Nicholas Smith (actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicholas Smith
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Smith in 2009
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| Born | 5 March 1934 |
| Died | 6 December 2015 (aged 81) Sutton, London, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | theatre pre 1960, television 1960–2009 |
| Television | Are You Being Served? |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Smith |
| Children | Catherine Russell |
Nicholas Smith (born March 5, 1934 – died December 6, 2015) was a funny English actor. Many people remember him for playing Mr. Rumbold in the popular BBC TV show Are You Being Served?. In the show, he was the manager of a pretend department store called Grace Brothers.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Nicholas Smith was born in England. His father was a surveyor, someone who measures land and buildings. Nicholas went to school and learned to play music and sing. He also trained to be an actor at a famous school called RADA. After his training, he acted in many plays in different theaters, including the famous West End in London and even on Broadway in New York City.
Early TV Roles
Nicholas Smith started his TV career with small roles where he didn't speak much. His first speaking part was in the BBC science fiction show Doctor Who in 1964. He played a character named Wells. Smith even convinced the director to give his character more scenes!
After Doctor Who, he appeared in many other adventure shows. These included The Saint, The Avengers, and The Champions. In 1969, he acted in a historical TV show called The First Churchills.
Playing Mr. Rumbold
In 1972, Nicholas Smith got a big role in a new TV show called Are You Being Served?. He played Mr. Cuthbert "Jug Ears" Rumbold. Mr. Rumbold was the manager of the menswear and ladieswear departments in a big, funny department store called Grace Brothers.
Smith stayed with Are You Being Served? for its entire run, which ended in 1985. He also appeared in the movie version of the show in 1977. Later, he was in the show's sequel, Grace & Favour, in the early 1990s.
Other Acting Work
While working on Are You Being Served?, Nicholas Smith also had other roles. From 1972 to 1975, he played PC Jeff Yates in the police show Z-Cars.
He also appeared in several films:
- Salt and Pepper (1968)
- A Walk with Love and Death (1969)
- The Twelve Chairs (1970)
- The Canterbury Tales (1972)
- The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)
In 1979, he was in the children's TV show Worzel Gummidge as a headmaster. He also acted in a stage play called Me and My Girl in 1986.
Later in his career, Smith did voice acting. In 2005, he voiced Reverend Clement Hedges in the popular animated film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. For this role, he was nominated for an award! In 2008, he appeared in Last of the Summer Wine. His last TV role was in the children's show M.I. High in 2010. Nicholas Smith also enjoyed writing music and poetry.
Personal Life and Death
Nicholas Smith was the father of actress Catherine Russell. He passed away on December 6, 2015. He had been in the hospital for seven weeks after falling at his home.
Partial Filmography
- Partners in Crime (1961) - Pawn Shop Assistant
- Doctor Who (1964, season 2) - Resistant
- Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (1965) - Fireman (uncredited)
- Salt and Pepper (1968) - Constable
- The Saint - "The Fiction-Makers" (1968) - Bishop
- A Walk with Love and Death (1969) - Pilgrim
- The Champions- "Project Zero" (1969) - Postmaster.
- The Twelve Chairs (1970) - Actor in Play
- The Canterbury Tales (1972) - Friar
- Are You Being Served? (1972) - Mr. Rumbold
- Baxter! (1973) - 1st Taxi Driver
- Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974) - Death Wish (uncredited)
- The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) - Hunkston
- Are You Being Served? (1977) - Mr. Rumbold
- Grace & Favour (1992) - Mr. Rumbold
- Martin Chuzzlewit (1994) - Mr. Spottletoe
- What Rats Won't Do (1998) - Chaplain
- Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) - Reverend Clement Hedges (voice), Nominated - Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production
- Every Hidden Thing (2006) - Abel
See also
In Spanish: Nicholas Smith para niños
