Richard Beckinsale
| Richard Beckinsale | |
|---|---|
Beckinsale as Lennie Godber
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| Born |
Richard Arthur Beckinsale 6 July 1947 Carlton, Nottinghamshire, England |
| Died | 19 March 1979 (aged 31) Sunningdale, Berkshire, England |
| Cause of death | Heart defect |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1962–1979 |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Bradley (1965–1971) Judy Loe (1977–1979) |
| Children |
Samantha Beckinsale Kate Beckinsale |
Richard Arthur Beckinsale (6 July 1947 – 19 March 1979) was an English actor, best known for his roles as Lennie Godber in the popular BBC sitcom Porridge (along with its sequel series Going Straight) and Alan Moore in the British ITV sitcom Rising Damp.
He is the father of actresses Samantha Beckinsale and Kate Beckinsale.
Beckinsale was born in Carlton, Nottinghamshire, to an Anglo-Burmese father, Arthur John Beckinsale, and an English mother, Maggie Barlow. He left Alderman White Secondary Modern School at 15 with ambitions to become an actor, so while working in numerous manual jobs he enrolled at a Nottingham adult drama class. As a result, he won a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, turning professional in 1968. He then moved to Crewe to begin in repertory theatre, like most newly graduated actors at the time, and then made his television debut in 1969 as a police officer in Coronation Street, in which he had to arrest veteran character Ena Sharples.
Beckinsale acquired his first starring role in 1970 as Geoffrey in the sitcom The Lovers, opposite fellow newcomer Paula Wilcox. The show was a success without being a runaway triumph, and did enough to put both lead performers in the public eye. It also, like many sitcoms of the time, spawned a film version.
There followed a purple patch when he was appearing in two of British TV's most successful sitcoms at the same time. On ITV, he was playing naive medical student Alan Moore in Rising Damp (voted ITV's best-ever sitcom in the Britain's Best Sitcom poll in 2004) while also starring alongside Ronnie Barker in the BBC sitcom Porridge as Lennie Godber. He also appeared in the films Rentadick (1972) and Three for All (1975) and made appearances in several other television series such as the ITV Playhouse episode "Last Summer" in 1976. Shortly after his 30th birthday, Beckinsale was surprised by Eamonn Andrews with the famed 'big red book' for an appearance on This Is Your Life.
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