Colin Bean facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colin Bean
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Bean as Private Sponge in Dad's Army
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| Born | 15 April 1926 Wigan, England
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| Died | 20 June 2009 (aged 83) Wigan, England
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| Occupation | Retired farmer |
| Years active | 1963–1988 |
Colin Bean (born April 15, 1926 – died June 20, 2009) was an English actor. He was most famous for playing Private Sponge in the funny BBC TV show Dad's Army.
Early Life of Colin Bean
Colin Bean was born in Wigan, Lancashire, England. His father was a football player for the local team, Wigan Borough. Colin went to Wigan Grammar School.
His very first acting role was as a shepherd in a school play. Even though his father wanted him to do something else, Colin decided to become a professional actor.
He later joined the British Army for four years after World War II. He even spent some time in Japan. While there, he kept acting by joining the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF).
After finishing drama school in 1952, he started working at the Sheffield Rep theatre. This led to many regular acting jobs in the theatre.
Colin Bean's Acting Career
Colin Bean got his role in Dad's Army because he had worked with Jimmy Perry in 1962. Jimmy Perry was one of the writers of Dad's Army. Colin also spent almost 20 years playing a pantomime dame, which is a funny female character in a traditional British play.
His part in Dad's Army started small. But as the show went on, his role grew bigger. In 1997, he said it felt great to be on the front row of the platoon. He was no longer just in the background.
Colin also appeared in many other TV shows. These included Z-Cars, The Liver Birds, and Are You Being Served?. He was also in the last episode of Hi-de-Hi! in 1988.
Later in his life, Colin focused on radio work because of his arthritis. He wrote a book about his life called Who Do You Think You Are Kidding!. It was published in 1998 and had two different versions.
Even though he used a wheelchair later on, he still made appearances on stage. He would talk about his long acting career in the North West of England. He also regularly attended Dad's Army reunions. Colin lived in Wigan, his hometown, until he passed away at age 83 in 2009.
Filmography
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Red Riding Hood | King Wolf | TV film |
| 1961 | Richard the Lionheart | Yeoman | Episode: School for a King |
| 1963 | Z Cars | Mr Cowpe | Episode: Members Only |
| 1966 | No Hiding Place | Det Sgt Parsons | Episode: It Isn’t Just The Money... |
| 1968-77 | Dad's Army | Private Sponge | Recurring role in 76 episodes |
| 1969 | The Gnomes of Dulwich | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| Gold robbers | Prison Imate | Episode: Dog eat Dog | |
| Harry Worth Show | Policeman | ||
| The Goodies | Knight | ||
| The First Churchills | Lord Russell | 2 episodes | |
| Broaden Your Mind | Various roles | 3 episodes | |
| 1970 | Up Pompeii! | Centurion | |
| 1971 | Now Take My Wife | Dirty Macintosh Man | |
| 1971-72 | The Liver Birds | First speaker/Police constable | 2 episodes |
| 1972 | His Lordship Entertains | Episode: The Safari Park | |
| Scott on Language | Indian Chief | ||
| 1973 | Elementary My Dear Watson | Aged newseller | |
| Michael Bentine Time | Various roles | 13 episodes | |
| Are You Being Served? | Leatherette Gloves | ||
| 1976-78 | Potter’s Picture Palace | Vicar | 3 episodes |
| 1976 | Fallen Hero | Loud Supporter | |
| 1980 | Cousin Phillis | Robinson | |
| 1981 | Ladykillers | Clerk of Court | Episode: A Smile is Sometimes Worth a Million Dollars |
| Cribb | Police constable | Episode: Invitation to a Dynamite Party | |
| 1983 | Crown Court | Foreman of the Jury | |
| 1985 | Good as Gold | His Worship the Mayor | TV film |
| 1986 | Jossy's Giants | Episode: The Siege of St James' | |
| 1988 | Hi-de-Hi! | Verger |
See also
In Spanish: Colin Bean para niños
