Rudolph Walker
Encyclopedia
Rudolph Walker, OBE
(born 28 September 1939) is a British
character actor
. Born in Trinidad and Tobago
, Walker came to the United Kingdom
in 1960.
His first major television role was as a policeman in the British drama The Wednesday Play
, in the episode titled "Fable" (aired 27 January 1965). He is known for his comedic roles
in Love Thy Neighbour
, The Thin Blue Line
and in Ali G Indahouse
. He also appeared in Doctor Who
, in the 1969 serial The War Games
. He was one of the first black actors to be seen regularly on British television, and has always been proud of his role on the controversial Love Thy Neighbour as a result.
He appeared in the first episode of On the Buses
, "The Early Shift", and the first episode of Mr. Bean
as "The Examiner". Since 2001, he has played Patrick Trueman
on EastEnders
and in 2010 he appeared in the Internet spin-off series EastEnders: E20
. He has also starred in a BBC1 sitcom called The Crouches
, about a family from Walworth, in South East London. He played the grandfather for all seasons (2003–2005)
Although most of his work has been on television, he has appeared in several movies, including 10 Rillington Place, King Ralph
(along with his Love Thy Neighbour
co star, Jack Smethurst
), and Let Him Have It
. He has also played the titular character
in stage productions of Shakespeare's
Othello
, directed by David Thacker
and Charles Marowitz
, and also as Caliban in a production of The Tempest
directed by Jonathan Miller
. He was also Gower in Thacker's 1989 production of Pericles, Prince of Tyre
.
Walker was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
in 2006. A children's biography about him was published by Tamarind Books on 4 September 2008.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 28 September 1939) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
. Born in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, Walker came to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1960.
His first major television role was as a policeman in the British drama The Wednesday Play
The Wednesday Play
The Wednesday Play was an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 from October 1964 to May 1970. Every week's play was usually written for television, although adaptations from other sources also featured...
, in the episode titled "Fable" (aired 27 January 1965). He is known for his comedic roles
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
in Love Thy Neighbour
Love Thy Neighbour
Love Thy Neighbour was a popular British sitcom, which was aired from 13 April 1972, until 22 January 1976, spanning seven series. The sitcom was produced by Thames Television and broadcast by ITV. The main cast included Jack Smethurst, Rudolph Walker, Nina Baden-Semper and Kate Williams...
, The Thin Blue Line
The Thin Blue Line (TV series)
The Thin Blue Line is a British sitcom starring Rowan Atkinson set in a police station that ran for two series on the BBC from 1995 to 1996...
and in Ali G Indahouse
Ali G Indahouse
Ali G Indahouse is a British comedy film directed by Mark Mylod and starring the fictional character Ali G, who is performed by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen...
. He also appeared in Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, in the 1969 serial The War Games
The War Games
The War Games is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in ten weekly parts from 19 April to 21 June 1969. It was the last regular appearance of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, and of Wendy Padbury and Frazer Hines as companions Zoe...
. He was one of the first black actors to be seen regularly on British television, and has always been proud of his role on the controversial Love Thy Neighbour as a result.
He appeared in the first episode of On the Buses
On The Buses
On the Buses was a British situation comedy created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney which was broadcast in the UK from 1969 to 1973. The writers' previous successes with The Rag Trade and Meet the Wife were for the BBC, but the Corporation rejected On the Buses, not seeing much comedy potential...
, "The Early Shift", and the first episode of Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean is a British comedy television programme series of 14 half-hour episodes written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were also written by Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The pilot episode was broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990,...
as "The Examiner". Since 2001, he has played Patrick Trueman
Patrick Trueman
Patrick Neville Loftus Alfonso Trueman is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001.-Backstory:...
on EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
and in 2010 he appeared in the Internet spin-off series EastEnders: E20
EastEnders: E20
EastEnders: E20 is a British Internet soap opera, which began airing on 8 January 2010. A spin-off from the established BBC soap EastEnders, it is set in EastEnders regular setting of Albert Square, a Victorian square in the fictional borough of Walford, in the East End of London...
. He has also starred in a BBC1 sitcom called The Crouches
The Crouches
The Crouches is a sitcom which aired on BBC One between 2003 and 2005. The show stars Rudolph Walker, who played Robbie Gee's father, and Mona Hammond, who played Jo's mother. Also other main casts were Robbie Gee and Jo Martin. The show was not well received by critics and only two series were...
, about a family from Walworth, in South East London. He played the grandfather for all seasons (2003–2005)
Although most of his work has been on television, he has appeared in several movies, including 10 Rillington Place, King Ralph
King Ralph
King Ralph is a 1991 American comedy film starring John Goodman in the title role of Ralph Jones. The movie also stars Peter O'Toole as the King's private secretary, Sir Cedric Willingham, Camille Coduri as Ralph's girlfriend Miranda Greene, and John Hurt as the British peer Percival Graves, who...
(along with his Love Thy Neighbour
Love Thy Neighbour
Love Thy Neighbour was a popular British sitcom, which was aired from 13 April 1972, until 22 January 1976, spanning seven series. The sitcom was produced by Thames Television and broadcast by ITV. The main cast included Jack Smethurst, Rudolph Walker, Nina Baden-Semper and Kate Williams...
co star, Jack Smethurst
Jack Smethurst
Jack Smethurst is an English TV and film comic actor whose career dates back to the 1950s.-Career:Smethurst made his film debut in 1958's Carry On Sergeant...
), and Let Him Have It
Let Him Have It
Let Him Have It is a 1991 British film, which was based on the true story of the case against Derek Bentley, who was hanged for murder under controversial circumstances on 28 January 1953. While Bentley did not directly play a role in the murder of PC Sidney Miles, he received the greater...
. He has also played the titular character
Othello (character)
Othello is a character in Shakespeare's Othello . The character's origin is traced to the tale, "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio. There, he is simply referred to as the Moor....
in stage productions of Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
, directed by David Thacker
David Thacker
David Thacker is an English award-winning theatre director.David Thacker is currently the Artistic Director at the Octagon Theatre Bolton...
and Charles Marowitz
Charles Marowitz
Charles Marowitz is an American critic, theatre director, and playwright who has been a regular columnist on Swans Commentary—a cultural-political bi-weekly—since 2004...
, and also as Caliban in a production of The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
directed by Jonathan Miller
Jonathan Miller
Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE is a British theatre and opera director, author, physician, television presenter, humorist and sculptor. Trained as a physician in the late 1950s, he first came to prominence in the 1960s with his role in the comedy revue Beyond the Fringe with fellow writers and...
. He was also Gower in Thacker's 1989 production of Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio...
.
Walker was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 2006. A children's biography about him was published by Tamarind Books on 4 September 2008.
Filmography
- The WitchesThe Witches (1966 film)The Witches is a 1966 British horror film made by Hammer Films. It was adapted by Nigel Kneale from the novel The Devil's Own by Norah Lofts, under the pseudonym Peter Curtis...
(1966) - All the Right NoisesAll the Right NoisesAll the Right Noises is a 1971 British drama film directed by Gerry O'Hara and starring Tom Bell, Olivia Hussey, Judy Carne and John Standing.-Cast:* Tom Bell - Len Lewin* Olivia Hussey - Val* Judy Carne - Joy Lewin* John Standing - Bernie...
(1969) - On The BusesOn The BusesOn the Buses was a British situation comedy created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney which was broadcast in the UK from 1969 to 1973. The writers' previous successes with The Rag Trade and Meet the Wife were for the BBC, but the Corporation rejected On the Buses, not seeing much comedy potential...
(1969) - Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
(1969) - Girl Stroke BoyGirl Stroke BoyGirl Stroke Boy is a 1971 British comedy drama film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Joan Greenwood, Michael Hordern and Clive Francis. It was based on the play Girl Friend by David Percival.-Cast:* Joan Greenwood - Lettice Mason...
(1971) - Universal SoldierUniversal Soldier (1971 film)Universal Soldier is a 1971 film starring George Lazenby as a mercenary.The film had a £1,000,000 production budget. George Lazenby and his manager, Ronan O'Rahilly, financed the film and were the executive producers. The film was directed by controversial director Cy Endfield...
(1971) - 10 Rillington Place (1971)
- Love Thy NeighbourLove Thy Neighbour (1973 film)Love Thy Neighbour is a 1973 British comedy film starring Jack Smethurst, Rudolph Walker, Kate Williams and Nina Baden-Semper, spun off from the television series Love Thy Neighbour.-Cast:* Jack Smethurst as Eddie Booth...
(1973) - Spaghetti House (1982)
- King RalphKing RalphKing Ralph is a 1991 American comedy film starring John Goodman in the title role of Ralph Jones. The movie also stars Peter O'Toole as the King's private secretary, Sir Cedric Willingham, Camille Coduri as Ralph's girlfriend Miranda Greene, and John Hurt as the British peer Percival Graves, who...
(1991) - Let Him Have ItLet Him Have ItLet Him Have It is a 1991 British film, which was based on the true story of the case against Derek Bentley, who was hanged for murder under controversial circumstances on 28 January 1953. While Bentley did not directly play a role in the murder of PC Sidney Miles, he received the greater...
(1991) - Bhaji on the BeachBhaji on the BeachBhaji on the Beach is a 1993 film by director Gurinder Chadha with a screenplay by Meera Syal.-Plot synopsis:A diverse group of British women of South Asian descent go on a day trip to the beach in Blackpool; despite their differences—the older women are more traditional and conservative,...
(1993) - Never Judge a Book by its Cover (1993)
- The Thin Blue LineThe Thin Blue LineThe Thin Blue Line is a colloquial term for police and police forces, designed by a police officer after seeing a blue light reflecting on a black marble wall during the first Official Police weeks in Washington DC...
(1995–1996) - The House of AngeloThe House of AngeloThe House of Angelo is a 1997 British historical drama film directed by Jim Goddard and starring Edward Woodward, Peter Woodward and Sylvia Syms...
(1997) - EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
(2001–present) - Ali G IndahouseAli G IndahouseAli G Indahouse is a British comedy film directed by Mark Mylod and starring the fictional character Ali G, who is performed by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen...
(2002) - The CrouchesThe CrouchesThe Crouches is a sitcom which aired on BBC One between 2003 and 2005. The show stars Rudolph Walker, who played Robbie Gee's father, and Mona Hammond, who played Jo's mother. Also other main casts were Robbie Gee and Jo Martin. The show was not well received by critics and only two series were...
(2003–2005) - Hit for SixHit for SixHit for Six is the first full-length studio album by English punk rock band, Consumed. It was released in November, 1999 on American independent label, Fat Wreck Chords.- Track listing :*All tracks written by Consumed#"Sunny Side Up" – 2:29...
(2007) - EastEnders: E20EastEnders: E20EastEnders: E20 is a British Internet soap opera, which began airing on 8 January 2010. A spin-off from the established BBC soap EastEnders, it is set in EastEnders regular setting of Albert Square, a Victorian square in the fictional borough of Walford, in the East End of London...
(2010)