Derek Griffiths facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Derek Griffiths
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| Born | 15 July 1946 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1964–present |
Derek Griffiths (born 15 July 1946) is a famous British actor, singer, and voice artist. He is best known for appearing in many popular British children's television series from the 1970s until today. He has also acted in many TV dramas and stage plays.
Contents
A Career on Screen and Stage
For many years, Derek Griffiths was a familiar face on the children's TV show Play School. He worked alongside other well-known presenters like Chloe Ashcroft, Johnny Ball, and Brian Cant.
Griffiths is also a talented musician who can play many instruments. He sang and played the theme tune for the cartoon Bod. He also provided the voice and music for Heads and Tails, a show about animals.
One of his most famous voice roles was the English voice of SuperTed, the heroic teddy bear. The show was originally made in the Welsh language, and Griffiths brought the character to life for English-speaking audiences.
Acting on Stage
Griffiths has had a successful career in theatre. In 1997, he played the part of Lumière in the first London production of the musical Beauty and the Beast. He also played the scary Child Catcher in the stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
In 2014, he received a Gold Badge of Merit award for his special contributions to music.
Recent Work
From 2016 to 2017, Griffiths played Freddie Smith in the popular TV soap opera Coronation Street. He left the show to star in a play called Driving Miss Daisy. In 2021, he joined the cast of The Mousetrap, a famous long-running play in London.
Why He Is Remembered
In 2011, the writer Charlie Brooker wrote about how important Derek Griffiths was to him as a child. Brooker said that Griffiths was one of the first black people he ever saw on television.
Brooker described him as a "brilliant TV presenter" who was warm, friendly, and talented. He felt that Griffiths could speak to young viewers without making them feel small. Brooker wrote that for him as a child, Griffiths's skin colour "absolutely didn't matter, yet at the same time it did – precisely because it didn't matter." This showed that people of all backgrounds could be stars on TV.
Famous Roles
Children's Television
Griffiths is famous for his work on many shows for kids. Here are some of them:
- Play School (1971–81)
- Play Away (1971)
- Look and Read (He sang songs for many stories in this series)
- Bod (1975) (He wrote the theme music)
- SuperTed (1983–1985) (He was the voice of SuperTed)
- Muzzy in Gondoland (1986) (He voiced the characters Bob and Corvax)
- The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (1993)
- Christopher Crocodile (1993) (He was the narrator and all the characters)
- Little Red Tractor (2004–2007) (He voiced Mr Jones and Walter)
- Tinga Tinga Tales (2010-2011) (He voiced Cricket and Skunk)
- Sarah & Duck (2014)
- Hilda (2020)
Other TV and Film Roles
Besides children's shows, Griffiths has acted in many other TV series and films.
- Crown Court (1973)
- Are You Being Served? (1977)
- Watership Down (1978) (He voiced the characters Vervain and Chervil)
- Rising Damp (1980)
- Casualty (1999, 2022)
- Holby City (2004, 2011)
- Coronation Street (2016–2017)
- Midsomer Murders (2021)
Honours and Awards
In the 2020 New Year Honours, Derek Griffiths was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This award was for his great work in drama and for helping to promote diversity.
