Tony Britton obit

British actor Tony Britton dies aged 95

Actor appeared in Don’t Wait Up and Robin’s Nest, as well as The Day of the Jackal


He was not on the list.

Tony Britton, the British actor who starred in the popular sitcoms Don’t Wait Up and Robin’s Nest, has died aged 95.

Britton was a renowned stage actor before going on to star in acclaimed British films including Operation Amsterdam, Sunday Bloody Sunday and The Day of the Jackal. He became a familiar face on television when he appeared in Don’t Wait Up and Robin’s Nest, both of which ran for several series.

His death was announced on Sunday by his daughter, the presenter Fern Britton, who tweeted: “Our father, Tony Britton, died early this morning. Great actor, director and charmer. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

Britton was born in Birmingham in 1924 and attended Edgbaston Collegiate school, in Birmingham, then Thornbury Grammar school, in Gloucestershire. He made his professional stage debut aged 18 in Quiet Weekend in Weston-Super-Mare before his stage career was interrupted by the war and he joined the army, working in an aircraft factory.

He resumed his stage career after the end of the war and in 1953-54 he appeared in a number of Shakespearean roles as part of the company at the Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. They included Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice, Cassio in Othello, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As recently as 2013, he appeared as the Earl of Gloucester in a production of Shakespeare’s King Lear at the Old Vic in London, directed by Sir Jonathan Miller, who died last month.

Britton appeared in many films, beginning in the early 1950s through to his final appearance on the big screen, in Agatha, in 1979.

In Don’t Wait Up, Britton he played the Harley Street consultant Toby Latimer who moves in with his adult son, played by Nigel Havers, after the breakdown of their respective marriages. In Robin’s Nest, he played the father of Robin’s girlfriend – and later wife – played by Tessa Wyatt, who goes into business with his daughter’s partner.

Actors paid tribute to Britton upon hearing of his death. Peter Egan, who has appeared in Prince Regent, Ever Decreasing Circles and Downton Abbey, tweeted: “Very sad to see the passing of the legend Tony Britton. A wonderful actor and light comedian. Condolences to his family. A lovely man too.”

The actor and comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar wrote: “Profound condolences Fern and gratitude for the joy and entertainment your dad brought to me and millions of others. Sending love and strength.”

Britton is survived by two daughters, former This Morning and Ready Steady Cook presenter Fern and scriptwriter Cherry Britton, from his first marriage to Ruth Hawkins, who died last year aged 94.

His second wife was the Danish sculptor Eva Castle Britton (born Skytte Birkenfeldt), who died in 2008. They had a son together, Jasper Britton. His son tweeted on Sunday: “As he was wont to say, ‘that’s show business, kid,’” accompanied by a heart emoji.

Fern Britton previously told the Guardian her father was not around much when growing up but added: “I was very proud of him. I used to wave to him when I saw him on TV. I knew he couldn’t wave back, of course, because he was working but I was sure he could see me.”

Films

    Waterfront (1950) as Deck-Hand (uncredited)

    Cage of Gold (1950) as Nicky (uncredited)

    Salute the Toff (1952) as Draycott

    Loser Takes All (1956) as Tony

    The Birthday Present (1957) as Simon Scott

    Behind the Mask (1958) as Philip Selwood

    The Heart of a Man (1959) as Tony Carlisle

    Operation Amsterdam (1959) as Major Dillon

    The Rough and the Smooth (1959) as Mike Thompson

    The Last Winter (1960) as Stephen Burton

    Suspect (1960) as Robert Marriott

    Dr Syn, Alias the Scarecrow (1963) as Simon Bates

    There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) as Andrew Hunter

    Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) as George Harding

    Mr. Forbush and the Penguins (1971) as George Dewport

    The Day of the Jackal (1973) as Superintendent Brian Thomas

    Night Watch (1973) as Tony

    The People That Time Forgot (1977) as Captain Lawton

    Agatha (1979) as William Collins

    Countdown to War (1989) as Sir Nevile Henderson

    Run for Your Wife (2012) as Man on Bus (final film role)