PAUL EDDINGTONPaul Eddington, who died on 4 November, 1995,aged 68, was an actor all his life but only became a household name inhis 40s.
He is best known for roles in two BBC TVcomedy series: playing neighbour Jerry Leadbetter in The Good Life andstarring as incompetent British politician Jim Hacker in Yes Minister.
His performance in the latter of theseroles impressed the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher so much thatshe awarded him a CBE in 1987.
An intensely private and courageous man, Mr Eddingtoncontinued acting on stage and television throughout his lengthy struggle withthe rare skin cancer that claimed his life.
Paul Eddington was born on 18 June, 1927,in London. After a brief spell working as a window dresser, he started hisacting career working for the Entertainments National Service Association set up to entertain British troops during World War II.
After being sacked from ENSA when it wasdiscovered he was a quaker and pacifist, he acted in provincial stageproductions in Birmingham, Sheffield and Ipswich.
He broke into television in the late 1950sacting in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955). He landed the part of WillScarlett after spending the first 18 months playing a different part each week.
His film debut was in Jet Storm (1959). Avariety of stage, film and TV appearances followed, including parts in earlyepisodes of TV series The Prisoner, The Avengers and a 1976 episode of TheBenny Hill Show.
In the late 1960s, he began suffering fromthe rare skin cancer mycosis fungoides, which causes facial sores and blotches.A deeply private man, he kept his long, brave fight against this cancer asecret, which led the tabloids to speculate he had AIDS.
His acting career took a turn for thebetter in 1975 when he landed a supporting role in hit BBC TV comedy series The Good Life. Originally intended as a bit part, Paul Eddington’s characterbecame a critical part of this successful series.
But he is probably best known for playing JamesHacker MP in BBC satirical comedy Yes Minister (1980 – 1984) and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister (1984 – 1988).
He continued acting up until his death: hislast roles were in the 1992 BBC dramatisation of Mary Wesley’s novel TheCamomile Lawn, and playing a mental health patient in the West End tragiccomedy Home (1994).
Although a jobbing actor for much of hiscareer, the public loved Paul Eddington’s later work. In a 2004 poll to findBritain’s Best Sitcom, The Good Life came 9th whilst YesMinister was named Britain’s 6th best sitcom.
Yes Minister was notoriously MargaretThatcher’s favourite TV show, and she awarded Paul Eddington a CBE in 1987. Forhis part in this series, he was also shortlisted four times for the Best LightEntertainment Performance BAFTA.
He was much loved for his dignified fightagainst facially disfiguring cancer. His moving and candid interview for the TVseries Face to Face shortly before his death won him many fans.
During this interview, he said he wanted tobe remembered as being someone who “did very little harm.”
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