David Barry (actor)

{{Short description|Welsh actor and novelist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{more footnotes needed|date=January 2013}}

{{Infobox person

| name = David Barry

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|4|30|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales

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| birth_name = Meurig Wyn Jones

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| years_active = 1964–present

| occupation = Actor, author

}}

David Barry (born Meurig Wyn Jones,{{cite book|last1=Room|first1=Adrian|authorlink1=Adrian Room|title=Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins|date=2012|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786457632|page=49|edition=5th|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eSIhzKnNUf4C&q=Meurig+Wyn-Jones&pg=PA49|language=en}} 30 April 1943) is a Welsh actor and novelist. He is best known for his role as Frankie Abbott, (the gum-chewing mother's boy who was convinced he was extremely tough), in the LWT sitcom Please Sir! and the spin-off series The Fenn Street Gang.

He also appeared in two TV spin-off movies - Please Sir! (1971) and George and Mildred (1980).

His first broadcast script was written for The Fenn Street Gang and he wrote many episodes of Thames TV's Keep it in the Family.{{Cite web|title = BARRY, DAVID {{!}} List Of Writers|url = http://www.literaturewales.org/writers-of-wales/i/135218/desc/barry-david/|website = www.literaturewales.org|access-date = 2016-01-15|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084007/http://www.literaturewales.org/writers-of-wales/i/135218/desc/barry-david/|archivedate = 2016-03-04}}

In 2016 Barry reprised the role of Frankie Abbott in his own play A Day in the Lives of Frankie Abbott.{{cite web|title=David Barry actor/writer|url=http://www.davidbarryauthor.co.uk/News-and-Links.html|website=davidbarryauthor.co.uk|accessdate=18 April 2016|archive-date=19 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419112524/https://www.davidbarryauthor.co.uk/News-and-Links.html|url-status=dead}} In 2017, he appeared in the horror comedy short film Frankula.{{cite web |last=Phillips-Jones |first=Richard |date=March 4, 2017 |url=https://www.spookyisles.com/frankula-2017-review/|title=Please Sir's Frankie Abbott Returns For Fang-Tastic Frankula Horror Romp |publisher=The Spooky Isles|accessdate=August 6, 2020}} In 2018, he appeared in another horror comedy short film called Bad Friday.{{cite web |last=Gelmini |first=David |date=April 4, 2018 |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/270607/watch-now-comedy-horror-shorts-frankula-and-bad-friday/|title=Watch Now: Comedy Horror Shorts Frankula and Bad Friday|publisher=Dread Central |accessdate=August 6, 2020}}

Barry is also a novelist. His police thriller Each Man kills, set in Swansea, was published in 2002, to be followed by Willie the Actor in 2008. His autobiography was entitled Flashback. He has also written a children's book, The Ice Cream Time Machine. He lives in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.