 to 1978, and again in 1996. It was created by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor. The two Liverpool housewives had met at a local writers club and decided to pool their talents...
.
Career
Quayle's first main TV role was that of Jim Hawkins in the 1951 BBCBBC
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...
serialisation of Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
alongside Bernard Miles
Bernard Miles
Bernard James Miles, Baron Miles, CBE was an English character actor, writer and director. He opened the Mermaid Theatre in London in 1959, the first new theatre opened in the City of London since the 17th century....
as Long John Silver. He also appeared in a 1952 episode of Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School. His roles in the 1960s included appearances in The Power Game and No Hiding Place
No Hiding Place
No Hiding Place is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967....
.
He appeared in the sitcom All Gas and Gaiters
All Gas and Gaiters
All Gas and Gaiters was a British television ecclesiastical sitcom which aired on 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 the pilot...
in 1970. Later appearances included Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...
, The Liver Birds
The Liver Birds
The Liver Birds is a British situation comedy, set in Liverpool, Merseyside, North-West of England, which aired on BBC1 from 1969 to 1978, and again in 1996. It was created by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor. The two Liverpool housewives had met at a local writers club and decided to pool their talents...
, Doomwatch
Doomwatch
Doomwatch is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC, which ran on BBC One between 1970 and 1972. The series was set in the then present-day, and dealt with a scientific government agency led by Doctor Spencer Quist , responsible for investigating and combating various...
, The Dick Emery Show, The Good Life, The Duchess of Duke Street
The Duchess of Duke Street
The Duchess Of Duke Street is a BBC television drama series set in London between 1900 and 1935. It was created by John Hawkesworth, the former producer of the highly successful ITV period drama Upstairs, Downstairs...
, Happy Ever After
Happy Ever After
Happy Ever After is a British sitcom starring Terry Scott and June Whitfield. It aired from 1974 to 1978 and was written by John T. Chapman, Eric Merriman, Christopher Bond, John Kane and Jon Watkins...
, Rising Damp
Rising Damp
Rising Damp is a television sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV, first broadcast from 1974 to 1978. It was adapted for television by Eric Chappell from his well-received 1971 stage play, The Banana Box The series was the highest-ranking ITV sitcom on the 100 Best Sitcoms poll run in...
, Citizen Smith
Citizen Smith
Citizen Smith is a British television sitcom. The show was written by John Sullivan, who later wrote Only Fools and Horses. The pilot was transmitted on 12 April 1977 in the Comedy Special series of one-off plays, and the series proper ran from 3 November 1977 to 31 December 1980.Citizen Smith...
, Mind Your Language
Mind Your Language
Mind Your Language is a British comedy television series, that premiered on ITV in late 1977. Produced by LWT and directed by Stuart Allen, it is set in an adult education college in London and focuses on the English as a Foreign Language class taught by Mr. Jeremy Brown, portrayed by Barry Evans,...
, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is a series of novels which developed into a British sitcom starring Leonard Rossiter in the title role...
, and the semi-regular role of Bunny Newbury in Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
.
The 1980s saw Quayle play the two roles that he is perhaps the most remembered for. Firstly, he played the Duke of Broughton in the BBC period drama Nanny
Nanny
A nanny, childminder or child care provider, is an individual who provides care for one or more children in a family as a service...
. Secondly, in 1985 he became the third actor (after Terence Alexander
Terence Alexander
Terence Joseph Alexander was an English film and television actor, best known for his role as Charlie Hungerford in the British TV drama Bergerac.-Early life and career:...
and Tim Barrett) to play the Medfords' best friend Malcolm in the sitcom Terry and June
Terry and June
Terry and June is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The programme is largely a continuation of Happy Ever After, and stars Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-class suburban couple, Terry and June Medford...
. He also played a lead role in Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
's sitcom Farrington of the F.O.
Farrington of the F.O.
Farrington of the F.O. was a British television comedy series by Dick Sharples about the staff of the British Consulate in "one of the armpits of Latin America". It was produced by Yorkshire Television and broadcast from 1986 to 1987...
alongside Joan Sims
Joan Sims
Joan Sims was an English actress best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, and latterly for playing Madge Hardcastle in As Time Goes By.-Early life:...
and Angela Thorne
Angela Thorne
Angela Thorne is an English actress who is best known for her roles in To the Manor Born and Anyone for Denis?-Early life:Angela Thorne was born in Karachi, British India, , in 1939...
. Other appearances in the 1980s included roles in Johnny Speight
Johnny Speight
Johnny Speight , was a British television scriptwriter of many classic British sitcoms.He emerged in the mid 1950s. He wrote for the radio comics; Frankie Howerd, Vic Oliver, Arthur Askey, and Cyril Fletcher. For television he wrote for the Arthur Haynes Show, Morecambe & Wise, and Peter Sellers...
's The Nineteenth Hole and Only When I Laugh
Only When I Laugh (TV series)
Only When I Laugh is a British television sitcom made by Yorkshire Television for ITV between 29 October 1979 and 16 December 1982. It was set in the ward of an NHS hospital. The title is the answer to the question, "Does it hurt?"...
.
In recent years Quayle has played Mr Wilcox in Hippies, Anthony Stephens in Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, as well as roles in The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
, Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
, Monarch of the Glen, and Lab Rats
Lab Rats
Lab Rats is a 2008 BBC 2 situation comedy set in a university science laboratory. It stars Chris Addison, who has co-written the series with Carl Cooper...
.
Theatre career
Appearances include Agatha ChristieAgatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's Afternoon at the Seaside, and Light Up The Sky.
Film career
Films include Night Train to Paris, Privates on ParadePrivates on Parade
Privates on Parade: A Play with Songs in Two Acts is a 1977 farce by English playwright Peter Nichols , with music by Denis King.-Plot:...
, Longitude, Seeing Red, A.K.A., and Fish Tales.
Animal sanctuary
At the time of the filming of series 2 of Farrington, John Quayle and his wife Petronell were using their farmhouse home as an animal sanctuary. They began in 1976 when they adopted two donkeys from Sidmouth Sanctuary. In 1984 they adopted their third donkey, Jacob. Other animals included a pony, a horse, three pugs, and a Russian BlueRussian Blue
The Russian Blue is a cat breed that has a silver-blue coat. These cats are known to be highly intelligent and playful but tend to be timid around strangers...
cat.