Charles Pemberton

Known for ActingBorn 1939-09-19Died 2007-05-13Leyland, Lancashire, U.K.

Character actor Charles Pemberton had a long career in television but found theatrical fame with his one man entertainment, WS Gilbert - A Disagreeable Man? which he toured throughout the UK and Europe. The two hour show, from a script by Brian Jones, traced the life of the 19th century popular composer and martinet. Pemberton was born on September 19, 1939 in Leyland, Lancashire. He trained for the stage at the Rose Bruford Drama School and graduated with distinction in 1963. He joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company where he remained for two years before appearing in repertory at the Library Theatre, Manchester, Harrogate and Derby. He made his television debut in 1964 as a detective sergeant in the soap Crossroads and went on to play a succession of policemen, military types and officials in countless dramas and sitcoms such as Callan, The Professionals, Minder, Juliet Bravo and Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective. He was in two storylines of Doctor Who, The Tomb of the Cybermen and The War Games and he played Johnny Mann in Coronation Street (1973). He also had cameos in the award-winning drama The Naked Civil Servant (1975), John Le Carre's A Perfect Spy (1987), Great Expectations (1989) (as Mr Philbean 1989), Victoria Wood's Pat & Margaret (1994) and Foyle's War (2004). On the West End stage he appeared with Ingrid Bergman in Sir John Gielgud's revival of The Constant Wife (Albery Theatre 1973) and he played Ormonroyd in Priestley's When We Are Married (Whitehall Theatre). He also starred in several commercials including the award-winning series of John Smith's Yorkshire Bitter adverts. He later recorded his one man show on CD. Pemberton was an accomplished magician and held the Inner Magic Circle Silver Star. He was vice president of the Catholic Stage Guild and a much revered member of the CAA. He had recently been elected to the Savage Club where he had performed his own man show to much acclaim. A genial and kind man with a self effacing sense of humour he was a familiar figure in London's theatreland with his bewhiskered looks and jaunty smile. He will be much missed by his many colleagues in the profession. Friend Barbara Angell said, "We were friends through thick and thin - we were sometimes rich together but mostly poor, at least financially. We shared a lot of laughs. Pemberton had been suffering from cancer and died on May 13, 2007. He was survived by his mother.Read more

Movies & web series

Doctor Who: The War Games

On Giant's Shoulders

Agatha Christie's Poirot

Norbert Smith: A Life

The Russian Soldier

Foyle's War

The Box of Delights

Danger UXB

Doctor Who: The Tomb of the Cybermen

Pat and Margaret

King of Fridges

All Creatures Great and Small

The Professionals

Miss Marple: A Pocketful of Rye

Shoestring

The Upper Hand

Dickens of London

Big Deal

Shillingbury Tales

Screen Two

Sapphire & Steel

Bread

Virtual Murder

Hammer House of Horror

Minder

Return of the Saint

Centre Play

Not in Front of the Children

The Four Feathers

Porridge

Black Joy

Romany Jones

The Naked Civil Servant

Terry and June

The Best of the Adventures

Charters and Caldicott

The Paradise Club

Doctor Who: The War Games in Colour

Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective

No Strings

Playing Away

Brannigan

My Honourable Mrs

(All Quiet on the) Preston Front

The Black Panther

A Pin for the Butterfly

A Murder of Quality

Adventures of a Taxi Driver