Norman Wisdom

Sir Norman Wisdom OBE
Wisdom in 1965.
Birth name	Norman Joseph Wisdom
Born	(1915-02-04)4 February 1915 Marylebone, London, England
Died	4 October 2010(2010-10-04) (aged 95) Ballasalla, Isle of Man
Medium	Comedian, actor, singer-songwriter
Years active	1948–2005, 2007–08
Spouse	Doreen Brett (1941–1946) (divorced) Freda Simpson (1947–1968) (divorced)
Children	Nicholas Wisdom Jacqueline Wisdom
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Merchant Navy British Army
Years of service	1930–46
Unit	10th Royal Hussars Royal Corps of Signals
Battles/wars	World War II

Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom,OBE (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian, and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character that was often called Norman Pitkin. He was awarded the 1953 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles following the release of his film Trouble in Store.

Wisdom gained celebrity status in lands as far apart as South America, Iran and many Eastern Bloc countries, particularly in Albania where his films were the only ones by Western actors permitted by dictator Enver Hoxha to be shown.Charlie Chaplin once referred to Wisdom as his "favourite clown".

Wisdom later forged a career on Broadway in New York and as a television actor, winning critical acclaim for his dramatic role of a dying cancer patient in the television play Going Gently in 1981. He toured Australia and South Africa. After the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, a hospice was named in his honour. In 1995 he was given the Freedom of the City of London and of Tirana. The same year he received an OBE.

Wisdom was knighted in 2000 and spent much of his later life on the Isle of Man. His later appearances included roles in Last of the Summer Wine and Coronation Street, and he retired from acting at the age of 90 after his health deteriorated. He died on 4 October 2010, at age 95.