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James Cossins

James Cossins

Actor · 1933 – 1997 · Beckenham, Kent, England, UK

James Cossins (4 December 1933 – 12 February 1997) was an English actor. Born in Beckenham, Kent, he became widely recognised as the abrupt, bewildered Mr Walt in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Hotel Inspectors" and as Mr Watson, the frustrated Public Relations training course instructor, in an episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Cossins was born in Beckenham and educated at the City of London School. After serving in the Royal Air Force, he trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he won the silver medal in 1952. Cossins first appeared in repertory theatre and at the Nottingham Playhouse. He played a wide range of characters throughout his colourful and extensive career on television and stage, often portraying blustering, pompous, crusty and cantankerous characters. Cossins appeared in Charley's Aunt at the Apollo Theatre in 1971 with Tom Courtenay, David Horovitch, Garth Forwood, Joanna McCallum, and Celia Bannerman. He appeared in more than forty films, including The Anniversary (recreating his West End stage role), and The Lost Continent (both 1968), Gandhi (1982), and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). On the small screen, Cossins appeared as a guest in a variety of shows, including The Likely Lads and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Minder, Bergerac, The Sweeney, Bless This House, Shadows, All Creatures Great and Small, Citizen Smith, Just William, The Good Life, L for Lester, Neville Dennis in Callan "Rules of the Game" (1972), Z-Cars, and as the regular character Bruce Westrop (in 1979) in Emmerdale Farm. He also played Major Bagstock in Dombey and Son (1983), and appeared in the first series of All in Good Faith in 1985. He played a magistrate in episodes of four different British sitcoms, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, The Good Life, Citizen Smith and Minder. Cossins's later appearances were limited by ill health and he lived in semi-retirement in Surrey. Cossins died from heart disease at the age of 63, in 1997

Movies24

  • Movie6.5

    The Man with the Golden Gun

    1974 · 2.4K votes

  • Movie7.6

    Gandhi

    1982 · 2.6K votes

  • Movie6.7
  • Movie6.7

    Darling

    1965 · 155 votes

  • Movie5.5
  • Movie6.4

    Wuthering Heights

    1970 · 50 votes

  • Movie6.9

    A Dandy in Aspic

    1968 · 28 votes

  • Movie5.9
  • Movie6.8

    Scrooge

    1970 · 170 votes

  • Movie7.8

    Follow Me!

    1972 · 12 votes

  • Movie5.7

    Sphinx

    1981 · 32 votes

  • Movie6.6

    Carry On Camping

    1969 · 107 votes

  • Movie5.8

    Death Line

    1972 · 135 votes

  • Movie7.0

    Melody

    1971 · 65 votes

  • Movie6.7
  • Movie5.8

    Fear in the Night

    1972 · 70 votes

  • Movie5.6

    How I Won the War

    1967 · 39 votes

  • Movie6.2

    Young Winston

    1972 · 54 votes

  • Movie6.2
  • Movie6.0
  • Movie6.7
  • Movie6.5
  • Movie6.3

    Loophole

    1981 · 27 votes

  • Movie

Series24

  • TV5.4

    Coronation Street

    1960 · 118 votes

  • TV7.1

    Minder

    1979 · 30 votes

  • TV7.8

    The Avengers

    1961 · 156 votes

  • TV5.7

    Crown Court

    1972 · 6 votes

  • TV7.8
  • TV8.1

    The Sweeney

    1975 · 28 votes

  • TV7.2

    Theatre 625

    1964 · 5 votes

  • TV7.0

    Bergerac

    1981 · 25 votes

  • TV4.3

    Thirty-Minute Theatre

    1965 · 8 votes

  • TV4.8

    No Hiding Place

    1959 · 4 votes

  • TV7.0

    Thriller

    1973 · 12 votes

  • TV5.8
  • TV7.3

    Justice

    1971 · 3 votes

  • TV7.5
  • TV8.3

    Fawlty Towers

    1975 · 847 votes

  • TV6.9

    Murder Most Horrid

    1991 · 15 votes

  • TV6.2

    Van der Valk

    1972 · 10 votes

  • TV6.4

    The Pallisers

    1974 · 5 votes

  • TV7.0

    Callan

    1967 · 10 votes

  • TV5.0

    Churchill's People

    1974 · 2 votes

  • TV7.0

    Centre Play

    1973 · 1 votes

  • TV7.0

    Fall of Eagles

    1974 · 10 votes

  • TV7.7
  • TV6.8

    Citizen Smith

    1977 · 14 votes