Rudolph Walker
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Rudolph Walker OBE |
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Walker at the funeral of Wendy Richard (2009).
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| Born |
Rudolph Malcolm Walker 28 September 1939 Trinidad, West Indies |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Children | Darren Sheona |
| Website | www |
Rudolph Malcolm Walker, OBE (born 28 September 1939), is a Trinidadian actor, best known for his roles on British television. He was the first black actor to appear in a major British TV series, his breakthrough role as Bill in the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour (co-starring fellow Trinidadian Nina Baden-Semper) leading to a long and varied acting career. He is currently best known as Patrick Trueman in the BBC One TV soap opera EastEnders, in which he has acted since 2001.
Rudolph Walker was born in Trinidad, and began acting as an eight-year-old in primary school, going on to join Derek Walcott's Trinidad Theatre Workshop as its youngest member. With the aim of furthering his career he left the island at the age of 20 in 1960. He had been planning to go the United States, where he had connections, but actor Errol John — who had already migrated to Britain but was in Trinidad doing a play — convinced him to go to the UK, where the training was superior.
Walker's first major television role was as a policeman in the British drama The Wednesday Play, in the episode entitled "Fable" (aired 27 January 1965). He is known for his comedic roles in Love Thy Neighbour (Thames Television), The Thin Blue Line, which starred Rowan Atkinson, and in Ali G Indahouse. He also appeared in Doctor Who, in the 1969 serial The War Games. He was one of the first black actors to be seen regularly on British television, and so has always been proud of his role on the controversial Love Thy Neighbour, which ran for seven series, from 1972 to 1976.
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