Biography
Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as Porridge, The Two Ronnies, and Open All Hours.
Barker began acting in Oxford amateur dramatics while working as a bank clerk, having dropped out of higher education. He moved into repertory theatre with the Manchester Repertory Company at Aylesbury and decided he was best suited to comic roles. He had his first success at the Oxford Playhouse and in roles in the West End including Tom Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound. During this period, he was in the cast of BBC radio and television comedies such as The Navy Lark. He got his television break with the satirical sketch series The Frost Report in 1966, where he worked with future collaborator, Ronnie Corbett. He joined David Frost's production company and starred in ITV shows.
After rejoining the BBC, Barker achieved significant success with the sketch show The Two Ronnies (1971–87), with Ronnie Corbett. The duo maintained their careers as solo performers; Barker notably starred as inmate Norman Stanley Fletcher in the sitcom Porridge (1974–77) and its sequel Going Straight (1978) and as shopkeeper Arkwright in Open All Hours (1976–85). He wrote comedy under his own name, though for much of his written material after 1968 he adopted pseudonyms (including "Gerald Wiley") to avoid pre-judgments of his writing talent. He won a BAFTA for best light entertainment performance four times, among other awards, and received an OBE in 1978.
Later television sitcoms such as The Magnificent Evans and Clarence were less successful and he retired in December 1987. The following year, he opened an antiques shop with his wife, Joy. After 1999, he appeared in smaller, non-comic roles in films. He died of heart failure on 3 October 2005, aged 76.
Filmography
all 72
Movies 41
TV Shows 31
self 16
Comedy Classics: Porridge (2022)
The Two Ronnies Unseen Sketches (2019)
The Many Faces of Ronnie Barker (2012)
The Age of the Train (2012)
Is Anybody There? (2009)
Morecambe & Wise: In Their Own Words (2008)
Hitler: The Comedy Years (2007)
All the Best from Denis Norden (2007)
The Two Ronnies Sketchbook (2005)
The Best of Ronnie Barker (2005)
Ronnie Barker: A BAFTA Tribute (2004)
Britain's Best Sitcom (2004)
Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher (2003)
My House in Umbria (2003)
The Gathering Storm (2002)
The Best Of The Two Ronnies (2001)
The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything (2000)
The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything (2000)
An Audience with Ronnie Corbett (1997)
Just Like That! (1989)
Clarence (1988)
The Magnificent Evans (1984)
The Funny Side of Christmas (1982)
Wogan (1982)
By the Sea (1982)
The Big Show (1980)
Porridge (1979)
Going Straight (1978)
An Audience with... (1978)
To See Such Fun (1977)
Porridge: The Desperate Hours (1976)
The Picnic (1976)
Robin and Marian (1976)
Open All Hours (1976)
Porridge: No Way Out (1975)
Porridge (1974)
The Two Ronnies Old Fashioned Christmas Mystery (1973)
Seven of One (1973)
His Lordship Entertains (1972)
The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1971)
The Two Ronnies (1971)
The Best Of The Two Ronnies (1971)
Six Dates with Barker (1971)
Wilton's: The Handsomest Hall in Town (1970)
Futtocks End (1970)
Charley's Aunt (1969)
Hark at Barker (1969)
Two off the Cuff (1969)
Frost on Sunday (1968)
The Ronnie Barker Playhouse (1968)
The Man Outside (1967)
Before The Fringe (1967)
A Ghost of a Chance (1967)
The Frost Report (1966)
BBC Play of the Month (1965)
Runaway Railway (1965)
Father Came Too! (1964)
A Home of Your Own (1964)
The Bargee (1964)
Doctor in Distress (1963)
The Cracksman (1963)
The Saint (1962)
Kill or Cure (1962)
Faces of Jim (1961)
The Avengers (1961)
Christmas Night with the Stars (1958)
Wonderful Things! (1958)
By the Sea
My House in Umbria
Comedy Greats The Two Ronnies
A Tale of Two Cities
Ratings
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1929-09-25
Deathday2005-10-03 (76 years old)
Birth PlaceBedford, United Kingdom
ChildrenCharlotte Barker
CitizenshipsUnited Kingdom
ResidencesPinner · Dean, United Kingdom
Also Known AsDave Huggett and Larry Keith
AwardsOfficer of the Order of the British Empire
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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