Clive Swift facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clive Swift
Swift in Doctor Who: "Voyage of the Damned"
Birth name	Clive Walter Swift
Born	(1936-02-09)9 February 1936 Liverpool, England
Died	1 February 2019(2019-02-01) (aged 82) Paddington, London, England
Medium	Television, film
Spouse	Margaret Drabble (m. 1960; div. 1975)
Children	Rebecca Adam Joe
Relative(s)	David Swift (brother)

Clive Walter Swift (born February 9, 1936 – died February 1, 2019) was a talented English actor and songwriter. He trained as a classical actor and performed with the famous Royal Shakespeare Company. Many people remember him best for his role as Richard Bucket in the popular BBC comedy show Keeping Up Appearances. He also had many other roles in television shows and movies.

Clive Swift's Life and Career

Early Life and Training

Clive Swift was born in Liverpool, England, on February 9, 1936. His father, Abram Sampson Swift, owned a furniture shop. Clive's older brother, David, was also an actor. Both brothers went to Clifton College and then to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where Clive studied English literature. Before becoming a full-time actor, he taught at well-known drama schools like LAMDA and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His family was Jewish.

Famous Roles in TV and Film

Clive Swift appeared in many plays and films. In 1968, he played Snug in the Royal Shakespeare Company's film version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. He acted alongside famous stars like Diana Rigg and Helen Mirren.

During the 1970s, he was in two BBC adaptations of M. R. James's ghost stories: The Stalls of Barchester and A Warning to the Curious. He also appeared in The Barchester Chronicles.

His most famous role was Richard Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances. He played the patient husband of the main character, Hyacinth Bucket. Clive Swift also appeared in Doctor Who twice. First, in the 1985 story Revelation of the Daleks, and later in the 2007 Christmas special, "Voyage of the Damned". He also played Sir Ector, who was King Arthur's adoptive father, in the 1981 film Excalibur.

Beyond Acting: Music and Writing

Besides acting, Clive Swift was also a songwriter. He included many of his songs in his own shows. These shows included Richard Bucket Overflows: An Audience with Clive Swift, which toured the UK in 2007. Another show was Clive Swift Entertains, where he performed his own music and lyrics. This show toured the UK in 2009. He also played Reverend Eustacius Brewer in the TV show Born and Bred from 2002 to 2005. His last acting role was in an episode of Midsomer Murders in 2017, after which he retired.

Clive Swift's Family and Passing

Clive Swift was married to the novelist Margaret Drabble from 1960 until they divorced in 1975. He had three children. His daughter, Rebecca, sadly passed away in 2017. She was known for running a literary company in London. His two sons are Adam Swift, who is an academic, and Joe Swift, who is a garden designer and TV presenter.

Clive Swift passed away at his home on February 1, 2019, just eight days before his 83rd birthday. He had been ill for a short time. Many people shared their sadness and respect for him. His co-star from Keeping Up Appearances, Patricia Routledge, said that Clive was a "skillful and inventive actor" with a lot of experience.

Clive Swift's Work in Film and Television

Movies He Was In

TV Shows He Appeared In

Radio Appearances

• Oblomov as the Doctor (2005)
• The Right Time (2008)
• Measure for Measure as Escalus (2004)
• Jorrocks's Jaunts and Jollities as Nash (2011)
• The Price of Fear – Remains to be Seen as Fred Treiber (2012)
• "Vivat Rex" as Lord Talbot in "Henry VI" by William Shakespeare, in episodes 15–16, BBC (1977)

Stage Performances

• Cymbeline (1962) as Cloten
• The Physicists (1963) as Inspector Richard Voss (Aldwych Theatre)
• The Tempest (1966) as Caliban (Prospect Theatre Company)

See also

In Spanish: Clive Swift para niños