Tony Booth (actor) facts for kids

Anthony George Booth (born October 9, 1931 – died September 25, 2017) was an English actor. He was famous for playing Mike Rawlins in the BBC TV show Till Death Us Do Part.

Tony Booth was also the father-in-law of Sir Tony Blair, who used to be the Prime Minister. He was married to Pat Phoenix, a well-known actress from Coronation Street. They married just before she passed away in 1986.

Tony Booth's Early Life

Tony Booth was born in Liverpool, England, in 1931. His family was working-class, and they were Catholic. His mother was from an Irish Catholic family. His father became Catholic and worked as a sailor during World War II.

Tony went to St Edmund's Infants School. When he was a child, he spent a year in hospital because he had diphtheria. Later, he passed an important exam called the Eleven-plus. This allowed him to go to St Mary's College, Crosby. He even got a special payment, called a bursary, to help pay for his school books.

His dream of going to university did not happen. He had to leave school and find a job. This was because his father was badly hurt in a work accident. Tony then worked in a warehouse near the docks. He also worked at the United States Consulate in Liverpool. After that, he joined the Royal Corps of Signals for his national service.

Tony Booth's Acting Career

Tony Booth discovered his love for acting while serving in the Army. He was stationed in Paris at SHAPE. He spent five years performing in different plays at repertory theatres.

After that, he started appearing in films and on television in the 1960s. He acted in more than twenty movies. Some of these include The L-Shaped Room (1962) and Brannigan (1975). He also appeared in Priest (1994) and Owd Bob (1997).

He had a small role early in the TV show Coronation Street in 1960. He also appeared in an episode of The Avengers. But he became really famous for his role as the left-wing son-in-law in Till Death Us Do Part (1965).

TV Guest Appearances

Tony Booth was a guest star in many other television series. From 1985 to 1986, he played Ted Pilkington. Ted was a pub landlord in the ITV soap opera Albion Market. In 1998, he starred in a short film called The Duke. In this film, he played an old man who told his grandson he was John Wayne.

In 2001, Tony Booth appeared in the show Family Affairs. He played Barry Hurst, who was Sadie Hargreaves' brother-in-law. He also played a character named Nobby Stuart in a special episode of EastEnders. In 2007, he played a character called Errol Michaels in Emmerdale. Both of these characters were like guides to other characters who were having a tough time.

Tony Booth's Family Life

Tony Booth was married four times and had eight daughters. His first wife was Gale Howard. With her, he had two daughters, Cherie and Lyndsey. Cherie is a very successful lawyer, known as a King's Counsel. She is married to Sir Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister. Tony Booth always supported the Labour Party.

With his third wife, Nancy Jaeger, he had another daughter named Joanna. Tony also had five other daughters with partners he did not marry. He had daughters named Jenia and Bronwen with Julia Allan. He had a daughter named Lucy Thomas with Ann Gannon. He also had two more daughters, Emma and Lauren Booth, with Pamela Smith. Lauren is a well-known broadcaster and journalist.

In 1979, Tony Booth had a serious accident. He spent six months in hospital and needed many skin operations. After leaving the hospital, he went to visit Pat Phoenix, an actress from Coronation Street. She helped him recover, and they lived together for six years. Pat Phoenix became ill, and they married just a few days before she passed away in 1986.

In 2003, Tony Booth moved to Blacklion, County Cavan, in Ireland for a while. He later returned to live in England.

Later Years and Health

Tony Booth was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2004. This is a condition that affects memory and thinking. He also had a stroke in 2010. He had other health problems too. Tony Booth passed away at home on September 25, 2017, at the age of 85.

In March 2019, Tony Booth's wife, Steph, wrote a book. It was called Married to Alzheimer's: A Life Less Ordinary with Tony Booth. The book shared her experiences caring for her husband.

Filmography

• Suspect (1960) – Parkin
• Pit of Darkness (1961) – Ted
• The Valiant (1962)
• Mix Me a Person (1962) – at 'La Paloma' / Gravy
• The L-Shaped Room (1962) – Youth in Street
• The Partner (1963) – Buddy Forrester
• The Hi-Jackers (1963) – Terry McKinley
• Of Human Bondage (1964) – Martin (uncredited)
• The Saint, The Rhine Maiden (1965) - Hans
• The Return of Mr. Moto (1965) – Hovath
• The Saint, The Russian Prisoner (1966) - Pyotr
• The Girl with the Pistol (1968) – John
• Corruption (1968) – Mike Orme
• Till Death Us Do Part (1969) – Mike Rawlins (the boyfriend)
• Neither the Sea Nor the Sand (1972) – Delamare
• Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1973) – Tommy Brettell
• Montreal Main (1974)
• Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974) – Sidney Noggett
• Brannigan (1975) – Freddy
• Confessions of a Pop Performer (1975) – Sidney Noggett
• Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976) – Sidney Noggett
• Confessions from a Holiday Camp (1977) – Sidney Noggett
• Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair (1979) – Steve
• Priest (1994) – Tommy
• Owd Bob (1998) – Tammas
• The Duke (1998)
• Treasure Island (1999) – Chief Revenue Officer
• Revengers Tragedy (2002) – Lord Antonio
• Upstaged (2005) – Candidate – Leggings
• Gone to the Dogs (2006) – Jack

Books Written by Tony Booth

• Tony Booth, Stroll On (1989)
• Tony Booth, A Labour of Love (1997)
• Tony Booth, What's Left? (2002)