| Alfred Burke | |
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| Born | 28 February 1918 Peckham, London |
Alfred Burke (born 28 February 1918) is a British actor, best known for his portrayal of Frank Marker in the drama series Public Eye, which ran for ten years.
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Burke was born in Peckham, London, the son of Sarah Ann O'Leary and William Burke.[1] He was educated at Leo Street Boy's School and Waltham Central School. He started work as a 14 year old office boy, working in a railway repair firm in the City of London after leaving school. Then onto being a Club Steward and working in a silk warehouse, he joined a local amateur dramatics group before moving to Morley College and winning a scholarship to RADA in 1937. His acting career started two years later at the Barn Theatre in Shere, Surrey. His London debut was at the Watergate Theatre where in a lean spell he worked in the kitchen. He worked with the Young and Old Vic and other companies, including working on "Sailor Beware" on stage.
In films since the mid 1950s, Burke has built a solid reputation across a wide range of character roles, prominently in television. His tall, gangly frame and by turns intense or benevolent demeanour has enabled him to slip easily and dependably into a variety of characterisations. His acting career included: The Angry Silence, Touch and Go, Yangtse Incident, Interpol, Buccaneers. Also TV plays The Tip and Treasure Island.
Burke's most famous role was the enquiry agent Frank Marker, in the ABC/Thames television series Public Eye, which ran from 1965 to 1975. His low-key, understated, but always compelling portrayal of the down-at-heel private eye made the series one of the most popular and highly-rated detective dramas on British television. The series finally ended not through falling ratings but because Burke felt that the move to film planned for the 1976 series, and a bigger budget (under Thames' subsidiary Euston Films) would destroy the atmosphere of the series.
Since Public Eye ended, Burke has appeared in a host of guises, from Long John Silver to Pope John Paul II's father. In the TV series Minder he appeared in Series 1 episode Come in T-64, Your Time Is Ticking Away as Kevin, partner to Arthur Daley in his latest scheme, a minicab service. He was also the formidable headmaster "Thrasher" Harris in Home To Roost. More recently he has been seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as Armando Dippet.
On stage, he has appeared in several Royal Shakespeare Company productions, including Richard II, Romeo and Juliet, Roberto Zucco, The Tempest, Peer Gynt, Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida, Two Shakespearean Actors, All's Well That Ends Well and Antony and Cleopatra. In 2008 he appeared at the National Theatre as the Shepherd in a new version of Sophocles' Oedipus by Frank McGuinness.[2]
His wife is named Barbara (Bonelle) and they have had two sets of twins: Jacob and Harriet, and Kelly and Louisa. He lives in Barnes and his hobbies are football and music.
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | On the Knocker | Frank |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 to 1975 | Public Eye | Frank Marker |
| 1978 to 1980 | Enemy at the Door | Major Dieter Richter |
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