David Battley
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| David Battley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 November 1935 Battersea, London |
| Died | 20 January 2003 London, England |
David Battley (5 November 1935 - 20 January 2003) was a British actor specialising in laconic, lugubrious comedy roles.
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[edit] Early life
He was born in Battersea, London, the son of Labour Member of Parliament John Battley. After a stint at Camberwell Art College and the family printing business, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked subsequently in repertory theatre in Liverpool.
[edit] Career
His dry, ironic delivery became very familiar on television and cinema. He never had any notable leading roles, but as a character actor and comic stooge he was much in demand. TV work ranged from the satire show BBC 3 and the military police drama Redcap in the sixties through Eric Sykes' BBC sitcom and The Good Life in the 70s, and later The Bill, Lovejoy and Mr Bean in a busy and prolific career.
His best known work in the mid-70s was as comic foil to Monty Python team member Eric Idle in the BBC series Rutland Weekend Television (RWT). Idle praised Battley's dry, poker-faced style, but overlooked him when casting the American TV movie of RWT spin-off The Rutles' All You Need Is Cash, about a rock group based on The Beatles.
Battley also made many films, including Crossplot (1969), That's Your Funeral (1970) and Rentadick (1972), but his best-known film roles are as Mr. Turkentine in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), and Ergo the Magnificent in Krull (1983).
[edit] Death
Battley, who had been born with a hole in the heart, died of a heart attack on 20 January 2003.
