Geoffrey Hughes (actor)

Hughes was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, to Ada (née Tulloch) and Bill Hughes. He had one younger brother, Gordon. He was brought up in Liverpool, where he attended Ranworth Square Primary School. He then went to Abbotsford Secondary Modern School in Norris Green, Liverpool. He started his acting career in repertory at the Victoria Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent and soon made his West End debut in the Lionel Bart and Alun Owen musical Maggie May. His other West End productions included the stage version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Say Goodnight to Grandma, The Secret Life of Cartoons and several series of Run For Your Wife. He later played Pistol in an open-air production of Henry V at Barnwell Manor. He also toured extensively in Britain and abroad.

Hughes' film credits included Smashing Time (1967), The Bofors Gun (1968), Till Death Us Do Part (1969), The Virgin Soldiers (1969), The Man Who Had Power Over Women (1970), Revenge (1971), Carry On at Your Convenience (1971), Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1973), Tiffany Jones (1973), Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976), Nijinsky (1980), and Flick (2008). He was also the voice of Paul McCartney in the Beatles' 1968 cartoon film Yellow Submarine.

In 1974, Hughes was cast as binman Eddie Yeats in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street. Over the next nine years he became, with Stan Ogden (as played by Bernard Youens), a foil for Stan's long-suffering wife Hilda (Jean Alexander). He left the series in 1983, but made a brief return appearance in 1987 as part of Hilda's departure from the series.

Among his many other appearances on television are: An Arrow for Little Audrey; The Saint;{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/geoffrey-hughes/credits/3000432998/ |title=Geoffrey Hughes credits |work=tvguide.com |access-date= 16 June 2023}} Shadows of Fear; Z-Cars; Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased); Flying Lady; Making Out; Coasting; Doctor Who; Spender; and Boon. He played Trinculo in a version of The Tempest for the BBC and Squire Clodpoll in Good Friday 1663, one of Channel Four's new avant-garde operas. His comedy appearances on TV include The Likely Lads, Please Sir!, Dad's Army, Curry and Chips, No, Honestly, and The Upper Hand.

Hughes played the character of Onslow in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances (1990–1995), appearing in all 44 episodes over five series. In 1997 he and Judy Cornwell reprised their roles as Onslow and Daisy in a special compilation programme called The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket which was subsequently released on VHS. Hughes reprised his role as Onslow one final time in 2008, for the video (DVD) release of a further compilation programme, Keeping Up Appearances: Life Lessons from Onslow.

He also had a recurring role as Twiggy in The Royle Family from 1998 until 2008.

Hughes usually appeared in pantomime over the Christmas period.{{cite news|last1=Weston|first1=Alan |title=Geoffrey Hughes career on stage, TV and screen|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/geoffrey-hughes-career-stage-tv-3398144|access-date=16 October 2019|work=Liverpool Echo|date=5 August 2010}} He appeared on That Antony Cotton Show on 6 September 2007, in which he spoke about his role in a short film called Expresso, which also starred Sir Norman Wisdom. Hughes played the part of a man who visits a coffee shop for a "normal" coffee but is served by a pompous waiter. The film was sold in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.{{cite web|url= http://www.li-safe.com/Expresso/|title= Expresso – A film by Kevin Powis and Martin Nigel Davey}}

In 2007, he performed the Angel Gabriel in the BBC production Liverpool Nativity.{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7146902.stm|title= New nativity story played to city|date= 16 December 2007|publisher=BBC|access-date=26 December 2009}} From 2007, he also appeared as uncle Keith in the first three series of the E4 drama ''Skins'.'

In 2009 he played Frank in Tim Firth's Absolutely Frank at the Oldham Coliseum Theatre and at the Harrogate Theatre.{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/theatre/4142718.preview-absolutely-frank-harrogate-theatre-february-26-to-march-14/|title = Preview: Absolutely Frank, Harrogate Theatre, February 26 to March 14|date=2009}}

Hughes married Susan Mundell in 1975. His off-stage interests included sailing, football, golf, cricket, rock music, dendrology (trees), and beer. He was the Honorary Squire of the Dartington Morris Men and made an appearance at the Dartington Morris Ring meeting in September 2008. His musical interests included British folk rock and he compered at Fairport's Cropredy Convention annual music festival several times.Fairport's Cropredy Convention Official Souvenir Programme 2007; Fairport's Cropredy Convention Official Souvenir Programme; 2008, page 1 He was a supporter of Everton Football Club. On 10 June 2009 he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight.{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/geoffrey-hughes-versatile-actor-who-was-happy-to-be-cast-as-the-lovable-scouser-7987839.html|title=Geoffrey Hughes: Versatile actor who was happy to be cast as the lovable scouser|website=The Independent|location=London|access-date=13 August 2018|date=2012-07-30}}{{cite web |title=The London Gazette 17 June 2009|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/L-59102-846067 |website=The London Gazette|access-date=28 July 2024|language=en}} This entitled him to the Post Nominal Letters "DL" for Life.

Hughes received a diagnosis of prostate cancer in 1996.{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jul/28/geoffrey-hughes-dies-aged-6|title=Actor Geoffrey Hughes dies aged 68|last=Jones |first=Cass|date=28 July 2012|access-date=29 July 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/jul/29/geoffrey-hughes|website=The Guardian|location=London|title=Geoffrey Hughes obituary|last=Hayward|first=Anthony|date=29 July 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190714143306/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/jul/29/geoffrey-hughes|archive-date=14 July 2019}} In 2010, he collapsed at home with extreme back pain. He was diagnosed with a relapse of prostate cancer, at which point he retired from acting.{{cite news|title=Geoffrey Hughes|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Geoffrey-Hughes|last=Shepherd|first=Melinda C.|date=23 July 2019|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=6 September 2019}} He died from his illness on 27 July 2012, aged 68.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19032928|title=Coronation Street actor Geoffrey Hughes dies aged 68|access-date=28 July 2012|publisher=BBC News|date=28 July 2012}} Doctors stated that he died "peacefully in his sleep".

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|id=0400616}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20171206142313/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba168c9ad Geoffrey Hughes] at the British Film Institute

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Category:1944 births

Category:2012 deaths

Category:20th-century English male actors

Category:21st-century English male actors

Category:Deaths from prostate cancer in England

Category:Deputy lieutenants of the Isle of Wight

Category:English male film actors

Category:English male soap opera actors

Category:English male stage actors

Category:English male television actors

Category:English male voice actors

Category:Male actors from Liverpool

Category:Male actors from Wallasey