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'Richard Beckinsale' (6 July 1947 – 19 March 1979) was an English actor who is most famous for his role as Lennie Godber in the popular BBC sitcom ''Porridge''. He is the father of the actresses Samantha Beckinsale and Kate Beckinsale.

Contents

Early days

Sitcom star of the 70s

Death

Unfinished work

Legacy and private life

External links

Early days

Richard Beckinsale was born in Carlton, Nottinghamshire in 1947, to a part-Burmese mother (Beckinsale's maternal grandfather was Burmese) and an English father, and left Alderman White Secondary Modern school at 15 with ambitions to become an actor, so while working in numerous manual jobs he gained some experience by enrolling at a Nottingham adult drama class. As a consequence, he won a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, turning professional in 1968. He then moved to Crewe to, like most newly-graduated actors at the time, begin in repertory theatre and then made his television debut in 1969 as a police officer in ''Coronation Street'', in which he had to arrest veteran character Ena Sharples.

Sitcom star of the 70s

Beckinsale acquired his first starring role in 1970 as Geoffrey in the sitcom ''The Lovers'', opposite fellow newcomer Paula Wilcox. The show was a success without being a runaway triumph, and did enough to put both lead performers in the public eye. It also, like many sitcoms of the time, spawned a movie version.
There followed a purple patch when he was appearing in two of British TV's most successful sitcoms at the same time. On ITV, he was playing naive medical student Alan Moore in ''Rising Damp'' (voted ITV's best-ever sitcom in the ''Britain's Best Sitcom'' survey of 2004) while also starring in ''Porridge''. Shortly after his 30th birthday, Beckinsale was surprised by Eamonn Andrews with the famed 'big red book' for an appearance on ''This Is Your Life''.
Beckinsale quit ''Rising Damp'' in 1977, the same year that ''Porridge'' was brought to a natural end after his character of Godber was released from his prison sentence in the final episode. He subsequently starred alongside Barker in ''Going Straight'', a spin-off of ''Porridge'' in which the two criminal characters are seen on the outside rebuilding their lives.
At the beginning of 1979, Beckinsale filmed a movie version of ''Porridge''. It was to be his last completed work.

Death

On 19 March 1979, Beckinsale died of a massive heart attack in his sleep, at his home in Sunningdale Berkshire. He was alone in the house at the time as his wife was in hospital and his five year old daughter was staying with relatives. Beckinsale had expressed worries about his cholesterol to director friend Stephen Frears over dinner just days earlier, but he seemed healthy and fit and had no cardiac problems in his medical records.
He had told his wife he was feeling ill on the day she went into hospital, although at the time they both put it down to nerves. When visiting his wife in hospital the day before he died, he said he was feeling tired, but otherwise appeared to be in good health. Newspaper reports at the time also said that before he went to bed that night, he had phoned a couple of friends, and during the conversation, as well as repeating that he had been feeling tired, he also complained of pains in his chest and left arm, but he seemed in good spirits, and laughed off the pain.
''Porridge'' co-star Ronnie Barker commented on Beckinsale's premature death saying: "He was so loved. He hadn't done much but he was so loved that there was a universal sort of grief that went on."

Unfinished work

Beckinsale was an in-demand actor on stage and screen throughout his adult life. At the time of his death, he had almost completed shooting a sitcom called ''Bloomers''—he was due in to rehearse and record the final episode on the day he died. The five completed episodes of this series were aired posthumously later in the year.
He was also filming a movie, ''Bloody Kids'', which then had to be re-cast: This role marked a change in direction for Beckinsale, being a more hard-nosed character than those he had played before. Three days after his death, ''Going Straight'' won a BAFTA award. A clearly distressed Barker delivered a brief but emotional acceptance speech in tribute to his co-star.
Plans had been drawn up to make a movie of ''Rising Damp''—Beckinsale's other big sitcom success—and ultimately the movie was made in 1980. Christopher Strauli was recruited to replace Beckinsale, playing a different character.

Legacy and private life

In 2001, a documentary was broadcast on ITV in tribute, called ''The Unforgettable Richard Beckinsale''. It featured interviews with his widow—the actress Judy Loe—as well as his father, brother, closest schoolfriend and two daughters. Also contributing were his co-stars, Barker and ''Rising Damp's Don Warrington.
Beckinsale married twice—firstly to Margaret Bradley, with whom he had a daughter, Samantha Beckinsale (also an actress), in 1966. They divorced in 1971. He then married Loe in 1977, four years after the birth of their daughter, Kate.
As a tribute to Beckinsale, pop star Robbie Williams wrote a song about him and his daughter Samantha titled "Baby Girl Window"..

External links

★ Extensive fan site

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★ Richard Beckinsale at TV.com

★ Biography on ''Porridge'' fan site

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