TERENCE ALEXANDERTerence Alexander, the actor best known for playing Charlie Hungerford in TV's Bergerac, died on 28 May, 2009, aged 86.
Although most fans will know him from the detective series set on Jersey, he had a fine pedigree of more than 50 years spanning stage, radio, television and the big screen.
He was usually a support, rather than the lead, and such was the case on Bergerac, where he played the main character's dapper millionaire former father-in-law. The show, which began in 1981, took his fame into more than 35 countries.
It was a role that was true to type, as he seemed to specialise in upper-class charmers and rogues.
West End credits included a list of comedies and farces. Move Over Mrs Markham (1971), Two and Two Make Sex (1973), There Goes The Bride (1974/5) and Fringe Benefits (1976) were just a few.
His film career took in The Square Peg (1958), The League Of Gentlemen (1960), Carry On Regardless (1961), Waterloo (1970) and The Day Of The Jackal (1974).
Terence Alexander was born in London on 11 March, 1923, educated at Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire, and went straight into theatre as an assistant stage manager in Harrogate. His first acting role was in 1939 in JB Priestley’s The Good Companions at Harrogate Opera House.
He spent the war in the 27th Lancers but was invalided out of the Army in 1947 after being seriously wounded in Italy.
Despite carrying shrapnel and suffering with his hearing, he went back into acting and fell into rep before embarking on a television career, appearing on the top shows of the day, including the Les Dawson show, Dr Who, Dick Emery, Terry and June, The New Statesman and The Forsyte Saga.
He was survived by his second wife, Jane Downs, and two sons from his first marriage, to Juno Stevas.
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