RIP Peter Vaughan

RIP

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38225796

British actor Peter Vaughan, best known for roles in Game of Thrones and Porridge, has died at the age of 93.

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I will always remember him as "genial Harry Grout" from Porridge more than any other role. Thats quite remarkable given the character only appeared in a handful of episodes!

I confess I was surprised to spot him in Game of Thrones, as I thought he must have been a good age!

He will be remembered, I think, for more than Porridge. RIP, Peter.

Living and working in London, in the mid 60s, 70s and early 80s I often came across actors. pop stars and the likes in bars, cafes and department stores, etc, but the one I saw most often was Peter Vaughan, mostly in the original, family-run Patisserie Valerie in Soho, where everyone was expected to share a table and the cakes were left on a stand on each table so you could help yourself and admit to what you'd eaten when you asked for your bill (amazingly, it seemed to work). Even after I'd left London I did come across him once again, and it was a rather bizarre coincidence: on a family visit to Croydon about 15 years ago I bought a DVD of the film 'Straw Dogs' which was banned for decades after its making in the early 1960s - Vaughan had a substantial part in it, I then boarded a tram to East Croydon Station and went to catch a fast Victoria train. When the train pulled into the platform I went to open the nearest (slam) door and there ensconced on a 3-seater with suitcases around him and all over the opposite seat was Peter Vaughan (at a guess, having got on at Gatwick). The glare on his face indicated he had no intention of sharing his surrounds so I quickly moved to the next compartment, and thought better of asking him to sign my DVD! (Not sure how you'd do that anyway)


P.S. I read today that he only ever appeared in 3 episodes of 'Porridge', but for 30 years afterwards he'd endure 'so they let you out, Grouty' in the street.

Rest in peace, Maester Aemon.

Remember that of Dad's Army only Ian Lavender is still alive. If i am correct. James Beck died already in 1973!!

Groningen said:

Remember that of Dad's Army only Ian Lavender is still alive. If i am correct. James Beck died already in 1973!!

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Frank Williams is also still alive...Grand old age of 85

Was James Beck the first of the Dads Army actors to die...

Most of the main actors died pretty quickly after Dads Army ended

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Yes, I think you're right

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I also remember him from Citizen Smith, but even earlier, wasn't he in Treasure Island?

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I remember him from Chancer - a great series in the nineties or was it eighties with Clive Owen and another Golden Oldie Leslie Phillips.

Wasn't he also Wolfies Dad in Citizen Smith ? - Tooting Popular Front and all that

Peter Vaughan was Wolfie Smith's girlfriend's father, referred to as "Dad" and then as "Charlie Johnson".

He played Tom Franklyn in "Chancer" between 1990 and 1991. In 1968, he took the role of Long John Silver in Treasurer Island".

I was amazed to hear that he only played Grouty in three episodes of "Porridge" (there's a good quote from him about this in the biography - see below) but he did play the character in the film version, which was called "Doing Time". I don't remember it at all, but there was also a spoof documentary on the life of the main protagonist of the television prison comedy "Porridge", Mr Norman Stanley Fletcher called "Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher" which was shown on 29th December 2003.

If they'd have ever remade the original "Italian Job" in the same manner, I think that he'd have made an excellent "Mr Bridger"!

Here's a link to his IMDB page, including a brief biography: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0891092/

He's a great loss.

I remember him first playing in some of the excellent dramas BBC2 produced in the mid/late 1960s, often by foreign authors like Max Frisch. The three comic actors often featured in these productions were Vaughan, Leonard Rossiter (long dead) and Dudley Foster, so long dead that probably very few now remember him. 'Fire Raisers' was one I recall, and terrific stuff it was.