Brian Glover

Infobox actor
name = Brian Glover


caption =
birthdate = 2 April 1934
location = Sheffield, England
deathdate = 24 July 1997 (age 63)
deathplace = London, England

Brian Glover (2 April 1934 – 24 July 1997) was a well-known English character actor, writer and wrestler. Glover was a professional wrestler, teacher and finally a film, television and stage actor. He once said, "You play to your strengths in this game. My strength is as a bald-headed, rough-looking Yorkshireman".

Biography

Early life

Glover was born in Sheffield, but grew up in Barnsley. His father was a wrestler, performing as the "Red Devil". He attended Barnsley School and the University of Sheffield, where he supplemented his student grant by appearances as a professional wrestler, going under the ring name "Leon Aris the Man From Paris". In 1954 he married and to satisfy his new family responsibilities he became a teacher, at the same Barnsley School where he had been a pupil. Glover worked as a school teacher (teaching English and French) from 1954 until 1970, managing to combine this with regular performances as "Leon Aris".

Career

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Glover's performance in "Kes" led to parts at the Royal Court Theatre, London, notably in Lindsay Anderson's "The Changing Room" (1971). A season with Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company followed, where appropriately enough his roles included Charles the wrestler in "As You Like It", and a robust Peter in "Romeo and Juliet". For the Royal National Theatre he appeared in "The Mysteries", "Saint Joan" and "Don Quixote".

His performance in "The Canterbury Tales" (West End) was followed by a return to television and the "Play for Today" series, both as writer and performer. Glover went on to play "Lugg", the endearing rogue manservant to Albert Campion in the series "Campion" and the role of a crook, "Griffiths", in the "Doctor Who" story "Attack of the Cybermen" in 1985. In 1991 he starred in the second episode of "Bottom" - "Gas" - as "Mr Rottweiler". His last film was John Godber's rugby league comedy "Up 'n' Under" (1998).

Glover also wrote over 20 plays and short films. In 1982 he was a guest presenter in series six of Friday Night Saturday Morning, a late-night chat show.

Personal life

Glover was married twice, secondly to film producer Tara Prem, the daughter of TV actor Bakhshi Prem. He had two children, one son and one daughter. Glover developed a brain tumour and died in a London hospital on 24 July 1997. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.

References

*cite book | last =Dewhurst | first =Keith | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Brian Glover | publisher =Oxford University Press | date =2004 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn =

External links

*imdb name|id=0323093|name=Brian Glover
* [http://ayup.co.uk/gods/gods0-3.html Biography]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19970725/ai_n14129374 Obituary: Brian Glover] , by Tom Vallance, "The Independent", July 25, 1997
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7855420 Brian Glover's gravesite]
* [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp67382 Brian Glover at the National Portrait Gallery, London]