Patrick Newell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patrick Newell
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Newell as Mother in The Avengers in 1968
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Patrick David Newell
27 March 1932 Hadleigh, Suffolk, England
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| Died | 22 July 1988 (aged 56) Essex, England
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1953–1988 |
| Spouse(s) | Derina House (m. 1959; his death 1988) |
| Children | 2 |
Patrick David Newell (born March 27, 1932 – died July 22, 1988) was a British actor. He was well-known for his unique appearance and played many interesting characters on TV and in movies.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Patrick Newell was born in Hadleigh, Suffolk, England. His father was a doctor who had studied at Oxford. Patrick went to Taunton School.
After school, he completed his National Service, which was a time when young men served in the military. He trained alongside famous actors like Michael Caine. Later, he studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), a very famous acting school.
A Career in Acting
Patrick Newell started appearing on TV often. He was usually cast as a funny villain or in comedic roles. Because of his round shape and his ability to play slightly serious characters, he was a perfect sidekick in many comedy shows.
He first worked with Arthur Askey in Arthur's Treasured Volumes in 1960. Then, he joined Jimmy Edwards in Faces of Jim in 1962, where he also worked with Ronnie Barker.
Patrick was first chosen for the movie Carry On Sergeant in 1958. This was one of the first films in the popular Carry On series. However, the producer, Peter Rogers, said that Patrick recognized the real-life sergeant hired for the film as someone who had made his army life difficult. Rogers claimed Patrick then left the set and did not return.
In an interview in 1968, Patrick said he gained weight on purpose to help his acting career. He thought it would help him get special roles. He once described himself as "Actor with a weight problem—the more he diets, the less work he seems to get." This shows he found a unique way to stand out!
His Most Famous Roles
Patrick Newell's most famous role was playing "Mother" in the TV show The Avengers. Mother was a spymaster, a leader of spies. Patrick had appeared in The Avengers twice before playing Mother. He was in "The Town of No Return" and "Something Nasty in the Nursery."
He also appeared in other popular TV shows. These included Maigret, The Persuaders!, and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). He was also in a Doctor Who story called "The Android Invasion". Later, he appeared in The Young Ones and Kinvig.
In 1980, Patrick played Inspector Lestrade in a TV series called Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. He also had a bigger role in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in 1984. He played Sutton/Blessington alongside Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes.
Later in his life, Patrick Newell managed to lose a lot of weight. Sadly, he passed away early at the age of 56. He was married and had two children.
Selected Film Roles
- Dial 999 (1955) – Brewers Man (uncredited)
- The Rebel (1961) – Art Gallery Patron (uncredited)
- Night Without Pity (1961) – Doctor
- Crooks Anonymous (1962) – 2nd Jeweller
- The Boys (1962) – Crowhurst
- The Dock Brief (1962) – 1st Warder
- Unearthly Stranger (1963) – Maj. Clarke
- Never Mention Murder (Edgar Wallace Mysteries - 1964) – Barman
- Father Came Too! (1964) – King Harold
- Becket (1964) – William of Corbeil (uncredited)
- Do You Know This Voice? (1964) – Neighbor
- Every Day's a Holiday (1964) – Mr. Hoskins
- The Alphabet Murders (1965) – Cracknell
- A Study in Terror (1965) – PC Benson
- Bindle (One of Them Days) (1966) – Mr. Hearty
- The Sandwich Man (1966) – River Bus Man
- The Long Duel (1967) – Colonel
- Danny the Dragon (1967) – Potter
- The Strange Affair (1968) – Victim
- The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971) – Doctor (segment "Gluttony")
- The Canterbury Tales (1972) – Prior (uncredited)
- Go for a Take (1972) – Generous Jim
- Where's Johnny? (1974) – Basil
- Vampira (1974) – Man in Hotel Room
- Man About the House (1974) – Sir Edmund Weir
- The Incredible Sarah (1976) – Major
- Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers (1977) – M. O. Billings
- The Golden Lady (1979) – Charlie Whitlock
- The Shillingbury Blowers (1980) – Mr. Meadows
- Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) – Bentley Bobster
- Redondela (1987) – José María Gil Ramos
- Consuming Passions (1988) – Lester (final film role)
Selected Television Roles
- Deadline Midnight (1961) – Bertie Miller
- Danger Man (1964) – Alex
- Thorndyke (1964) – Polton
- The Illustrated Weekly Hudd (1966)
- Room at the Bottom (1967) – Cyril Culpepper
- All Gas and Gaiters (1967) - Ghost
- The Avengers (1968) – Mother / Sir George Collins / Smallwood
- Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) - The Man From Nowhere (1968) – Mannering
- Never Say Die (1970) – Mr. Oliphant
- The Misfit (1971) – Stanley Allenby-Johnson
- The Des O'Connor Show (1971)
- Casanova (1971) – Schalon
- Sadie, It's Cold Outside (1975) – Chip shop proprietor
- Moll Flanders (1975) – Thomas Woodall
- Doctor Who: The Android Invasion – Part Four (1975) – Colonel Faraday
- Wilde Alliance ('A Question of Research ', 'A Game for Two Players', episodes) (1978) - Bailey
- Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson (unscreened) (1980) – Inspector Lestrade
- The Whizzkid's Guide (1981–1983)
- Doctors' Daughters (1981) – Archdeacon Bellwether
- Kinvig (1981) – Mr. Horsley
- Jemima Shore Investigates – Jamie
- Bottle Boys (1984) – Mr. Dawson
- Sherlock Holmes- The Resident Patient (1985) – Blessington/Sutton
- Ladies in Charge (1986) – Maxwell
