Roy Heather obit

Only Fools And Horses star Roy Heather dies aged 79

 He was not on the list.

Some people are born to be actors, enrolled into prestigious arts academies at a young age or find fame as a child star. That wasn't the case for Roy Heather, who you might know as café owner Sid from Only Fools And Horses. Heather didn't get his big break until he was 44-years-old.

In the BBC Sitcom Sid's Café was a run-down greasy spoon couldn't even serve up a bowl of porridge without there being a hair floating in it. He later took management of The Nags Head when landlord Mike Fisher was sent to prison for trying to embezzle the brewery

Sid was first seen in 1982 and from then on was a top-tier character who was often seen wearing a dirty fat stained apron on. Heather was new to the acting game when he got that gig at 47-years-old, and before that he'd had a pretty varied career including working in the RAF and running a market stall.

Roy was born in 1935 in Buckinghamshire. Whilst at school in Slough he performed in plays before going on to work for an asbestos company and then doing his National Service in the RAF.

He then took a job as a sales rep but left in favour for more casual jobs, including running a market stall, following the break-up of his marriage.

At the same time, he acted with the Riparians amateur dramatics group in Berkshire, and then came his big break. At the age of 44-years-old, Roy was persuaded by his director friend David Tudor to turn professional in acting.

Tudor directed him in productions at the Little Theatre, Sheringham, then at Henley Rep, where he acted alongside cult horror actress Ingrid Pitt in the world premiere of Aurelia (Kenton Theatre, 1979), an adaptation of the Jean-Paul Ferriere novel.

He also enjoyed other roles on the stage including playing the part of Pistol in the Peter Mottley play After Agincourt at the Southsea Arts Festival in 1986, and tours of Sink or Swim and See How They Run, and a season with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon (1991), amongst appearances in other productions.

But it was in 1981 when Roy's TV career took off as he played a corporal in the series It Ain't Half Hot Mum, before landing the role of Tom in Scene.

One year later Roy starred in Seconds Out before arriving in legendary sitcom Hi-de-Hi in two different roles between 1981 and 1982.

He landed in Only Fools and Horses as Sid Robertson, but he was in high demand for TV work and appeared in a long list of shows regularly switching between sitcoms to drama.

His other regular role on television was as Pops, a filthy old man among the losers frequenting the unnamed pub in both series of Time Gentlemen Please (2000-02), starring Al Murray in his pub landlord persona. Pops’s catchphrase was: “Look at his face – it’s a picture.”

He also appeared in Bottom, London's Burning, The Bill, The Green Green Grass, Casualty and My Family - amongst others.

At the time of his death in 2014 at 79 years old, Roy was married to Sara Taylor (from 1993) and left three children.

Actor

My Family (2000)

My Family

7.5

TV Series

Man in BarMan in Ward

2006–2010

2 episodes

 

Casualty (1986)

Casualty

6.1

TV Series

Drunken Man

2009

1 episode

 

John Challis and Sue Holderness in The Green Green Grass (2005)

The Green Green Grass

6.6

TV Series

Sid

2005

1 episode

 

Doctors (2000)

Doctors

4.5

TV Series

Reg Wincott

2005

1 episode

 

David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst, and Lennard Pearce in Only Fools and Horses (1981)

Only Fools and Horses

9.0

TV Series

Sid

1982–2003

13 episodes

 

The Bill (1984)

The Bill

6.7

TV Series

NeighbourFrank LillyMartin Macauley ...

1985–2003

7 episodes

 

Marc Bannerman, Phil Daniels, Jason Freeman, Rebecca Front, Roy Heather, Al Murray, and Emma Pierson in Time Gentlemen Please (2000)

Time Gentlemen Please

7.5

TV Series

Pops

2000–2002

33 episodes

 

Love or Money (2001)

Love or Money

6.2

TV Movie

Mr. Wright

2001

 

Frances Barber, Michelle Collins, Lesley Manville, Pauline Quirke, and Gwyneth Strong in Real Women (1998)

Real Women

7.7

TV Series

Karen's Dad

1999

1 episode

 

Derek Jacobi in Mystery!: Cadfael (1994)

Mystery!: Cadfael

8.1

TV Series

Wat the Inn Keeper

1997

1 episode

 

Leonard Rossiter in The Legacy of Reginald Perrin (1996)

The Legacy of Reginald Perrin

6.7

TV Series

Biscuit Man

1996

1 episode

 

Jack and Jeremy's Real Lives (1996)

Jack and Jeremy's Real Lives

7.5

TV Series

1996

1 episode

 

London's Burning (1988)

London's Burning

7.0

TV Series

Bus DriverCaretaker

1989–1995

2 episodes

 

Timothy Spall in Frank Stubbs Promotes (1993)

Frank Stubbs Promotes

6.8

TV Series

Caretaker

1994

1 episode

 

Clive Francis in The 10%ers (1993)

The 10%ers

5.7

TV Series

Man in Club

1994

1 episode

 

Grange Hill (1978)

Grange Hill

7.2

TV Series

Park Keeper

1994

1 episode

 

Lesley Joseph, Pauline Quirke, and Linda Robson in Birds of a Feather (1989)

Birds of a Feather

6.2

TV Series

G. Hamilton

1993

1 episode

 

Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall in Bottom (1991)

Bottom

8.3

TV Series

Mr Man

1992

1 episode

 

Screen One (1985)

Screen One

6.8

TV Series

Arnie Shaw

1992

1 episode

 

As Time Goes By (1992)

As Time Goes By

8.3

TV Series

Taxi Driver

1992

1 episode

 

Sleepers (1991)

Sleepers

8.3

TV Mini Series

Janitor

1991

1 episode

 

David Suchet in Poirot (1989)

Poirot

8.6

TV Series

Transport Superintendent

1990

1 episode

 

Elizabeth Hurley and Stephen Dillane in Christabel (1988)

Christabel

6.3

TV Mini Series

Member of England committee

1988

1 episode

 

Colin's Sandwich (1988)

Colin's Sandwich

7.7

TV Series

Workman

1988

1 episode

 

Jean Boht, Nick Conway, Ronald Forfar, Peter Howitt, Victor McGuire, and Jonathon Morris in Bread (1986)

Bread

6.3

TV Series

Boat-owner

1987

1 episode

 

Eddie Large and Syd Little in The Little and Large Show (1978)

The Little and Large Show

5.2

TV Series

1987

1 episode

 

Indelible Evidence

8.8

TV Series

Doug Scott

1987

1 episode

 

Tim Haynes in Breaking Up (1986)

Breaking Up

7.3

TV Series

Wiggins

1986

1 episode

 

Brian Blessed and Christopher Guard in Return to Treasure Island (1986)

Return to Treasure Island

8.3

TV Mini Series

Simpson

1986

1 episode

 

Ian Charleson and Julie Walters in Car Trouble (1986)

Car Trouble

5.0

Ambulanceman 1

1986

 

Comrade Dad (1984)

Comrade Dad

6.4

TV Series

Commissar

1986

1 episode

 

Terry and June (1979)

Terry and June

6.4

TV Series

Deliveryman

1985

1 episode

 

Joanne Whalley, Joe Don Baker, and Bob Peck in Edge of Darkness (1985)

Edge of Darkness

8.3

TV Mini Series

Lowe

1985

1 episode

 

Richard O'Sullivan and Joanne Ridley in Me and My Girl (1984)

Me and My Girl

6.4

TV Series

Taxi Driver

1985

1 episode

 

The Clairvoyant (1984)

The Clairvoyant

6.3

TV Series

Man

1984

1 episode

 

Ray Brooks in Big Deal (1984)

Big Deal

8.0

TV Series

Harry

1984

1 episode

 

Jan Francis and Paul Nicholas in Just Good Friends (1983)

Just Good Friends

7.1

TV Series

Tom

1984

1 episode

 

John Thaw in Mitch (1984)

Mitch

7.5

TV Series

Houseman

1984

1 episode

 

A Fine Romance (1981)

A Fine Romance

7.1

TV Series

Taxi Driver

1983

1 episode

 

Mark Farmer, Johanna Hargreaves, and Ian Sears in Johnny Jarvis (1983)

Johnny Jarvis

8.2

TV Mini Series

Car Showroom Manager

1983

1 episode

 

Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983)

Reilly: Ace of Spies

8.1

TV Mini Series

Karl

1983

1 episode

 

Vivienne Ritchie in The Nation's Health (1983)

The Nation's Health

7.4

TV Series

1983

1 episode

 

The Crystal Cube (1983)

The Crystal Cube

6.6

TV Movie

Gareth's Father, Mr. 0001

1983

 

Geoffrey Palmer and Leonard Rossiter in The Funny Side of Christmas (1982)

The Funny Side of Christmas

8.5

TV Movie

Sid

1982

 

David Jason in Only Fools and Horses: Christmas Trees (1982)

Only Fools and Horses: Christmas Trees

7.8

TV Short

Sid

1982

 

Experience Preferred... But Not Essential (1982)

Experience Preferred... But Not Essential

6.9

Wally

1982

 

Hi-de-Hi! (1980)

Hi-de-Hi!

6.7

TV Series

Inspector PalmerSecond Man

1981–1982

2 episodes

 

Leslie Ash and Robert Lindsay in Seconds Out (1981)

Seconds Out

7.1

TV Series

Chauffeur

1982

1 episode

 

Scene (1968)

Scene

6.9

TV Series

Tom

1981

1 episode

 

It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974)

It Ain't Half Hot Mum

7.2

TV Series

The Corporal

1981

1 episode

 

Self

Only Fools' Top 40 Moments

7.7

TV Movie

Self

2006

 

Archive Footage

Chris Barrie, Steve Coogan, Adrian Edmondson, and Jennifer Saunders in More Great Comedy Moments (2003)

More Great Comedy Moments

6.8

Video

Sid (archive footage)

2003