Ronald George Stevens born 2 September 1925 Peckham London, died 11 November 2006 Northwood Middlesex.
He was one of those 'I know that face' comedy character actors familiar in British film and television screens throughout the sixties and seventies, who was instantly recognizable but rarely be able to put a name too.
He appeared in many television comedy series in regular roles, including May to December, Goodnight Sweetheart and A J Wentworth, BA. He also appeared as the "Minister of Pollution", in The Goodies pollution episode. He played minor roles in many other sitcoms including Wild, Wild Women, Only When I Laugh, Ever Decreasing Circles, Hi-de-Hi!, Yes, Prime Minister, Terry and June, Chance in a Million and As Time Goes By. Other television roles include The Avengers, Minder, Rumpole of the Bailey, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek in the 1980 BBC Television Shakespeare series presentation of Twelfth Night.
Ronnie Stevens also appeared in the 1998 film The Parent Trap and the 1996 film Brassed Off.
He co-narrated Noggin the Nog with Oliver Postgate
His wife, Ann, predeceased him as did his older son. He is survived by their youngest son.
Daily Telegraph Obituary
17 Nov 2006
Ronnie Stevens, the actor who died on Remembrance Day aged 81, possessed the sort of lantern jaw and mobile features that lend themselves to comedy, and enjoyed a versatile and prolific career on television, in films and on the West End stage.
His first appearances were in intimate revue, and he performed frequently in Peter Myers shows in the West End alongside Joan Sims, who became a life-long friend. He went on to play comic character roles in some 40 films, including I'm All Right Jack (1958, with Peter Sellers), Dentist in the Chair (1960, with Bob Monkhouse) and Carry On Cruising (1962).
In the 1970s and 1980s he was a leading member of the Prospect Theatre Company, playing the Fool in King Lear (1972) and Sir Nathaniel in Love'sLabour's Lost (1984). He was also a founder member, with Ian McKellen, of the Actors' Company. On television he appeared in numerous drama and comedy series, including The Goodies, Hi-di-Hi!, Yes, Prime Minister, Goodnight Sweetheart, Rumpole of the Bailey and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates.
Ronald George Stevens was born at Peckham on September 2 1925 and educated at Peckham Central School and Camberwell School of Art. During the Second World War he served in the RAF and the Royal Engineers.Subsequently he paid his way through Rada.
After making his stage debut in revue at the Chepstow Theatre Club in 1948, he soon established himself as a member of a group of actors who appeared in Peter Myers revues, making his West End debut at the Hippodrome in 1953 in High Spirits. In 1954 he appeared alongside Joan Sims with Ron Moody and Joan Heal in Intimacy at 8.30 at the Criterion, then, in 1956, in For Amusement Only, when he brought the house down with No Morpheus in the Underground, a sketch written to music by Offenbach. In 1960 he took five roles in Christopher Logue's musical The Lily White Boys at the Royal Court, then appeared in the Billy Barnes Revue at the Lyric, Hammersmith. In the musical Rose Marie at the Victoria Palace (1960) he took the comedy role of Hard-Boiled Herman. The following year he got star billing in Myers's The Lord Chamberlain Regrets at the Savile Theatre.
ronnie stevens
