Roy Kinnear

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Roy Kinnear
Birth name Roy Kinnear
Born January 8, 1934
Wigan, Lancashire
Died September 20, 1988
Madrid, Spain
Years active 19601988
Spouse(s) Carmel Cryan

Roy Kinnear (January 8, 1934September 20, 1988) was a prolific English character actor. Although he was a talented straight actor, he became best known for his comic roles, in which he often played a chubby and jocular figure.

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Kinnear's father, Roy Kinnear senior, was a Great Britain Rugby League international, making one Lions appearance and three for Other Nationalities, and scoring 81 tries in 184 games for Wigan. He collapsed and died while playing rugby union with the RAF during the war. Scotland Rugby League have named their Student Player of the Year Award after him.

Roy Kinnear junior was born in Wigan, Lancashire, England, and educated at George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh. At the age of 17, he enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, however National Service conscription brought an interuption to his studies, and an appearance in the theatre of War.

From the 1950s, he began a career in repertory theatre, and in 1959 he joined Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, performing in both the 1960 play, and 1963 film of Sparrows Can't Sing. He continued to work on stage and radio before achieving fame as part of the television show That Was The Week That Was. He later appeared in many films and UK TV shows. Undoubtedly, his best-known films are those he made with director and close friend Richard Lester: Help!, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, How I Won the War, The Bed-Sitting Room, and the Musketeer series of the 1970s and 1980s. He is perhaps best recognised as playing the father of spoilt rich girl Veruca Salt in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, an adaptation of Roald Dahl's famous children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He also guest starred in The Goodies' episode "Rome Antics", in which he appeared as the Roman Emperor. He also narrated and provided voices for the stop-motion kids television show Bertha.

Roy Kinnear tragically bled to death following a broken pelvis which he sustained by falling from a horse during the filming of The Return of the Musketeers in 1988. The film's Director Richard Lester quit his own film career as a direct result of Kinnear's death. Six years later the Roy Kinnear Trust was set up as a charity organisation which helps improve the life of young adults with multiple disabilities.

Kinnear was married to the actress, Carmel Cryan. They had three children, including TV actor Rory and Kirsty who has entered the film industry. Roy Kinnear is buried in East Sheen Cemetery (Section B, grave number 5).

Appeared in the Mike & the Mechanics music videos, Taken In and All I Need is a Miracle - the latter of which saw him reunited with his Help! co-star Victor Spinetti.

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