Edward Kelsey obit

Edward Kelsey: Actor who played Joe Grundy on The Archers dies aged 88

He was not on the list.



Edward Kelsey, who played Joe Grundy on BBC Radio 4 soap The Archers for 34 years, has died at the age of 88.

The actor first appeared on air as the irascible patriarch of the Grundy clan in 1985.

Kelsey had given "one of the great performances in the history of British radio", editor Jeremy Howe said.

The actor was also known for voicing the characters Colonel K and Baron Silas Greenback on the 1980s children's animated series Danger Mouse.

Howe described his performance on The Archers as "idiosyncratic, warm, cantankerous yet generous, dripping with the Grundy magic and wonderfully funny".


He added: "Ted's Joe Grundy was a brilliant creation because Ted was a brilliant actor - and a truly lovely man and great company member.

"A cherished part of our team, I am sure all of us will agree that working with Ted was a rare privilege and he will be very much missed.

In a statement, his family said the actor "counted himself immensely lucky that he was able to enjoy a long and varied career doing the thing that he loved".

They added: "He had an insatiably curious mind and never lost his appetite for lively conversation, good company and, of course, a great storyline."

The Archers' Tim Bentinck has said it was a privilege to work with Kelsey, who he said gave an "object lesson in great radio acting."

Bentinck, who plays David Archer, said his character's next birthday would be particularly poignant because he shared his special day with Joe.

"It was a privilege and a huge pleasure to work with him when Joe and David had scenes together," said Bentick, "and they share a birthday, which, with David's 60th coming up, will be poignant as the first one David doesn't share with Joe."

He added: "He brought such life and subtlety to his performances, an object lesson in great radio acting."

Fans have paid tribute to the actor on social media.

Actor

 2005 Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Mr. Growbag (voice)

 2003 Henry VIII (TV Movie)

Campeggio

 2003 Brush with Fate (TV Movie)

Amsterdam Shopkeeper

 1998 Noah's Ark (TV Series)

Walter

1996 Victory

Second Billiard Player

 1994 The Vicar of Dibley (TV Series)

Mr Harris

1992 Victor & Hugo: Bunglers in Crime (TV Series)

Colonel K / Baron Silas Greenback

1992 Truckers (TV Series)

The Thing / Prices Slashed

1981-1992 Danger Mouse (TV Series)

Colonel K / Baron Silas Greenback / Alien construction worker#3 / ...

1991 The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (TV Movie) (voice)

 1990 Wales Playhouse (TV Series)

1990 Uncle Jack and Operation Green (TV Series)

KGB Boss

1990 Mystery!: Campion (TV Series)

George Willsmore

1988 The Most Dangerous Man in the World

Fendoglu

 1988 Sophia and Constance (TV Series)

Collier

1987 The Reluctant Dragon (TV Movie) (voice)

 1987 Casualty (TV Series)

Pogson

1987 A Perfect Spy (TV Mini-Series)

Major Blenkinsop

1987 Crystalstone

Hook

 1985 Murder of a Moderate Man (TV Mini-Series)

Shaheenee

1985 Dempsey and Makepeace (TV Series)

Stavros

1985 The Tripods (TV Series)

Professor Bernstein

1985 Anna of the Five Towns (TV Mini-Series)

Titus Price

1981-1984 Juliet Bravo (TV Series)

Inspector Harry Buxton / Mr. Williams / Nathan

1984 The Wind in the Willows (TV Series)

1984 Missing from Home (TV Mini-Series)

Elderly local

1983/I The Wind in the Willows (TV Movie) (voice)

 1983 Reilly: Ace of Spies (TV Mini-Series)

Prosecutor

1983 Mr. Right (TV Series)

Detective Sergeant

 1982 Angels (TV Series)

Uncle Jim

1982 On the Line (TV Series)

Ray Morton

1982 Minder (TV Series)

Foreman

1982 Ivanhoe (TV Movie)

Gate Guard (uncredited)

 1981 Chronicle (TV Series documentary)

Chairman of the Royal Inquiry

1979 Penmarric (TV Series)

Trewint

1979 Suez 1956 (TV Movie)

Dr. Mahmoud Fawzi

 1965-1979 Doctor Who (TV Series)

Edu / Resno / Slave Buyer

1979 Shoestring (TV Series)

Det Chief Supt Roose

1978 The Talking Parcel (TV Movie)

H.H. Junketbury (voice)

 1978 The Cedar Tree (TV Series)

Det. Ins. Jones

- Fool's Paradise (1978) ... Det. Ins. Jones

 1977 The New Avengers (TV Series)

Soo choy

1974 The Fortunes of Nigel (TV Mini-Series)

Tipstaff

1972 Cranford (TV Series)

Signor Bruni

1972 BBC Play of the Month (TV Series)

Priest

1972 Colditz (TV Series)

French Doctor

1971 Wives and Daughters (TV Mini-Series)

Assessor

1970 Doomwatch (TV Series)

Captain Tommy Gort

1964-1970 Z Cars (TV Series)

PC Boyle / Control / George / ...

1970 Manhunt (TV Series)

Bonnefoy

1969 Paul Temple (TV Series)

Vicar

1968-1969 The Expert (TV Series)

Jimmy / Vicar / Workman

1969 Tower of London: The Innocent (TV Movie)

Clerk of the Court

 1968 The Saint (TV Series)

Williams

1968 Public Eye (TV Series)

Wyatt

1967 The Gentle Libertine

Papa / Brague

 1967 Les Misérables (TV Mini-Series)

Pedlar / M. Dupont

1967 Dr. Finlay's Casebook (TV Series)

Davey MacWhirter

1967 St. Ives (TV Series)

Sombref

1967 Softly Softly (TV Series)

Insp. Jackson

1966 King of the River (TV Series)

Pub Regular

1966 The Great Metropolis (TV Movie documentary)

Street Clown

 1966 The Newcomers (TV Series)

Martin

1966 Thirty-Minute Theatre (TV Series)

1965 The Big Spender (TV Series)

Holman

1965 The Mask of Janus (TV Series)

Dejan

1965 The Brothers Karamazov (TV Mini-Series)

Andrey

1964 The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling (TV Series)

Sergeant Rafferty

1964 The Hidden Truth (TV Series)

Mike

1964 Compact (TV Series)

A Neighbour

1963 First Night (TV Series)

Paddy

1963 The Plane Makers (TV Series)

Dr. Foley

1963 Armchair Theatre (TV Series)

Mob Leader

1962 The Avengers (TV Series)

Gerry

1962 The Big Pull (TV Series)

Pub customer

1961 You Can't Win (TV Series)

Det. Sgt. Spandor

1961 A Bouquet for Juliet (TV Short)

Gypsy

 1961 The Men from Room 13 (TV Series)

Detective Sergeant Morris

1960 The Dark Man (TV Movie)

Fred Crook

 1960 An Age of Kings (TV Series)

1959-1960 Probation Officer (TV Series)

Det-Sgt Jarvis / Douglas Ewart

1959 BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (TV Series)

Journalist

1959 Charlesworth (TV Series)

Filey / Keets

1958 Solo for Canary (TV Series)

Flower

1958 Mary Britten, M.D. (TV Series)

Aleko