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Charles Pemberton

Actor · 1939 – 2007 · Leyland, Lancashire, U.K.

Character actor Charles Pemberton had a long career in television but found theatrical fame with his one man entertainment, WS Gilbert - A Disagreeable Man? which he toured throughout the UK and Europe. The two hour show, from a script by Brian Jones, traced the life of the 19th century popular composer and martinet. Pemberton was born on September 19, 1939 in Leyland, Lancashire. He trained for the stage at the Rose Bruford Drama School and graduated with distinction in 1963. He joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company where he remained for two years before appearing in repertory at the Library Theatre, Manchester, Harrogate and Derby. He made his television debut in 1964 as a detective sergeant in the soap Crossroads and went on to play a succession of policemen, military types and officials in countless dramas and sitcoms such as Callan, The Professionals, Minder, Juliet Bravo and Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective. He was in two storylines of Doctor Who, The Tomb of the Cybermen and The War Games and he played Johnny Mann in Coronation Street (1973). He also had cameos in the award-winning drama The Naked Civil Servant (1975), John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy (1987), Great Expectations (1989) (as Mr Philbean 1989), Victoria Wood's Pat & Margaret (1994) and Foyle's War (2004). On the West End stage he appeared with Ingrid Bergman in Sir John Gielgud's revival of The Constant Wife (Albery Theatre 1973) and he played Ormonroyd in Priestley's When We Are Married (Whitehall Theatre). He also starred in several commercials including the award-winning series of John Smith's Yorkshire Bitter adverts. He later recorded his one man show on CD. Pemberton was an accomplished magician and held the Inner Magic Circle Silver Star. He was vice president of the Catholic Stage Guild and a much revered member of the CAA. He had recently been elected to the Savage Club where he had performed his own man show to much acclaim. A genial and kind man with a self effacing sense of humour he was a familiar figure in London's theatreland with his bewhiskered looks and jaunty smile. He will be much missed by his many colleagues in the profession. Friend Barbara Angell said, "We were friends through thick and thin - we were sometimes rich together but mostly poor, at least financially. We shared a lot of laughs. Pemberton had been suffering from cancer and died on May 13, 2007. He was survived by his mother.

Series24

  • TV8.2

    Agatha Christie's Poirot

    1989 · 584 votes

  • TV7.1

    Minder

    1979 · 30 votes

  • TV7.1

    Screen Two

    1985 · 7 votes

  • TV7.9

    Foyle's War

    2002 · 111 votes

  • TV7.6

    The Professionals

    1977 · 47 votes

  • TV7.8
  • TV7.0

    Return of the Saint

    1978 · 10 votes

  • TV7.2

    The Upper Hand

    1990 · 6 votes

  • TV7.0

    Centre Play

    1973 · 1 votes

  • TV7.7

    Shoestring

    1979 · 6 votes

  • TV7.1

    Hammer House of Horror

    1980 · 73 votes

  • TV7.0

    Bread

    1986 · 25 votes

  • TV6.5

    Terry and June

    1979 · 13 votes

  • TV6.8

    Rentaghost

    1976 · 8 votes

  • TV6.2

    The Paradise Club

    1989 · 5 votes

  • TV5.8
  • TV8.0

    Danger UXB

    1979 · 8 votes

  • TV
  • TV7.3

    Big Deal

    1984 · 4 votes

  • TV7.0
  • TV7.3

    Dickens of London

    1976 · 3 votes

  • TV7.0

    Sapphire & Steel

    1979 · 27 votes

  • TV7.4
  • TV7.2

    Shillingbury Tales

    1981 · 5 votes

Movies20

  • Movie6.6

    The Four Feathers

    2002 · 611 votes

  • Movie6.0

    Brannigan

    1975 · 120 votes

  • Movie3.6

    Let's Get Laid

    1978 · 8 votes

  • Movie6.7

    The Naked Civil Servant

    1975 · 46 votes

  • Movie5.7

    A Murder of Quality

    1991 · 28 votes

  • Movie5.6
  • Movie6.3
  • Movie8.0

    Norbert Smith: A Life

    1989 · 3 votes

  • Movie5.2
  • Movie7.7

    Pat and Margaret

    1994 · 11 votes

  • Movie6.2
  • Movie7.5

    King of Fridges

    2004 · 2 votes

  • Movie4.0

    Eskimo Nell

    1975 · 24 votes

  • Movie5.9

    The Black Panther

    1977 · 24 votes

  • Movie1.0
  • Movie6.7

    Porridge

    1979 · 40 votes

  • Movie6.8

    Black Joy

    1977 · 8 votes

  • Movie5.8
  • Movie9.0

    On Giant's Shoulders

    1979 · 1 votes

  • Movie6.0

    Playing Away

    1987 · 6 votes