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Michael Attwell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael Attwell
As Kenny Beale in EastEnders
Born
Michael John Attwell

(1943-01-16)16 January 1943
Died18 March 2006(2006-03-18) (aged 63)
London, England
Years active1968–2006
Children3

Michael John Attwell (16 January 1943 – 18 March 2006) was an English film and television actor. He is possibly best known for his role as Kenny Beale in the television soap opera EastEnders.

Career

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Michael Attwell was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, on 16 January 1943.[1]

After training at RADA (studying Stage Management[2]), Attwell went into repertory theatre at Newcastle Playhouse. Among his theatrical appearances include playing Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (both at Haymarket Theatre).[3]

In 1979 and 1980, he played Razor Eddie a.k.a. Edward Winston Malone in two series of the comedy-drama Turtle's Progress. The character had originally been created for the ITV drama serial The Hanged Man, where he was played by Gareth Hunt.

In 1978, he played Bill Sikes in the revival of Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! at the Albery Theatre and in 1985 he played Bill Sikes again in the BBC's Sunday afternoon classic serial Oliver Twist.

His other TV credits include: Doctor Who (in the serials The Ice Warriors and Attack of the Cybermen), The First Churchills, Only Fools and Horses, Minder, Bergerac, C.A.T.S. Eyes, Wycliffe, Inspector Morse, Bugs, Silent Witness, Pie in the Sky, Casualty, The Bill, Hotel Babylon, and Are You Being Served?.

He appeared in the 1988 film Buster, based on the life of the Great Train Robber Buster Edwards.

To supplement his theatre income, Attwell produced cartoon strips for IPC and DC Thomson comics including Bunty, Buster, Whizzer and Chips and The Hotspur.[4] As well as acting, between 1981 and 1993 Attwell also had a considerable career as a political cartoonist for several British national newspapers including The Sun, The Sunday People and the News of the World. A self-taught artist, Attwell signed himself as Zoke, an amalgam of the names of his children Zoe and Jake.

In 2002 he played Kenneth in the West End run of Debbie Isitt's The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at The Ambassadors Theatre.[5]

Death

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Attwell died in London on the 18 March 2006 aged 63 from complications following heart surgery.[6] His life and work was honoured at the British Academy Television Awards in 2006.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 Labyrinth Goblin Voice
1988 Buster Harry
1994 Tom & Viv W.I. Janes
2000 Circus Magnus
2000 New Year's Day Sergeant Bristow
2001 High Heels and Low Lifes Duty Sergeant Credited as Mike Attwell
2001 Bodywork David Leer

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1968 Coronation Street Keith 4 episodes
1968 The Root of All Evil? Ron Episode: "You Can Only Buy Once"
1969 The First Churchills Henry St. John 3 episodes
1979–1980 Turtle's Progress Razor Eddie Malone 13 episodes
1981 Seconds Out Julian Episode: "Round 8"
1982 The Chinese Detective Harry Foss Episode: "Bounty Hunter"
1982 Only Fools and Horses Englishman Episode: "It Never Rains..."
1983 Bloomfield Bruce Bruton Episode: "The Art of Finding Edina"
1983 Bergerac Frank Episode: "Almost Like a Holiday"
1983 Paul Squire Esq. Unknown Episode: #1.6
1983 Jemima Shore Investigates Dennis Jones Episode: "Death à la Carte"
1984 Minder Harry Episode: "A Number of Old Wives Tales"
1967–1985 Doctor Who Ice Warrior

Bates

6 episodes
1985 Up the Elephant and Round the Castle Tonka Episode: "Wakey Wakey"
1985 Hilary Sam Chance Episode: #1.4
1985 Are You Being Served? Burglar Episode: "The Hold-Up"
1985 Roll Over Beethoven PC Crosby Episode: #1.11
1985 Oliver Twist Bill Sikes 9 episodes
1986 King and Castle Stimson Episode: "Rivals"
1987 C.A.T.S. Eyes Jack Lee Episode: "Country Weekend"
1987 Never Say Die Mr. Danvers 3 episodes
1987 Gentry Slatter Television film
1988 EastEnders Kenny 9 episodes
1988 The Tenth Man Krogh Television film
1989 Crossbow Headhunters' Leader Episode: "Headhunters"
1990 Inspector Morse Parsons Episode: "The Infernal Serpent"
1990 The New Adventures of Black Beauty Barrett 2 episodes
1990 The Paradise Club Johnny Ivory Episode: "The Rotherhithe Project"
1991 ScreenPlay Oliver Rowntree Episode: "Redemption"
1991 Singles Jeff Episode: "Flash Back"
1989–1991 Boon Arthur Mitchell

John Milne

2 episodes
1993 Then Churchill Said to Me Pvt. Norman Pain 6 episodes
1993 Westbeach Ray Cromer 8 episodes
1993 London's Burning Phil 2 episodes
1993 Scarlet and Black Monsieur Valenod 2 episodes
1993 Horse Opera Johnson Television film
1994 Red Eagle Bazarov (as Mike Attwell) Television film
1994 Anna Lee Charlie McKinnon

Robert Thurman

Episode: "Stalker"
1995 Harry Roger Episode: "Over the Hills"
1995 Bugs Alan Moore Episode: "Out of the Hive"
1995 Joseph Judah (as Mike Attwell) 2 episodes
1996 Poldark George Warleggan Television film
1996 Thief Takers Assistant Commissioner Weldon 2 episodes
1997 Silent Witness Josef Quayle 2 episodes
1997 Screen One Kuzmenko Episode: "Hostile Waters"
1997 Pie in the Sky Michael Episode: "In the Smoke"
1991–1997 Casualty David Reed

Sam Jones

2 episodes
1997–1998 Wycliffe DCC Stevens 10 episodes
1999 The Colour of Justice William James Melish Television film
2000 Monsignor Renard M. Dufosse 3 episodes
2000 Border Cafe Edwardian Clive 8 episodes
2000 Hope and Glory Geoff Wilson Episode: #3.2
2001 My Family Mr. Smith Episode: "Get Cartier"
1989–2002 The Bill Various 4 episodes
2002 Daniel Deronda Rev. Gascoigne 2 episodes
2003 Dinotopia Hugo 2 episodes
2003 Seven Wonders of the Industrial World William Hope Episode: "The Great Ship"
2004 The Last Detective Billy Clemens Episode: "The Long Bank Holiday"
2004 Doc Martin Alan Gibson Episode: "Of All the Harbours in All the Towns"
2004 Trial & Retribution Brian the Bouncer 2 episodes
2004 Heartbeat Bob Acott Episode: "Buried Secrets"
2006 Missing Mr. Greenside Television film
2006 Hotel Babylon Derek Crisp 6 episodes
2006 Agatha Christie's Marple Archie Stone Episode: "The Sittaford Mystery"

References

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  1. ^ Hayward, Anthony (25 March 2006). "Michael Attwell, Actor and political cartoonist". The Independent. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  2. ^ Michael Atwell – RADA
  3. ^ Obituaries: Michael Attwell, The Independent, 25 March 2006 (pg.41)
  4. ^ Michael Attwell (Zoke) - University of Kent
  5. ^ "Theatre review: The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at New Ambassadors". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  6. ^ Shillcock, Francesca (28 January 2021). "Where are the cast of ITV's Wycliffe now?". Hello Magazine. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
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