Barry Howard

{{Short description|Actor}}

{{about||the English footballer|Barry Howard (footballer)|the English cricketer|Barry Howard (cricketer)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Barry Howard

| imagesize =

| caption = Barry Howard as 'Barry Stuart- Hargreaves' in TV sitcom Hi-de-hi

| birth_name = Barry Frederick Howard

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1937|7|9}}

| birth_place = Nottingham, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2016|4|28|1937|7|9}}

| death_place = Poole, Dorset, England

| occupation = Actor

}}

Barry Frederick Howard (9 July 1937 – 28 April 2016) was an English actor. He was best known for his role as Barry Stuart-Hargreaves in the first seven series of the long-running BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!, in which his deadpan comedy style and classic facial expressions made him a popular character.

Life and career

Howard was born in Nottingham. While completing his national service in the Royal Navy, Howard found himself wanting to train for the theatre at the Birmingham Theatre School. Unable to gain a grant from the local authority, he worked for almost two years at the Alexandra Theatre in a backstage role to fund his place at drama school.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

Howard appeared in Terry and June, You Rang, M'Lord?, The House of Windsor and Dad, in addition to Hi-de-Hi! In 2004, Howard played the character of Geoffrey in the short film Open Casket. In November 2009, he appeared in an episode of the BBC comedy Beautiful People. Howard appeared in Doctor Who, in its 2009 two-part Christmas special, as driver of the mini-bus containing the old age pensioners' group seeking the Doctor.{{cite news|author=Staff|title=Russell Davies' final show reunites old friends for a Doctor Who adventure|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/04/13/russell-davies-final-show-reunites-old-friends-for-a-doctor-who-adventure-91466-23373501|work=Western Mail|date=13 April 2009|accessdate=16 April 2009}}
{{cite news|author=Staff|title=June Whitfield spotted with Doctor Who in Cardiff|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/04/13/ab-fab-star-june-whitfield-spotted-with-doctor-who-in-cardiff-91466-23372923|work=South Wales Echo|date=13 April 2009|accessdate=16 April 2009}}

In 2012, Howard appeared in the fifth series of the BBC Radio 4 comedy Fags, Mags and Bags as Frank Butcher. In 2015, he provided the voice of the lead character in ITV's sitcom Mr Snufflesworth, a live action comedy starring a dachshund dog who lives in South London.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/04/28/hi-de-hi-actor-barry-howard-has-died-aged-78/|title=Hi-de-Hi! actor Barry Howard has died aged 78|website=The Telegraph|date=28 April 2016 |access-date=2016-05-12}}

Howard was also a stage actor, and was half of one of the most celebrated Ugly Sister acts in pantomime regularly appearing opposite John Inman.{{cite news|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2341312.ece|title=Obituary: John Inman|work=The Independent|date=9 March 2007|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605095826/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2341312.ece|archivedate=5 June 2007}}{{cite news|title= John Inman |newspaper=The Stage |date= 15 March 2007}}

Death

Howard died from blood cancer, aged 78, on 28 April 2016,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36163533|work=BBC News|title=Hi-de-Hi! actor Barry Howard dies at 78|date=28 April 2016|accessdate=24 October 2020}} at his home in Poole, Dorset.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

Television roles

References

{{reflist}}