Brian Hall

Actor Brian Hall was best known for his role as Terry the cook in the BBC comedy series Fawlty Towers (1975). He began acting while still in his teens in amateur shows where his burly frame made him ideal casting for villains and heavies. After leaving school he worked as a taxi driver before he was spotted by theatrical agent Richard Ireson who persuaded him that his talent lay in theatre. He went on to appear in stage plays at The Royal Court Theatre in London, notably in Peter Gill's production of Crete and Sergeant Pepper and at the Royal Shakespeare Company he starred in Afore Night Comes, directed by Ron Daniels. With John Chapman he co-wrote Made It Mad (based on the famous James Cagney line in the film White Heat) which was staged at the Royal Court as well as Bit of Business, co-written and directed with John Burgess at the National Theatre. He had a highly successful TV career, notably in series such as Softly Softly (1966) (as the corrupt police officer Sergeant Ted Drake). He played a bodyguard to Bob Hoskins in the cult gangster classic film The Long Good Friday (1980), the same year he was cast as a villain in McVicar (1980). He struck up a close friendship with the actor John Cleese when they appeared in the BBC comedy series Fawlty Towers. Some years after the series had finished Cleese sent Hall a personally signed autographed picture as a joke. Hall wrote back and demanded a signed Rolls-Royce car instead. Three day later, one arrived in the post - it was a children's toy. In 1994 he was diagnosed as having cancer.