Rodney Bewes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rodney Bewes
Rodney Bewes in 2004
Born	(1937-11-27)27 November 1937 Bingley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	21 November 2017(2017-11-21) (aged 79) Cadgwith, Cornwall, England
Occupation	Actor performer scriptwriter
Years active	1952–2015
Spouse(s)	Sylvia N. Tebbitt ​ ​ (m. 1963, divorced)​ Daphne Black ​ ​ (m. 1973; died 2015)​
Children	4

Rodney Bewes (born 27 November 1937 – died 21 November 2017) was a well-known English actor and writer. He was most famous for playing the character Bob Ferris in the popular BBC TV show The Likely Lads (1964–66) and its follow-up, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973–74). Later in his career, Rodney Bewes continued to act on stage.

Early Life and Acting Start

Rodney Bewes was born in Bingley, a town in Yorkshire, England. His father, Horace, worked for an electricity company, and his mother, Bessie, was a teacher. When he was young, Rodney often got sick with asthma and bronchitis. Because of this, his family moved to Luton for a few years.

Rodney became interested in acting at a young age. Just before his 13th birthday, he tried out for the main role in a TV show called Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School. He didn't get the part, but he did appear in two other early TV shows for the BBC in 1952: Mystery at Mountcliffe Chase and The Pickwick Papers. When he was 14, he moved to London to study acting at a special school connected to the RADA. After serving in the RAF for two years, he went on to study at RADA itself.

Becoming a Star Actor

Rodney Bewes started his acting career in theatre and soon got roles in TV dramas like Dixon of Dock Green (1962) and Z-Cars (1963). He also appeared in the 1963 film Billy Liar with his friend Tom Courtenay.

His big break came in 1964 when he was cast as Bob Ferris in The Likely Lads. This TV show was about two factory workers from Newcastle. Bob Ferris, played by Rodney, was the more ambitious friend, while Terry Collier (James Bolam) was his more relaxed friend. The show was very popular and ran for three series.

Between the two Likely Lads shows, Rodney Bewes also appeared in other TV series such as Man in a Suitcase (1967) and Father, Dear Father (1968). Many kids might remember him as "Mr Rodney" on The Basil Brush Show (1968–69). He even created and co-wrote his own TV comedy show called Dear Mother...Love Albert (1969–72).

Rodney Bewes and James Bolam reunited for the sequel to their hit show, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973–74). This show was also very successful and included a Christmas special. The characters of Bob and Terry were so popular that their stories were also adapted for radio and a cinema film called The Likely Lads (1976).

Rodney Bewes also appeared in several films during this time, including Spring and Port Wine (1970) and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972), where he played the Knave of Hearts. Later film roles included Jabberwocky (1977) and Unidentified Flying Oddball (1979). Fans of Doctor Who might remember his guest role in the 1984 episode Resurrection of the Daleks.

Later Career and Stage Work

Even though his TV appearances became less frequent in the mid-1980s, Rodney Bewes continued to be a busy stage actor. He performed in plays in London's West End, such as Middle-Age Spread and Funny Money.

In the 1990s and later, Rodney Bewes became well-known for his one-man stage shows. He toured extensively across the UK with his performances of Three Men in a Boat and Diary of a Nobody.

His final TV appearance was in 2009, when he played a retired bank manager named Edward Walton in an episode of the British TV series Heartbeat called Ties That Bind. In 2015, he performed an autobiographical show called An Audience with Rodney Bewes... Who? in Edinburgh.

Rodney Bewes also wrote a book about his life, called A Likely Story, which was published in 2005.

Death

Rodney Bewes passed away on 21 November 2017, just before his 80th birthday. He died at his home in Cadgwith, Cornwall. He is remembered by his daughter and three sons.

Filmography

Film

Television