Barry Letts
| Barry Letts | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Barry Leopold Letts 26 March 1925 Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK |
| Died | 9 October 2009 (aged 84) England, UK |
| Occupation | Actor, director, producer |
| Years active | 1925–2009 |
| Spouse(s) | Muriel (1951–2009) (her death) |
| Children | Dominic Crispin Joanna |
Barry Leopold Letts (26 March 1925 – 9 October 2009) was a British actor, television director, writer and producer.
Born in Leicester, he worked as an actor in theatre, films and television before retiring in his early forties and becoming a television director. He then became producer of the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who for five years. He later produced the BBC's Sunday Classic drama serials in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was associated with Doctor Who for many years, with active involvement in the television programme from 1967 to 1981 (as a director, producer and writer) and with later contributions to its spin-offs in other media. His sons Dominic and Crispin Letts are both actors.
The Guardian described Letts on his death as "a pioneer of British television" who "served the medium for more than half a century" and "secured his place in TV history" with Doctor Who.
Letts was an assistant stage manager at the Theatre Royal in his teens and took up the job full-time after leaving school. His initial work was as a repertory actor, following his service as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. He later played one of the leading characters in the Terence Fisher directed film, To the Public Danger, a heartfelt plea against dangerous driving. He also appeared in the highly regarded Ealing Studios productions, Scott of the Antarctic and The Cruel Sea, in supporting roles.
From 1950 he appeared in various television productions including The Avengers and a live drama, Gunpowder Guy in which future Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton played Guy Fawkes and Letts a fellow conspirator. He also appeared as Colonel Herncastle in the 1959 television adaptation of Wilkie Collins's novel The Moonstone. He acted in The Last Man Out.
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