Paul Darrow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Darrow
Darrow in 2007
Born	Paul Valentine Birkby (1941-05-02)2 May 1941 Chessington, Surrey, England
Died	3 June 2019(2019-06-03) (aged 78)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1963–2019
Spouse(s)	Janet Lees Price

Paul Darrow (born Paul Valentine Birkby; 2 May 1941 – 3 June 2019) was an English actor. He was famous for playing the character Kerr Avon. This was in the BBC science fiction TV show Blake's 7. He appeared in the show from 1978 to 1981.

Paul Darrow also had many other TV roles. He was in Doctor Who twice. He played Captain Hawkins in Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970). Later, he was Tekker in Timelash (1985). He also lent his voice to "Jack" on radio stations like JACKfm. His voice was known for its clever and funny comments.

Early Life

Paul Darrow was born in Chessington, Surrey, England. His birthday was May 2, 1941. He went to Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School. After school, he studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. While there, he shared a flat with actors John Hurt and Ian McShane.

Acting Career

Paul Darrow worked a lot in both theatre and television. He appeared in many TV shows. These included The Saint and Z-Cars. He also played the Sheriff of Nottingham in The Legend of Robin Hood (1975).

He was best known for his role as Avon in Blake's 7. He was in almost every episode of the series. Paul Darrow was very proud of his work on Blake's 7. He often spoke about the show in the UK and the US.

In the 1990s, he bought the rights to Blake's 7. He tried to make a new mini-series called Blake's 7: A Rebellion Reborn. He hoped it would continue the story 25 years later. The idea was for an older Avon to help a new generation of heroes.

Portrait of Paul Darrow in 2012

Paul Darrow also had some film roles. He played doctors in The Raging Moon (1971) and the James Bond movie Die Another Day (2002). Most of his scenes in the Bond movie were cut, but he still appears briefly.

He was also a talented voice-over artist. He provided voices for the UK JACKfm radio station. He was the voice of Grand Moff Tarkin in the game Star Wars: Empire at War. He also voiced Zarok in the PlayStation game MediEvil. His voice recordings were used again in the game's 2019 remake.

Paul Darrow appeared in the TV soap opera Emmerdale from 2009. He played Eddy Fox, a friend of Alan Turner. He also voiced a main character named Walker in the PC game Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising. Another Blake's 7 actress, Glynis Barber, was also in this game.

In 2011, Darrow voiced Overseer Tremel in the game Star Wars: The Old Republic. In 2012, he returned to play Kerr Avon in new Blake's 7 audio dramas. These were called Blake's 7: The Liberator Chronicles. He also played Avon in Blake's 7: The Classic Audio Adventures.

In 2015, Paul Darrow starred in the interactive video game Contradiction: Spot the Liar!. He played Paul Rand, a mysterious businessman. A sequel was planned but never made. In 2018, he appeared on the quiz show Pointless. He won the celebrity sci-fi edition with his Blake's 7 co-star Michael Keating.

Personal Life

In the mid-1960s, Paul Darrow married actress Janet Lees-Price. They were married for almost 50 years. They lived in Billingshurst, West Sussex. Janet passed away in 2012.

Later Years and Passing

In his final years, Paul Darrow's health declined. In 2014, he had a serious health issue called an aortic aneurysm. Because of problems during treatment, doctors had to amputate both his legs. He passed away on June 3, 2019, at 78 years old. The 2019 remake of the game MediEvil, where he voiced Zarok, was dedicated to his memory.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

Radio and CD audio dramas