| 138th | Top people from Kent |
| Ballard Berkeley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 August 1904 Margate, Kent, England |
| Died | 16 January 1988 (aged 83) London, England |
Ballard Berkeley (born Ballard Blascheck; 6 August 1904 – 16 January 1988) was an English actor, remembered for his role in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, in which he played the character of Major Gowen.
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He was born in 1904 in Margate, Kent, England. Berkeley served as a Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police during World War II, witnessing The Blitz at first hand.[1]
He portrayed a retired military man (Colonel Freddie Danby) in BBC Radio 4's The Archers, taking over the role from Norman Shelley; he also played a starring role in Fresh Fields as main character Hester's father Guy, was Uncle Greville in To the Manor Born, had a small role in the 1980 adaptation of Little Lord Fauntleroy, and appeared once in The Avengers. Earlier in his career, during the 1930s, he performed regularly in the so-called "quota quickies". One of his earliest roles was in the 1942 film In Which We Serve – he also appeared in the Hitchcock film Stage Fright.
He also made a brief appearance in the American film National Lampoon's European Vacation which starred Chevy Chase. In this film, Berkeley played a British man who is involved in a minor road accident with the Griswalds. He is remembered for remaining upbeat in the situation.
Berkeley later performed the role of 'The Major' in the radio comedy Wrinkles by Doug Naylor and Rob Grant, although it is never suggested that this was the same character as portrayed in Fawlty Towers.[2] He also played the role of Badedas the Blue, one of the wizards in the radio comedy series Hordes of the Things.
His last notable role was as the Head of the Army in the animated film version of Roald Dahl's The BFG.
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