Ronnie Stevens (actor)

{{Short description|English revue artist, character actor and voice artist (1925–2006)}}

{{refimprove|date=November 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ronnie Stevens

| image = File:Ronnie Stevens.jpg

| imagesize = 150px

| caption =

| birth_name = Ronald George Stevens

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1925|9|2}}

| birth_place = Peckham, London, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2006|11|11|1925|9|2}}

| death_place = Northwood, London, England

| othername =

| occupation = Actor, voice artist

| yearsactive = 1948–1998

| spouse = {{marriage|Ann Bristow|1959|2006|end=died}}

| children = 2

| domesticpartner =

| website =

| module = {{infobox military person|embed=yes

| allegiance = {{flagicon|GB}} Great Britain

| branch = British Army, Royal Air Force

| battles = World War II

}}

}}

Ronald George Stevens (2 September 1925 – 11 November 2006) was an English actor, revue and voice artist.{{cite web|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2ba0650549|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804020612/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2ba0650549|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-08-04|title=Ronnie Stevens|work=BFI}}

Biography

=Early life=

Stevens was born in Peckham, south London, England, the son of Fanny Elizabeth (Carpenter) and Henry Edward Stevens.{{Cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/76/Ronnie-Stevens.html|title = Ronnie Stevens Biography (1925-)}} He served in World War II in both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Engineers of the British Army.[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/nov/16/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries Ronnie Stevens - Gifted and versatile character actor at home in theatre, films and television.] The Guardian. Retrieved July 24, 2021.

=Acting career=

Stevens was a versatile actor, who started his performance career in theatrical revue in 1948, he appear don television in numerous comedies like May to September, Goodnight Sweetheart and A.J. Wentworth, B.A. although he was equally at home in drama roles including TheAvengers and Rumpole of the Bailey.

He also appeared as the "Minister of Pollution", in The Goodies pollution episode. He played minor roles in many other sitcoms including Wild, Wild Women, Winning Widows, Only When I Laugh, Ever Decreasing Circles, Hi-de-Hi!, Yes, Prime Minister, Terry and June, Chance in a Million and As Time Goes By. He played roles in Dick and the Duchess, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, and as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in the 1980 BBC Television Shakespeare series presentation of Twelfth Night. He appeared as Mr Rudge in the Tales of the Unexpected (TV series) episode (9/5) "The Facts of Life" (1988).

In 1965–66 Stevens co-starred in the pioneering Australian TV satirical comedy series The Mavis Bramston Show, where he replaced founding cast member Gordon Chater.{{cite web|url=http://www.australiantelevision.net/mavisbramstonshow.html|title=Australian Television: The Mavis Bramston Show|work=australiantelevision.net}}

Stevens also appeared in the 1962 film Carry On Cruising, the 1996 film Brassed Off, and the 1998 film The Parent Trap.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/ronnie-stevens-p68161|title=Ronnie Stevens - Movies and Filmography - AllMovie|work=AllMovie}}

He co-narrated Noggin the Nog with Oliver Postgate.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/nov/16/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries|title=Obituary: Ronnie Stevens|author=Eric Shorter|work=The Guardian|date=16 November 2006}}

Stevens also lent his voice to the classic children's puppet series Space Patrol and Sara and Hoppity and the children's animated series Captain Zed and the Zee Zone along with various British and Canadian voice actors as well as providing voices for the animated film Rarg.

=Personal life =

His wife, Ann, predeceased him by six months. His eldest son died from Cystic Fibrosis in 1990. He is survived by his youngest son and one grandson. Ronald was 81 at the time of his death on 11 November, 2006 in Northwood, London, England.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1534155/Ronnie-Stevens.html|title=Ronnie Stevens|date=15 November 2006|work=The Daily Telegraph}}

Filmography (selected)

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! class = "unsortable" | Notes

1949

| Under Capricorn

| Officer at Ball

| Uncredited

rowspan=2|1952

| Top Secret

| Aubrey

|

Made in Heaven

| TV Announcer

| Uncredited

1953

| Love in Pawn

| Grocer

|

rowspan=3|1954

| The Scarlet Web

| Simpson

|

The Embezzler

| Travel Agent

| Uncredited

For Better, for Worse

| Fishmonger's Assistant

|

rowspan=5|1955

| As Long as They're Happy

| Box intruder

|

The Hornet's Nest

| Bill, the Photographer

|

Value for Money

| Compere

|

No Smoking

| BBC Man

|

An Alligator Named Daisy

| Singer

| Uncredited

rowspan=2|1956

| The Narrowing Circle

| Jimmy

|

The Extra Day

| Reporter

| Uncredited

1957

| Doctor at Large

| Waiter at hotel

|

rowspan=2|1958

| I Was Monty's Double

| M.I.5. Tail

|

Bachelor of Hearts

| Shop Assistant

|

rowspan=2|1959

| Danger Within

| Lt. Meynell, 'The Sewer Rat'

|

I'm All Right Jack

| Hooper

|

rowspan=2|1960

| Doctor in Love

| Harold Green

|

Dentist in the Chair

| Brian Dexter

|

rowspan=3|1961

| Very Important Person

| Hankley

|

Nearly a Nasty Accident

| Flight Lt. Pocock

|

Dentist on the Job

| Brian Dexter

|

rowspan=4|1962

| It's Trad, Dad!

| TV Director

|

A Pair of Briefs

| Hotel Under-Manager

|

Carry On Cruising

| Drunk Passenger

|

On the Beat

| Oberon

|

1963

| Doctor in Distress

| Hotel Manager

|

rowspan=4|1965

| A Home of Your Own

| The Architect

|

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines

| Reporter

| Uncredited

San Ferry Ann

| Hiker Boy

|

Give a Dog a Bone

| Ringo

|

rowspan=2|1966

| Doctor in Clover

| TV Producer

|

The Sandwich Man

| Drunk

|

1967

| Smashing Time

| 1st Waiter

|

rowspan=2|1969

| Some Girls Do

| Peregrine Carruthers

|

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

| Algie

|

1974

| All I Want Is You... and You... and You...

| Husband

|

1979

| S.O.S. Titanic

| Doctor McGee - Carpathia

| uncredited

1984

| Captain Stirrick

| William Perfect

|

1985

| Morons from Outer Space

| Hotel Manager

|

1988

| Rarg

| Baby, Senator

| (voice)

1989

| Countdown to War

| Phipps

|

1990

| Secret Weapon

| Barber

|

1992

| Blame It on the Bellboy

| Man on Plane

|

1996

| Brassed Off

| Albert Hall Judge

|

1998

| The Parent Trap

| Charles James (Annie and Hallie's Maternal Grandfather and Liz's father)

| Final film role

References

{{Reflist}}