Actors

This page covers things about actors (and other figures from the Entertainment industry) that don't fit in anywhere else. It includes personal and biographical details, but it also covers roles that just don't all fit into the same page elsewhere.

Dublin–born comedian, 1936–2005: in various runs on BBC and ITV, 1968–98, sat on a high bar stool, smoking and occasionally sipping from a glass of what he always allowed people to assume was whiskey but was actually ginger ale with ice		Dave Allen
Starred in the TV sitcoms Home Improvement (1991–9) and Last Man Standing (2011–), and also voiced Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story films		Tim Allen
Starred as Rebecca Howe in the TV sitcom Cheers, and appeared in films such as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Look Who's Talking; died in 2022, aged 71		Kirstie Alley
Revealed in her 2008 autobiography, Home: a Memoir of My Early Years, that she was conceived as a result of an affair that her mother had with a family friend		Julie Andrews
Played Estella in Great Expectations (BBC, 1967), Lady Macbeth in Roman Polanski's Macbeth (1971, including a famous nude scene), Lillie Langtry in Edward the Seventh (ITV, 1975) and the follow–up Lillie		Francesca Annis
Charged with the rape and murder of Virginia Rappe, 5 September 1921		Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle
Liverpool–born comedian and entertainer, 1900–82: famous for various catchphrases, and The Bee Song (opening lines "Oh, what a glorious thing to be / A healthy, grown–up, busy–busy bee"; chorus "Bzz–bzz–bzz–bzz, honey bee, honey bee / Bzz if you like but don't sting me")		Arthur Askey
RKO Pictures screen test report (according to legend) read "Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little" (or similar). Later described by George Balanchine and Rudolf Nureyev as 'the world's greatest dancer'		Fred Astaire
First Blue Peter presenter to have his contract terminated in mid–season, after the News of the World published a report of him taking cocaine and cannabis (1998)		Richard Bacon
African–US singer and dancer, caused a sensation at the Folies Bergere in Paris, 1926, with her Danse Sauvage – wearing just a skirt made from artificial bananas		Josephine Baker
Played Sam Beckett in the sci–fi television series Quantum Leap (1989–93) and Captain Jonathan Archer in Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–5)		Scott Bakula
Starred as Joshua Rush in the US TV soap Knots Landing, and went on to appear in films such as The Hunt for Red October, Glengarry Glen Ross and The Aviator		Alec Baldwin
Played Denzel in Only Fools & Horses, and Horse in The Full Monty		Paul Barber
Wrote comedy sketches (in which he appeared) under the name Gerald Wiley		Ronnie Barker
Turned down a proposal of marriage from Winston Churchill		Ethel Barrymore
Sued for breach of contract in 1993, for refusing to play the title role in Boxing Helena		Kim Basinger
Keen fan of Sheffield United FC – has "100% Blade" tattooed on his arm		Sean Bean
Coined the phrase "What's new, pussycat?" which he used to answer the phone to his female friends		Warren Beatty
Named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014		Victoria Beckham
Starred in Rising Damp and Porridge; died of a heart attack in 1979, aged 31		Richard Beckinsale
Actor–manager, founded RADA; brother of Max Beerbohm		Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Silent movie actor; brother Wallace an Oscar–winning director, son a famous supporting actor who died in 1994		Noah Beery
Withdrew from playing Cat Woman in Batman Returns (1992) when she became pregnant		Annette Bening
Trinidad–born presenter of Play School and Play Away: awarded a life peerage in 2010, supporting the Lib Dems		Floella Benjamin
Most famous for his role as a bank manager in the Nationwide adverts – "that's for new customers only", etc. Also played Eddie in Early Doors, Howard in Northern Lights, and Martin Pond in Barbara		Mark Benton
Said to have received a $500,000 bonus for baring her breasts in Swordfish (2001)		Halle Berry
Designed a famous handbag for the Hermès fashion house, named after her		Jane Birkin
Comedian: raised £3.4 million for Comic Relief in 2012 by completing a "triathlon" from Paris to London		John Bishop
Lead vocalist of the comedy rock duo Tenacious D (formed 1994 with his friend Kyle Gass)		Jack Black
Former EastEnders actress (played homewrecker Frankie Pierre, 1996–7): found dead along with her two sons at their home in south–east London in January 2016, 23 days after they were last seen alive; her partner (the boys' father) later pleaded guilty to all three murders		Syan Blake
Yorkshire–born actor, went on three expeditions to Mount Everest, getting to within 1,000 feet of the summit in 1993; wrote a book, The Turquoise Mountain (1991), about his first attempt		Brian Blessed
Oscar–winning actor, born on Christmas day 1899: in his first play, his only line was "Tennis, anyone?"		Humphrey Bogart
Buried (in 1957) with a small gold whistle, which had been part of a charm bracelet given to him by his fourth wife
Star of The Likely Lads, When the Boat Comes In, Only When I Laugh, The Beiderbecke Affair, and New Tricks		James Bolam
Born in Florence, 1926, the daughter of the Marchese (Marquis) Demetrio Imperiali di Francavilla; married the 9th Earl of Shannon in 1947; they divorced in 1955, but she kept his surname; became a BBC TV continuity announcer in the 1950s, and went on to star as a panel member on What's My Line; also presented the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1974 (all hosted in the UK)		Katie Boyle
Founder of the Renaissance Theatre Company, 1987 (British actor)		Kenneth Branagh
Popular British (female) comedian: performed early gigs as 'the Sea Monster'		Jo Brand
6' 7" star of The Army Game (ITV, 1957–61) and fourteen Carry On films		Bernard Bresslaw
Female singer: paid $52 million in 2014 to become the world's eighth space tourist (possibly in search of a starship trooper); later postponed the flight until further notice, citing personal reasons		Sarah Brightman
Won an Oscar for his portrayal of Iris Murdoch's husband John Bayley in Iris (2001); played Denis Thatcher in The Iron Lady (2011), Lord Longford in a 2006 Channel 4 TV play about his relationship with Myra Hindley, and DCI Roy Slater in Only Fools and Horses		Jim Broadbent
Born Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, 1923; famous for her impressions of Margaret Thatcher; died in 2011, aged 84		Janet Brown
Only actor to appear in The Magnificent Seven and The Dirty Dozen (also appeared in The Great Escape		Charles Bronson
English television presenter, model and actress: best known (according to Wikipedia) for her roles in the 2010 horror comedy film Piranha 3D and the American TV sitcom One Big Happy; previously appeared in the video for Pulp's 1997 single Help the Aged		Kelly Brook
US comedian (1925–66): renowned for his open, free–wheeling and critical style, incorporating satire, politics, religion, sex, and vulgarity; credited with paving the way for various countercultures; convicted of obscenity in 1964, but posthumously pardoned in 2003; died of a morphine overdose, aged 40		Lenny Bruce
Played Dr. Watson to Basil Rathbone's Holmes, in 14 films from 1939 to 1946		Nigel Bruce
An anti–smoking message, recorded some nine months earlier during a TV interview, was broadcast as a TV commercial a few days after his death in 1985 from lung cancer, aged 65		Yul Brynner
Won both Best Actress Oscar and Worst Actress Razzie in the same year (2010 – for The Blind Side and All About Steve respectively) – first person to do this		Sandra Bullock
Heather Huntingdon in Brookside 1982–6, Sam Ryan (central role) in Silent Witness 1996–2004, Clare Blake (title role) in The Commander 2003–		Amanda Burton
Godfather to Anthony Worrall Thompson; First Voice in the original BBC Radio production of Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood; narrated Jeff Wayne's concept album War of the Worlds (based on H. G. Wells's novel); died 5 August 1984 – two months before the release of his last film (whose title was also the year of its release and his death)		Richard Burton
Son of a charlady and a Billingsgate fish porter of part Romani heritage; and a co–owner of Langan's Brasserie (one of London's most popular restaurants)		Michael Caine
Italian–born clown: performed at Blackpool Tower Circus every summer season for forty years (1939–79) – a world record for the most performances at a single venue; retired in 1979 after suffering from exhaustion, and died in Blackpool in 1980, aged 70		Charlie Cairoli
George Bernard Shaw is said to have created the role of Eliza Doolittle (in Pygmalion) for		Mrs. Patrick Campbell
Overweight Canadian actor: died in 1994, aged 43, of a heart attack in his sleep in Durango, Mexico, while filming the Western parody Wagons East!		John Candy
American entertainer, known for his "banjo eyes"; had hits with songs such as Makin' Whoopee, If You Knew Susie, Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me, and How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm		Eddie Cantor
Played Dr. Chris Anderson in the TV soap Emergency – Ward 10 (1957–67); presented a Sunday afternoon show, All Time Greats, on BBC Radio 2 from 1981 to 2004, and a weekly evening show, The Music Goes Round, from 2004 to 2016 – both from a studio in his home in Perthshire; died in 2017, aged 90		Desmond Carrington
Pianist on Have a Go; went on to star in Coronation Street		Violet Carson
Played Colin Russell on EastEnders, 1986–9 (featuring in the first gay kiss in a UK soap opera), with a brief return in 2016; one of the founders of Stonewall; MEP for the West Midlands, 1999–2014; created a life peer in 2014		Michael Cashman
Born Ira Grossel in New York, 1918; best remembered for playing Cochise in Broken Arrow (1950), for which he received an Oscar nomination; died in 1961, aged 42, after he injured his back playing baseball and corrective surgery went wrong		Jeff Chandler
Commemorated by a blue plaque on the wall of the Angel public house in Highgate, London (died of cancer, 1989, aged 48)		Graham Chapman
Insured his feet for $150,000		Charles Chaplin
Played her own grandmother, in a 1992 bio–pic starring Robert Downey Jr. in the title role		Geraldine Chaplin
Born 15 October 1927: became the best–known look–alike to Queen Elizabeth II – having previously given up acting because her resemblance prevented her getting roles!		Jeannette Charles
Former model, leapt to fame in a series of adverts for Campari in the 1970s; starred in the ITV sitcom The Other 'Arf, 1980–4; appeared in Emmerdale, 2002–6		Lorraine Chase
Former American football star: played explosives expert Basher in the Ocean's trilogy; also starred in Hotel Rwanda (2004)		Don Cheadle
Daughter of a British prime minister: best known for her role in the 1951 film Royal Wedding – playing Anne Ashmond, romantic interest of Fred Astaire as Tom Bowen		Sarah Churchill
TV presenter: recipient, along with his sister, of one of the first two Paddington Bear stuffed toys, in 1972 (a prototype, made by his parents' company)		Jeremy Clarkson
Developed an interest in lemurs, after a ring–tailed one played a key role in one of his films; donated funds to a project to reintroduce them to their natural habitat, as a result of which he had one named after him		John Cleese
Played Jasmine Thomas in Emmerdale (2005–9), Clara Oswald (assistant to Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi) in Doctor Who, and the title role in Victoria (ITV, 2016)		Jenna Coleman
Comedian, born in Hull on Christmas Day 1925: known for his trademark "broken microphone" routine; died in 2013, aged 87		Norman Collier
Voted the world's sexiest man in 1992, at the age of 62		Sean Connery
Collapsed and died onstage at Her Majesty's Theatre, London, 15 April 1984		Tommy Cooper
Starred in Rock Follies on TV, then played the title role in the original studio recording of Evita; had an international No. 1 hit with Don't cry for me, Argentina		Julie Covington
First came to prominence in the video for Dancing in the Dark, Bruce Springsteen's biggest hit (1984), as a fan pulled onto the stage by Springsteen to dance with him		Courteney Cox
Olympic gold medallist (swimming): played Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and Tarzan		Buster Crabbe
Won an Oscar in 1950 for his leading role in All the King's Men, and also starred as Chief Dan Matthews in the TV series Highway Patrol		Broderick Crawford
Born out of wedlock in Salisbury, in 1942, and named Michael Patrick Smith		Michael Crawford
Narrator of The Wombles; voiced Tufty the road safety squirrel, and Buzby the GPO bird; played Perks the station porter in The Railway Children, Mr. Hutchinson the spoon salesman (mistaken by Basil for the hotel inspector) in Fawlty Towers, Wally Bannister on Coronation Street (2003); appeared 111 times (more than anyone else) as the storyteller on Jackanory		Bernard Cribbins
Irish comedian (1980s), had 'L' and 'R' painted on his wellies (the wrong way round)		Jimmy Cricket
Took a 37.5% share in South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league club in 2006 (his partner Peter Holmes à Court also took 37.5%, giving them 75% between them)		Russell Crowe
Married theatre director Sophie Hunter in 2015, having announced the engagement in The Times in November 2014 – when it was revealed that his middle name is Timothy		Benedict Cumberbatch
Married actor Christopher Guest, 1984. He was heir to the 4th Baron Haden–Guest; when he succeeded to the title 1996 she became Lady Haden–Guest (the 4th baron was a British UN diplomat, and his son was born in New York)		Jamie Lee Curtis
Appeared in the video for Blur's 1994 single Parklife, and spoke on the record (starred in the 1970 film version of The Who's Quadrophenia, and appeared in EastEnders in 2006–7)		Phil Daniels
Comedian known as 'Parrot Face' – after the first joke he told on TV (Opportunity Knocks, 1964)		Freddie Davies
Lost his left eye in a car accident in 1954, and wore a glass eye for the last 35 years of his life (died in 1990)		Sammy Davis Jr.
Played Tristan Farnon, Dr. Who and Albert Campion (all on BBC TV)		Peter Davison
US comedian and talk show host, "came out" as a lesbian on the Oprah Winfrey show 1997; her character in her eponymous TV sitcom followed suit shortly afterwards		Ellen DeGeneres
Had the Latin motto CARPE DIEM ("seize the day") tattooed on her right wrist on her 81st birthday, in 2016 – a present from her daughter, actress Finty Williams		Judi Dench
Made his directorial debut with A Bronx tale, 1993		Robert de Niro
Handed back his French passport in December 2012, and was granted Russian citizenship in January 2013; his gripes with the French government included what he viewed as excessive taxation		Gérard Depardieu
First ever winner of the Golden Raspberry award for Worst Actor (for the 1980 remake of The Jazz Singer)		Neil Diamond
Comedian, charged with tax evasion in 1989, but acquitted; knighted in 2017		Ken Dodd
Described herself as "the only sex symbol that Britain has produced since Lady Godiva"		Diana Dors
Played Ellie May Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies (1961–72), and Frankie to Elvis Presley's Johnny (1966); died 1 Jan 2015 aged 82		Donna Douglas
Addressed the House of Commons, 2000, on nuclear disarmament		Michael Douglas
Co–producer of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (with Saul Zaentz)
Star of the Marvel Universe series of films, named by Forbes magazine as the highest–paid actor in Hollywood for the second year running in 2014		Robert Downey, Jr.
Achieved international fame through her portrayal of Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker's love interest in the Spider Man movies (2002, 2004, 2007)		Kirsten Dunst
Became Mayor of Carmel, California, in 1986		Clint Eastwood
First individual woman to win the Perrier Award for Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Fringe (1995)		Jenny Eclair
Starred in The Good Life and Yes, Minister; died in 1995, aged 68, of skin cancer		Paul Eddington
Played glamorous attorney Jordan Roberts in Falcon Crest, and guested as Chandler's mother in Friends		Morgan Fairchild
First gained notice as Barry Took's writing partner on the ITV sitcom Bootsie & Snudge, and on BBC radio's Round the Horne; later starred in At Last the 1948 Show (ITV, 1967, with various Pythons and Goodies), and in his own BBC comedy sketch show (1968–71); also apeared in films, including The Bed Sitting Room (1969), Every Home Should Have One (1970) and Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein (1974 – as Igor, the hunchbacked servant of the title character); died of a heart attack in 1982, aged 48		Marty Feldman
English comedian: known for his 'Odd Odes' – especially after he began reading them on That's Life in 1973; catchphrase "Pin back your lugholes!"; also a regular panellist on What's My Line?; died in 2005, aged 91		Cyril Fletcher
British TV presenter whose career was launched by the BBC "reality" programme Castaway 2000 (2000–1) – in which he was one of 36 men, women and children that were left for a year on the Hebridean island of Taransay (off Harris), and tasked with building a sustainable, self–sufficient community		Ben Fogle
Achieved notoriety over her opposition to US policies in the Vietnam war and her support of the Viet Cong – visited North Vietnam – became known as Hanoi Jane; said in 2015 that "the Hanoi Jane photo" would haunt her for the rest of her life		Jane Fonda
Lancastrian entertainer: deported from South Africa in 1946 after refusing to perform before an all–white audience		George Formby (Jr.)
John Hinckley Jr. shot Ronald Reagan in 1981 in a misguided attempt to impress		Jodie Foster
Canadian–born Hollywood actor, who announced in 1999 that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease		Michael J. Fox
Comedian, actor, media personality and British National Treasure: admitted, in his 2014 memoir More Fool Me, that he'd once smuggled a hip flask of vodka into Windsor Castle		Stephen Fry
Advertised Schweppe's drinks on TV for many years		William Franklyn
Stripped of the Miss Hungary title, in 1936, after it was discovered that she was too young to enter (under 16); jailed for three days, in 1989, for slapping a policeman		Zsa Zsa Gabor
Believed, or rumoured, to have had affairs with Leopold Stokowski, Erich Maria Remarque and Cecil Beaton – but never married; was Hitler's favourite actress, but spied for the Allies		Greta Garbo
Qualified in medicine, but never practised; best known as one of The Goodies and a regular panellist on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue; also starred in and wrote for I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, and wrote the majority of episodes of Doctor in the House along with fellow Goodie Bill Oddie; voiced the title character in Bananaman		Graeme Garden
"She can't sing, she can't talk, she can't act, she's terrific." Louis B. Mayer on		Ava Gardner
18th–Century actor: according to Pope, 'never had an equal and never will have a rival'		David Garrick
Made his directorial debut with The Man Without a Face, 1993		Mel Gibson
The only member of the Monty Python team not born in Britain: born in Minneapolis, he became a naturalised British subject in 1968 and formally renounced his American citizenship in 2006		Terry Gilliam
Wrestled professionally under the name of Leon Arras; died 1997		Brian Glover
Charlie Chaplin's third wife, of four (1936–42) – starred opposite him (uncredited) as the street urchin in Modern Times (1936)		Paulette Goddard
Comedian, set out to find other people around the world with the same name as him – in a stage show, book and TV series (2000–1)		Dave Gorman
Legs insured (at Lloyd's of London) for $1,000,000 each, by her studio (20th Century Fox)		Betty Grable
Played his first credited film role in 1939; changed his name to avoid confusion with an American actor; made his Hollywood debut as Allan Quartermain in King Solomon's Mines (1950), alongside Deborah Kerr		Stewart Granger
Convicted of committing a lewd act with prostitute Divine Brown in Los Angeles (1995)		Hugh Grant
Began acting while in prison for the murder (by shooting) of a German taxi driver, while serving with the army		Leslie Grantham
Legs appeared in the poster for The Graduate (1967 film starring Dustin Hoffman; the legs belonged to Mrs. Robinson, who was played by Anne Bancroft); went on to play Sue Ellen Ewing in Dallas		Linda Gray
Starred in both stage and screen versions of Cabaret		Joel Grey
Nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for A Horse's Mouth, 1958		Alec Guinness
Born Birmingham 1924; committed suicide by overdose in Sydney, 1968 (while working on a series for Australian TV)		Tony Hancock
TV chef and presenter: was half of a comedy duo called The Calypso Twins, and later became head chef at the Long Room restaurant at Lord's Cricket Ground. He then became the resident chef on Good Morning with Anne and Nick, and later the main presenter of Can't Cook? Won't Cook and Ready, Steady, Cook		Aynsley Harriot
Performed the first concert at the Concert Hall of Sydney Opera House, in 1973		Rolf Harris
Father was commanding officer of HMS Coventry when it was sunk during the Falklands War (he was badly burned while trying to escape)		Miranda Hart
Voted Dutch Actor of the Century by the Netherlands public, in 1999; best known for the role of Roy Batty in Blade Runner (1982), and for Guinness commercials; died in 2019, aged 75		Rutger Hauer
Son of the barrister who defended Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on drug charges, was chief prosecutor in the trial of Peter Sutcliffe, was an MP 1970–87, and served briefly as Lord Chancellor in 1987		Nigel Havers
Voiced Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider video game series; played Zoe Reynolds in Spooks (2002–4), Alex Drake in Ashes to Ashes (2008–10), Lady Agnes in the remake of Upstairs Downstairs (2010)		Keeley Hawes
British comedy actor, 1888–1949: often portrayed authority figures whose incompetence was eventually exposed despite their efforts to conceal it; Oh, Mr. Porter (1937) is regarded as his best work and a classic of its genre; often compared to W. C. Fields, typically portraying misanthropic, self–centered scoundrels who nevertheless remain sympathetic; also a keen amateur astronomer		Will Hay
Played Dr. Benjamin Twist – a bumbling, fraudulent but lovable schoolteacher – in Good Morning, Boys (1938), Convict 99 (1938) and Hey! Hey! USA (also 1938); Dr. Alec Smart in Boys Will Be Boys (1935) was essentially the same character
English comedian: first performed while serving in World War II; later appeared on the early ITV shows Strike a New Note and Get Happy, with Nicholas Parsons as his straight man; often appeared as a tramp, in sketches written by Johnny Speight (sometimes with Patricia Hayes as a female tramp); died in 1966, aged 52, from a heart attack		Arthur Haynes
Austrian–born actor: billed third, after Bogart and Bergman, in Casablanca (1942), playing Victor Laszlo – fugitive Czech resistance leader, married to Ilsa Lund (played by Ingrid Bergman); also played the male lead in Now, Voyager (1942) opposite Bette Davis		Paul Henreid
Model and actress: grand–daughter of a famous novelist, she took a fatal drug overdose in 1996, aged 42 – 35 years, almost to the day, after her grandfather's suicide by gunshot		Margaux Hemingway
Played Col. Reynolds in It Ain't Half Hot Mum, and Lord Meldrum in You Rang M'Lord		Donald Hewlett
First came to popular notice as an actor and writer on The Fast Show; had previously fronted a punk–style band – The Higsons; wrote a series of books for young readers, about James Bond's schooldays at Eton (Young Bond), 2005–8		Charlie Higson
Henry McGee and Bob Todd were closely associated with (popular TV entertainer)		Benny Hill
Came to fame playing tomboy Joey Potter in Dawson's Creek; married Tom Cruise after giving birth to his baby in April 2006		Katie Holmes
Born Eltham, London (now in the Borough of Greenwich), in 1903; appeared in over 70 Hollywood films; won five honorary Oscars, but never a competitive one; hosted the Oscars ceremony 19 times, 1939–77; died in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles in 2003, aged 100		Bob Hope
Played Joey Boswell in Bread; went on to direct films such as Sliding Doors and Johnny English		Peter Howitt
Played Eddie Yates in Coronation Street (1974–83), Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances (1990–5), and Twiggy in The Royle Family (1998–2000); voiced Paul McCartney in Yellow Submarine (1968)		Geoffrey Hughes
Won an Oscar in 1998 for her leading role in As Good as it Gets, and also starred in the 1990s TV comedy series Mad About You		Helen Hunt
American comedian, accused of racism by the Professional Footballers' Association, after his performance at one of their events in 2013		Reginald D. Hunter
Hugh Grant's girlfriend at the time of Four Weddings and a Funeral; shot to fame after wearing "that dress" (designed by Versace, held together with giant safety pins) to the premiere; then became the "face" of Estée Lauder		Liz Hurley
Described by director David Lynch as "simply the greatest actor in the world"; notable roles included Timothy Evans in 10 Rillington Place, Caligula in I, Claudius, John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant, and Kane in Alien – his death scene being named by several publications as one of the most memorable in cinema history; died of cancer in 2017, aged 77		John Hurt
First actor to be knighted		Henry Irving
Ran 43 marathons in 51 days, for Sport Relief, 2009; in 2016, ran 27 marathons in 27 days in South Africa (27 being the number of years that Nelson Mandela spent in prison)		Eddie Izzard
Born Birkenhead, 1936; posthumously granted the freedom of the Borough of Wirral in October 2023, following her death in June of that year		Glenda Jackson
Played Eric Sykes's sister in his long–running TV comedy series; appeared in 14 Carry On films, playing the matron in four of them		Hattie Jacques
American actor: described by his former mother–in–law (his daughter's grandmother – Tippi Hedren) as being "very upset" about his daughter playing the lead role in the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey		Don Johnson
Cricket commentator, 1912–94: awarded the Military Cross during World War II, the citation stating "His own dynamic personality, coupled with his untiring determination and cheerfulness under fire, have inspired those around him always to reach the high standard of efficiency."		Brian Johnston
Underwent a preventive double mastectomy in 2013, aged 37, after learning that she had an 87% risk of developing breast cancer due to a defective BRCA1 gene		Angelina Jolie
Played Karen McDonald in Coronation Street (2000–4), and the title roles in Doctor Foster (BBC1, 2015 and 2017) and Gentleman Jack (BBC1, 2019)		Suranne Jones
Presented the nominating speech, at the 2000 Democratic National Convention, for Al Gore, who was described as "his college roommate" (they lived "across the hall" from each other at Harvard)		Tommy Lee Jones
Bore 10 illegitimate children to William IV; David Cameron is descended from one of them		Dorothea Jordan
Came to fame in 1985, in a TV ad where he took off his Levi's 501s in a launderette, and put them in a machine, to the tune of Marvin Gaye's I Heard It Through the Grapevine; died of bone marrow cancer in 2021, aged 59		Nick Kamen
Stage name of comedian and impresario Frederick John Westcott (1866–1941), credited with inventing the 'pie–in–the–face' gag; recruited and trained a generation of British comedians including Charlie Chaplin, Arthur Jefferson (Stan Laurel), Will Hay, Sandy Powell and Max Miller, at his headquarters – the Fun Factory, in Camberwell, South London; his name became associated with any chaotic situation, and the disorganised volunteer soldiers of the Great War labelled themselves '[his] Army'		Fred Karno
Bought his mum a £150,000 bungalow after the end of his sellout 'Mum Wants a New Bungalow' tour (2004)		Peter Kay
Plays Winston Wolfe in the £40 million Direct Line Insurance adverts – a reprise of his role in Tarantino's Pulp Fiction		Harvey Keitel
First actress to appear on a postage stamp		Grace Kelly
Played Assumpta Fitzgerald, the licensee of Fitzgerald's, in Ballykissangel (series 1–3), and Phoebe in Goodnight Sweetheart (Series 1–3); later was the sultry voice of the M&S "this is not just food" television adverts		Dervla Kirwan
First person to have a million followers on Twitter		Ashton Kutcher
Glamorous Austrian–born Hollywood actress, said to have invented a system for guiding torpedoes by radio – using techniques that were later incorporated into Bluetooth and Wi–Fi technologies. Inducted into the US National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014		Hedy Lamarr
Hollywood star and former circus acrobat, died in 1994 aged 80		Burt Lancaster
Actress and mistress of Edward VII		Lillie Langtry
Played the witch Eglantine Price in Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), the mother of Elvis Presley's character in Blue Hawaii (1961), and Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote on television (1984–96)		Angela Lansbury
Comedy double act: known as Dick und Doof in Germany, Flip i Flap in Poland, and by the equivalents of 'The Whole and the Half' in Scandinavia and 'The Fat One and the Skinny One' in Iberia		Laurel & Hardy
Comic actor and comedian who rowed for Cambridge in 1980		Hugh Laurie
Australian–born Oscar winner, found dead in his New York flat (from an overdose of prescribed drugs), January 2007		Heath Ledger
Hong Kong Cha–Cha champion, 1958 (born in 1940 in San Francisco, of Chinese parents; the family returned to Hong Kong when he was 3 months old, but when he was 18 his parents decided to send him back to San Francisco)		Bruce Lee
Born in an elevator (lift) in a hospital in a suburb of Boston (1925)		Jack Lemmon
Presenter of Blue Peter (1989–?), Wheel of Fortune (1998–2001), This Morning (1999–2002); sacked from This Morning after allegations of sexual misconduct (including being named – although not by Jonsson – as the "acquaintance" by whom Ulrika Jonsson alleged she had been raped at the age of 19); but he has never been convicted of any offence		John Leslie
US Army Major Richard Winters in Band of Brothers (2001); Soames Forsyte in the ITV remake of The Forsyte Saga (2002–3); US Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody in Homeland (2011–)		Damian Lewis
Played Blakey (Inspector Blake) in On the Buses, and Clem "Smiler" Hemmingway in Last of the Summer Wine		Stephen Lewis
Trademark was his horn–rimmed spectacles; famous for daring stunts such as hanging from a clock on a skyscraper in Safety Last; lost the thumb and index finger of his right hand in an accident with a prop bomb, 1919		Harold Lloyd
Played Trigger in Only Fools & Horses, Owen Newitt in The Vicar of Dibley, and Barty Crouch Sr. in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; died 2014 aged 69		Roger Lloyd–Pack
Sammy Joe Dean in Dynasty, Stacy Sheridan in T. J. Hooker, Amanda Woodward in Melrose Place		Heather Locklear
First winner, along with her husband Trevor (according to Wikipedia, with no citation – retrieved June 2015) on the television game show 3–2–1, in 1978 – four years before joining Radio 1 as a presenter		Janice Long
"Endorsed" the Coty fragrance Glow, introduced in 2002, which became the USA's best–selling perfume – as part of a "lifestyle line"		Jennifer Lopez
Served 18 days imprisonment in 1982 after being convicted of tax evasion		Sophia Loren
Star of the 1972 porn film Deep Throat; later became an anti–porn campaigner		Linda Lovelace
Horror actor, actually born in (or at least on the borders of) Transylvania, 1882		Bela Lugosi
Opera singer and actor, 1906–2001; best known for playing J. R. Hartley in the TV ads		Norman Lumsden
English comedian (born 1988): changed his name by deed poll to Hugo Boss in 2020, "to raise awareness about the fact that the fashion behemoth Hugo Boss [had] issued cease and desist letters to small businesses that have the word 'boss' in their name" (changed it back two months later)		Joe Lycett
First starring TV role in The Prince and the Pauper, 1974		Nicholas Lyndhurst
BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music presenter, and former rock journalist: claimed to have started the urban myths that (1) Blockbusters presenter Bob Holness played the saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street, and (2) David Bowie invented the game Connect4 – both while working at NME; also claimed to have coined the term 'Britpop'		Stuart Maconie
Appeared in the video for the Oasis single Don't Look Back in Anger (the star of a television series of which the band were apparently fans)		Patrick Macnee
Pulled off the stage during the 2015 Brit awards, due to a "wardrobe malfunction" (her Armani–designed cape failed to come off, when it was pulled by the foot of a dancer as she climbed the steps onto the stage)		Madonna
Played Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, and Maria in The Sound of Music (both on Broadway); mother of Larry Hagman		Mary Martin
Won a Grammy in 2002 for his collaboration on banjo with bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, and another for his 2009 album The Crow: New Songs for the 5–String Banjo		Steve Martin
Youngest of the five Marx Brothers: only appeared in five films (the last being Duck Soup, 1933); went on to own an engineering company, which produced the clamps that held the atomic bomb inside the plane on its way to Hiroshima		Zeppo Marx
Married to Neil Simon, 1973–81; played Paula McFadden in The Goodbye Girl (1977) opposite Richard Dreyfuss – a character that was said to be based on her		Marsha Mason
Described the only film he ever directed (The Gangster Story, 1960) as "the worst film ever made"		Walter Matthau
Fractured his skull in a quad bike accident on his Devon estate, and was in an induced coma for several days, in 1998; died of a heart attack in 2014, aged 56		Rik Mayall
Title roles in ITV sitcoms Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt (1974–8) and The Gaffer (1981–3), and "lovable rogue" Claude Maynard in Heartbeat and The Royal; previously (1955–6) co–starred with Terry Scott in a popular BBC TV comedy sketch series; appeared in five Carry On films, 1970–4, and played Mr. Lea (Timmy Lea's father?) in the Confessions series of sex comedies; died in 2018, aged 89		Bill Maynard
Played Cherie Blair in The Queen (2006) and The Special Relationship (2010) – both opposite Michael Sheen as Tony Blair; Narcissa Malfoy in the last three Harry Potter films; Polly Shelby in Peaky Blinders; died in 2021, aged 52, of breast cancer		Helen McCrory
Said to have turned down the role of James Bond (in Dr. No) as, being a practising Catholic, he disapproved of Bond's relentless womanising		Patrick McGoohan
Sat in the Greek parliament, from 1977 until her death in March 1994; served as Minister for Culture, 1981–9 (and again, after a period in opposition, from October 1993 until her death)		Melina Mercouri
British Music Hall comedian (1894–1963) who had a blue book and a white book		Max Miller
Had an inscription in Irish Gaelic on his tombstone in Sussex, translating into English as "I told you I was ill" (died in 2002, aged 83)		Spike Milligan
Appeared with her mother, aged 3, in The Good Old Summertime (1949)		Liza Minnelli
Appeared nude on the cover of Radio Times, in 1996 (aged 51)		Helen Mirren
Playboy's first centrefold – also appeared on the front cover; Madonna has her signature tattooed on her bottom		Marilyn Monroe
Sang Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy at his 45th birthday party, in 1962
Appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair while seven months pregnant, in 1991		Demi Moore
Played Ivanhoe, The Saint, and James Bond		Roger Moore
Revealed in 2012 that the two small swallows tattooed in the small of her back were the work of Lucian Freud, who had told her that he used to tattoo his fellow–sailors during his service in the merchant navy; his nude portrait of her, painted while she was pregnant, sold at Christie's in 2005 for £3.9 million (he died in 2011)		Kate Moss
Denis Norden's comedy writing partner, and one of the original team captains on Call My Bluff: remembered for his speech defect and his pink bow ties (died in 1998, aged 77)		Frank Muir
One of the most–decorated US servicemen of World War II; discovered by James Cagney, made over 40 feature films (mainly Westerns) and one television series (Whispering Smith, first broadcast in 1961); played himself in To Hell and Back (1955), the film version of his autobiography; died in a plane crash in 1971, aged 45; buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery (where his grave is said to be the second most visited, after that of John F. Kennedy)		Audie Murphy
British comedian: stood against Nigel Farage in the South Thanet constituency in the General Election of May 2015		Al Murray
Born in Northern Ireland, in 1947, while his father was serving with the Irish Guards; real first names Nigel John Dermot; family returned to New Zealand in 1954; film credits include Omen III: the Final Conflict (1981), The Hunt for Red October (1990) and Jurassic Park (1993); also played Cardinal Wolsey in the television series The Tudors (2007–10)		Sam Neill
US comedian famous for sketches performed as monologues, such as The Driving Instructor and Introducing Tobacco To Civilization		Bob Newhart
Advertised Fairy Liquid throughout the 1980s, telling us how far a bottle would stretch		Nanette Newman
Formed a food production company, starting in 1982 with salad dressing, giving all the proceeds to charity; once finished second in the Le Mans 24–hour race		Paul Newman
Born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 1905; his hard–drinking lifestyle is said to have made him a role model for the likes of Oliver Reed and Keith Moon; became known for playing Long John Silver, when his exaggerated West Country accent is said to have popularised the stereotypical "pirate voice". He died in Beverly Hills from a heart attack in 1956, aged 50		Robert Newton
Played leading roles in Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and Grease, on the London stage; best known for the BBC TV sitcom Just Good Friends (1983–6)		Paul Nicholas
Daughter of a Conservative MP and MEP, later a life peer, and therefore entitled to be addressed as "the Honorable …"; played Marilyn Gates in Crossroads (1964–8), secretary Joan Greengross in Reggie Perrin, Nadia Popov in Rentaghost, Mrs. Muddle in Pipkins, and Audrey Potter/Roberts in Coronation Street (since 1979)		Sue Nicholls
Starred in the video for Oasis's The Importance of Being Idle		Bill Nighy
Sang "P–P–P–Pick up a P–P–P–Penguin;"" (affecting a stammer that he used in the sitcom All Gas and Gaiters)		Derek Nimmo
Dubbed the singing parts of Deborah Kerr in The King and I, Natalie Wood in West Side Story, and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. Also the top notes in Diamonds are a girl's best friend for Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen prefer blondes. Appeared in The Sound of Music (as Sister Sophia)		Marni Nixon
Previously the second youngest and lead singer of a family group: appeared in Brookside 2000–2, and The Bill 2002–5; died of breast cancer in 2013, aged 52		Bernie Nolan
First Director of the National Theatre (1963–73)		Sir Laurence Olivier
Subject of the biography Life of Michael (Jeremy Novick, 2001); elected as President of the Royal Geographical Society (for a three–year term), 2009		Michael Palin
Launched the controversial "lifestyle brand" Goop in 2008		Gwyneth Paltrow
Link man on I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again; host of Sale of the Century; chairman of Just a Minute; straight man to comedian Arthur Haynes on TV in the 1950s and 60s; died in January 2020, aged 96		Nicholas Parsons
Starred as 'Nice Guy Eddie' (Cabot) in Reservoir Dogs (1992); found dead from heart disease in 2006, aged 40		Chris Penn
Originally cast as Blake Carrington in Dynasty, but left during filming of the pilot episode (replaced by John Forsythe)		George Peppard
Children's TV presenter, associated with Edd the Duck		Andi Peters
Writer and performer in the Channel 4 sketch show Smack the Pony (1999–2003); title role in the Radio 4 sitcom Clare in the Community (from 2004); Tilly (old school friend of the title character) in the BBC television sitcom Miranda (2009–2015); Shazzer in the Bridget Jones films (2001–16)		Sally Phillips
Coronation Street actress: left in 1984, appeared on the sleeve of The Smiths' 1985 single Shakespeare's Sister (as her Coronation Street character, Elsie Tanner); died in 1986 of lung cancer		Pat Phoenix
Stage name of former rodeo rider Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (1919–83): mainly known for cowboy roles, he also appeared in Dr. Strangelove – riding the atomic bomb to its target in the closing sequence		Slim Pickens
Founded the Make it Right Foundation in 2007 (along with designer William McDonough), to build 150 safe, energy–efficient and affordable homes in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (2005)		Brad Pitt
Israeli–born actress: gained international recognition for starring as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, after making her Broadway debut in 1998 in The Diary of a Young Girl (a.k.a. The Diary of Anne Frank)		Natalie Portman
Born Warrington, 1946; Oscar nominated for In the Name of the Father (1993); described by Steven Spielberg as "probably the best actor in the world today", after working with him on The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997 – a.k.a. Jurassic Park II); died in 2011, aged 64		Pete Postlethwaite
American actor: performed the spoken–word sequence at the end of Michael Jackson's 1983 single Thriller		Vincent Price
US comedy legend, 1940–2005; known for his trenchant observations and storytelling style, as well as his turbulent private life; appeared with Gene Wilder in several films, including See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989); died of a third heart attack, aged 65		Richard Pryor
Most famous as a Blue Peter presenter; previously appeared in Doctor Who; later presented BBC coverage of Cruft's		Peter Purves
Government advisor who became a TV and radio personality in the 1970s: appeared on Don't Ask Me, Don't Just Sit There (both Yorkshire TV) and Any Questions? (BBC radio); in 1975, came third (behind Newton and Einstein) in a New Scientist poll to find "the best–known and most characteristic scientist"; appeared in the video for Thomas Dolby's 1983 single She Blinded Me with Science		Dr. Magnus Pyke
José Dinis Aveiro's favourite actor (that's why he named his son after him – allegedly)		Ronald Reagan
Played Hercule Poirot in The Alphabet Murders (1965 film), and Felix Unger in the TV version of The Odd Couple		Tony Randall
Made his first film appearance in Hello London (1958), and his "first significant screen appearances" (according to Wikipedia) in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s		Oliver Reed
Later became known for his "boorish", alcohol–fuelled television appearances, on shows such as Channel 4's After Dark and the Aspel and Parkinson chat shows; according to the BFI, he "assumed Robert Newton's mantle as Britain's thirstiest thespian"
Requested an inflatable rubber doll as his luxury item on Desert Island Discs, in 1974
Died of a heart attack in 1999, aged 61, in Valletta, Malta, during a break from filming of Gladiator; several of his scenes in the film were completed using CGI; his final drinking session was said to have amounted to 8 lagers, 12 double rums and half a bottle of whisky
Member of rock group Dogstar in the 1990s (the early years of his Hollywood career); first name means 'coldness' or 'a cool breeze' in Hawaiian		Keanu Reeves
Played Valerie Barlow in Coronation Street (1961–71), Jean in dinnerladies (1998–2000), and Celia Dawson in Last Tango in Halifax (2012–16)		Anne Reid
Born Georgia 1936; 25% Cherokee Indian, first nude centrefold in Cosmopolitan; said "There are no awards in Hollywood for being an idiot", after turning down the role of Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment, to appear in The Cannonball Run instead		Burt Reynolds
Played Wednesday Addams in the 1991 Addams Family film, and also played air hostess Maggie Ryan in the TV series Pan Am		Christina Ricci
Appeared in EastEnders (the last but one original character to leave – died on screen in 2006) and Are You Being Served?; previously had provided spoken interjections on Mike Sarne's 1962 No. 1 hit Come Outside		Wendy Richard
Daughter of Vanessa Redgrave: died in 2009 after a skiing accident		Natasha Richardson
Dad's Army cast member: saw active service in both world wars, and wrote the play Ghost Train (1923)		Arnold Ridley
Won a legal battle with Top Shop in January 2015, after they sold a T–shirt bearing her image without permission		Rihanna
Presenter and star of the hugely popular Whitehall Farces (1950–66); became Chairman of Mencap in 1988, and President in 1998 (his daughter Shelley was born in 1951 with Down syndrome)		Brian Rix
Won a libel action in 1992 against The Sun which said he was as boring as the character he portrayed; declared bankrupt in 1999		William Roache
American comedian: slapped across the face by Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars ceremony, after making a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith		Chris Rock
Commemorated by a blue plaque in the ticket office of Mornington Crescent underground station		Willie Rushton
1950s Hollywood sex symbol: jailed in 1978 for drunk driving; died in 2011, aged 89		Jayne Russell
Convicted of grand theft, shoplifting and vandalism (but found not guilty of burglary) in 2002, for stealing $5,500 worth of designer clothes and accessories from a Saks Fifth Avenue department store in Beverly Hills in December 2001		Winona Ryder
The only actor to appear in every episode of Last of the Summer Wine; spoke the last line in the final episode (2010); also voiced Wallace in the Wallace & Gromit films; born in Twickenham, Middlesex in 1921, died in a nursing home near Holmfirth, aged 96		Peter Sallis
Born St. Petersburg 1906; married to Zsa Zsa Gabor 1949–54, and to her older sister Magda for six weeks (1970–1); committed suicide in Barcelona, 1972		George Sanders
Starred in Please Sir! and After Henry; also played Mrs. Richards (the guest who complains about not having a sea view) in Fawlty Towers		Joan Sanderson
Godfather to Jennifer Aniston		Telly Savalas
Took over from Donald Trump as presenter of The Celebrity Apprentice (USA) – but resigned after one series, saying he didn't like the "baggage" attached to the show by dint of Trump's involvement		Arnold Schwarzenegger
Most famous for sitcoms in partnership with June Whitfield; made a novelty record called My Brother (1962); advertised Curly–Wurly dressed as a schoolboy (essentially the same character as on the record); voiced Penfold the hamster in DangerMouse; died in 1994, aged 67, from cancer		Terry Scott
Most famous of the Lord Chamberlain's Men		William Shakespeare
Colombian entertainer: became the first person to reach one hundred million likes on Facebook, in 2014		Shakira
Oscar–nominated actor, and a world–ranked bridge player; born Alexandria 1932, died 2015 (aged 83)		Omar Sharif
Starred in the films Platoon (1986) and Wall Street (1987), and also appeared in the TV series Spin City, Two and a Half Men, and Anger Management		Charlie Sheen
Starred as President Josiah Bartlett in the TV series The West Wing (1999–2006), and played Peter Parker's Uncle Ben in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider–Man		Martin Sheen
Has played Tony Blair in three films (one for TV), and Kenneth Williams, David Frost and Brian Clough in others (Williams for TV)		Michael Sheen
Was on the shortlist for the title role in Terminator (1984), but director David Cameron didn't feel that "such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer"		O. J. Simpson
Turned down the role of Dirty Harry, which was originally written for him – either because he couldn't handle the gun after breaking his wrist ten years earlier, or because he chose to take lighter roles following the death of his father		Frank Sinatra
Playboy's Playmate of the Year 1993: married octogenarian oil billionaire Howard Marshall in 1994; he died in 1995, she died in 2007 from an accidental overdose of legal drugs		Anna Nicole Smith
Essex–born broadcaster and Radio 1 DJ: most famous for his work on Noel Edmonds's Late, Late Breakfast Show; a qualified helicopter pilot, married to Sarah Greene, who was injured along with him in a helicopter crash in 1988; died in 2014, aged 59, from complications following heart surgery		Mike Smith
Formerly known as the Fresh Prince – in rap outfit DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (1985 onwards), also in TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel–Air (1990–6)		Will Smith
Resigned from the (American) Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was banned from attending its events for ten years, after slapping Chris Rock across the face during the 2022 Oscars ceremony
Best known for playing the title role in the Marvel Comics Blade trilogy; jailed for three years in 2010 for tax offences		Wesley Snipes
Had two UK No. 1 hits: Don't Give Up On Us (1976) and Silver Lady (1977)		David Soul
US actor, stood down 2015 after 14 years as artistic director of London's Old Vic theatre		Kevin Spacey
Born Dukinfield, near Manchester, 1928; played Nora Batty in Last of the Summer Wine, Vera Hopkins in Coronation Street (1974–5), Mrs. Blewett in Open All Hours, Doris Luke in Crossroads (1978–85 and 2000–1); died in 2008 aged 80		Kathy Staff
Appeared on stamps of Gambia, Ghana, Uganda, St. Vincent and Grenada in 1996; received a record 14 nominations for the Worst Actor Razzie award ("won" 4); broke a finger whilst trying to save a penalty kick from Pelé (1981, while filming Escape to Victory)		Sylvester Stallone
US photographer and actress, real forenames Kathleen Dee–Anne – appeared nude in the 1976 soft porn film Emily; reported to have had a relationship with Prince Andrew (before his marriage); won £300,000 damages from Robert Maxwell's Sunday People which alleged that the affair had continued after her marriage in 1984		Koo Stark
Accused by a famous headline in The Sun, 1986, of eating a live hamster in a sandwich. Max Clifford later admitted that there was no truth in the story (although Starr is said to have made a joke about eating a hamster in a sandwich)		Freddie Starr
British actor, famous for action roles, notably in the Fast & Furious fanchise: a member of England's diving team in the 1990 Commonwealth Games; "romantically involved" with the model and actress Rosie Huntington–Whiteley (from 2010)		Jason Statham
Regular panel member in early editions of Juke Box Jury; best remembered as a presenter of Magpie (previously appeared in films The Blue Lagoon – 1949, aged 10 – and The 39 Steps, 1959)		Susan Stranks
Best remembered for his roles as Johnny Castle and Sam Wheat; died of cancer in 2009, aged 53		Patrick Swayze
Comedy actor and writer, born Oldham 1923; became partially deaf following an illness in adulthood; also registered partially sighted due to macular degeneration in old age (possibly exacerbated by smoking); died in 2012 aged 89		Eric Sykes
Given the number plate COM 1C, by a Birmingham garage in 1968, to go on his Rolls–Royce (believed still to own it in 2017)		Jimmy Tarbuck
Convicted of performing an indecent act in a lay–by off the A1, 1994		Gillian Taylforth
Had Disneyland closed for a day, February 1992, for her 60th birthday party		Elizabeth Taylor
Failed an audition for the Our Gang series; became US Ambassador to Ghana, 1974 (under her married name of Black)		Shirley Temple
The persona, teeth and voice of Basil Brush were said to be based on		Terry–Thomas
Played James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small (1978–90), Mac McGuire in the BBC soap opera Doctors (2000–6) and Ted Murray in EastEnders (2017–19)		Christopher Timothy
First found fame on The Dick van Dyke Show, before starring in her own self–titled sitcom in the 1970s, which was named by Time magazine as one of 17 programmes that changed TV; died in 2017, aged 80		Mary Tyler Moore
Dubbed "the Latin Lover" by Hollywood moguls: died in 1926, aged 31, of complications from a gastric ulcer – one month after being incensed by an editorial in the Chicago Tribune (entitled Pink Powder Puffs) which blamed him for the feminisation of the American male; funeral attended by 100,000 people		Rudolph Valentino
Made the world's first withdrawal from an automatic teller machine – Barclays Bank, Enfield branch, 1967		Reg Varney
Last survivor of the "Magnificent Seven", following Bronson's death in August 2003 (Buchholz d. March 2003, Coburn and Dexter 2002, Brynner 1985, McQueen 1980)		Robert Vaughn
Comedian: sold his wedding photographs to Viz magazine for £1 in 2002		Johnny Vegas
Swam the English Channel in 2006		David Walliams
Played Mrs. Overall in Acorn Antiques, Victoria Wood's mother (Petula Gordino) in dinnerladies, Adrian Mole's mother in the TV series, title role in Educating Rita, Ron Weasley's mother (Molly) in the Harry Potter films		Julie Walters
Driving force behind the reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, re–opened 1997		Sam Wanamaker
Won Lassie in a poker game (gave her back next morning)		John Wayne
Born in Germany, 1974: moved to England in 2002 to work in the marketing department of Wycombe Wanderers FC; decided to try stand–up comedy, and became the self–styled "German Comedy Ambassador in London"		Henning Wehn
Olympic swimmer (5 gold medals) who played Tarzan		Johnny Weissmuller
Born Liverpool, 1934; appeared in Z Cars, and the film Kes, before going on to be an award–winning screenwriter; died 2015 aged 81		Colin Welland
Provided the voiceover for Carlsberg's "Probably the best lager in the world" TV advert in 1975		Orson Welles
An early act was as male impersonator Sis Hopkins; famous walk inspired or influenced by female impersonators; Salvador Dali was commissioned to design a sofa based on the shape of her lips, 1937		Mae West
American actress and comedian, dubbed "the First Lady of television": played Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls (1985–92); died on New Year's Eve 2021, 18 days before her 100th birthday		Betty White
Starred in the TV series Moonlighting (1985–9), and went on to star in films such as the Die Hard series, Pulp Fiction, and The Expendables		Bruce Willis
Accompanied on stage by Schnorbitz the St. Bernard, after splitting with his brother Mike		Bernie Winters
English comedian, awarded the Freedom of Tirana, 2000 – said to be the only Western comedian whose works were allowed to be shown under Enver Hoxha's Communist regime in Albania; died in 2010, aged 95		Norman Wisdom
Made Britain's first mobile phone call (1 January 1985 – from St. Catherine's Dock to Vodafone headquarters); died in 1999, aged 73		Ernie Wise
Had a Christmas best–seller in 1979 with a book based on his radio show, and entitled Banjaxed; sank a 100ft putt at Gleneagles in 1981 – then certified as a record, but broken by swimmer Michael Phelps in 2012; died of cancer in 2016, aged 77		Terry Wogan
First seen on New Faces in 1974; appeared as a novelty act on That's Life (1976); her first major series (... as Seen on TV, 1985–7) included the spoof soap opera Acorn Antiques; wrote and starred in dinnerladies (1998–2000); died in 2016 aged 62		Victoria Wood
Often said to have been the first to be honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (in fact, the first 1,550 stars were all created and installed as a uint, and she was probably just the first to pose for photographs with her star)		Joanne Woodward
Best remembered for the role of Ann Darrow, the actress that King Kong falls in love with (in the original 1933 version)		Fay Wray
Born Cyril Goldbert, in Marseille, in 1927; fabricated a false biography, surrounding his early life in mystery; interned by the Japanese in Lunghua internment camp, in Shanghai, in 1943 – as was J. G. Ballard, although he denied having known Ballard; found fame between 1969 and 1971 when he played the role of a novelist turned sleuth – reputed to be based on Ian Fleming – in two television series; Mike Myers named this character as an inspiration for Austin Powers; died in 2018, aged 90		Peter Wyngarde
Stockport–born impressionist, famous for 'doing' Harold Wilson and Edward Heath		Mike Yarwood

© Haydn Thompson 2017–24