Roger Michael Kelly, known by the stage name Sam Kelly; was an English actor who
appeared in film, television, radio and theatre. He is best known for his roles
as Captain Hans Geering in 'Allo 'Allo! and as Ted Liversidge in Barbara.
Early life Kelly was born in Manchester, on 19
December 1943. He attended the Liverpool Collegiate School and was a chorister at
Liverpool Cathedral, where he showed early acting talent by reciting
monologues. He worked for three years in the Civil Service in Liverpool before
training as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. After
graduating in 1967, he appeared in repertory theatres around the UK.
Career His early roles included playing a film
director in Tiffany Jones and appearances in two of the later Carry On
films, Carry On Dick and Carry On Behind. He then had a significant role
in the British sitcom Porridge as the affable and high spirited Slade Prison
inmate Bunny Warren who relies on fellow prisoners to read his letters from home
and blames his incarceration on his inability to read. In the sitcom 'Allo
'Allo! he played German officer Captain Hans Geering, leaving after the third
season. In On the Up he played Dennis Waterman's chauffeur and he appeared in
We'll Think of Something as Les Brooks. From 1995 to 2003, he played Barbara's
husband Ted in the British sitcom Barbara.
In 1996, Kelly appeared at the National Theatre in Helen Edmundson's adaptation
of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. He played Bernard in Holding On and Carl
Langbehn in the five-part television drama Christabel. He appeared in
Midsomer Murders "Down Among the Dead Men" as Jack Fothergill and as the
eccentric impoverished ghostwriter, Majors, in the Inspector Morse episode
"Second Time Around". In the 1990s, he co-starred in the
comedy television series Haggard and in the miniseries Martin Chuzzlewit. He
also performed in H.M.S. Pinafore with the new D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in
2002. In 1998, Kelly appeared in an episode of the first series of Cold
Feet, playing Algernon Gifford. On radio, he played the part of Carter
Brandon in the BBC Radio 4 series of the continuing adventures of Uncle Mort and
Carter Brandon in Uncle Mort's South Country and Uncle Mort's Celtic Fringe.
These were written by Peter Tinniswood. In 2004, he appeared in EastEnders
playing Stan Porter, and he also appeared in the comedy series Black
Books as the father of Manny. In 2006 he appeared as the villain Guy Carse in New
Tricks. Kelly starred in Jean-Paul Sartre's play
Kean alongside Antony Sher at the Theatre Royal, Bath, and in the West End
in May 2007. In December 2007, a car struck and injured Kelly in the West
End. He was to have performed in the Doctor Who episode filmed in that month,
but the role was taken by David Troughton instead. Kelly though did act
in the Doctor Who audio dramas "The Holy Terror" and "Return to the Web Planet"
by Big Finish Productions. In 2008, he guest starred in the
Sapphire and Steel audio drama Remember Me. In November 2008, he starred in the
title role of Christopher Reason's radio dramatisation of Jaroslav Hašek's The
Good Soldier Švejk, broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
From May 2009, Kelly starred as the Wizard in London's West End Theatre
production of the Wizard of Oz inspired musical Wicked, replacing Desmond
Barrit. From 27 March 2010 he was succeeded by Clive Carter.
He has worked with director Mike Leigh on several occasions, including
Grown-Ups, Topsy-Turvy, All or Nothing and on stage at the National Theatre in
Grief. Kelly's later roles were as the ARP
warden in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, and as the old boatman, John Merdell, in
the ITV production of Dead Man's Folly in the final series of Poirot, the last
episode of the series to be filmed. On 23 July 2010, Kelly starred as Martin
in the sitcom My Family and in the Heartbeat episode "Deadlier Than the
Male". He also starred in When We Are Married at London's Garrick Theatre and
in Mike Leigh's movie for the 2012 Olympics, A Running Jump. He opened at
the National Theatre on 21 September 2011, in Mike Leigh's play, Grief,
starring with Lesley Manville. His final film role was a cameo as a theatre actor
in Mike Leigh's 2014 film Mr. Turner. Last years and death
Kelly was in a long-term relationship with journalist and psychotherapist
Grace Pieniazek until her death in 2009. Kelly returned to Wicked as the Wizard
on 18 November 2013. It was reported in January 2014, that
Kelly had temporarily departed the production due to ill health, and that
his replacement from 17 February 2014, would be Martyn Ellis. He was admitted
to a hospice on 13 June 2014 and died early the next morning aged 70 after a
long battle with cancer. References
External links Sam Kelly at the Internet Movie Database