| Clive Swift | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Clive Walter Swift |
| Born | 9 February 1936 Liverpool, England |
| Medium | Actor Songwriter |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Genres | Character Comedy |
| Influences | Barry Humphries as old man Sandy Stone |
| Spouse | Margaret Drabble (1960–75) |
Clive Walter Swift (born 9 February 1936) is an English character comedy actor and songwriter. He is best known for his role as character Richard Bucket in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances. He is less known for his role as character Roy in the British television series The Old Guys. Swift was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Lily Rebecca (née Greenman) and Abram Sampson Swift.[1] He was educated at Clifton College and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he read English literature. He was previously a teacher at LAMDA and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Swift has appeared in many TV series and movies.
In the 1970s, he appeared as Doctor Black in two of the BBC's M.R. James adaptations: The Stalls of Barchester and A Warning to the Curious. He is most noted for his performance in Keeping Up Appearances, starring as Richard Bucket, the long-suffering husband of Hyacinth. He also starred in the BBC adaptation of The Barchester Chronicles and appeared in the Doctor Who story Revelation of the Daleks. On 25 December 2007, he appeared in a Doctor Who Christmas special as Mr Copper. He also played Sir Ector, the adoptive father of King Arthur in John Boorman's 1981 film Excalibur.
Swift was formerly married to novelist Margaret Drabble (1960-1975). He is the father of one daughter, Rebecca, who runs The Literary Consultancy in London's Free Word Centre and two sons, Adam Swift, an academic, and Joe Swift, a TV gardener. His brother, David Swift, is also an actor.
As well as acting, he is a songwriter. Many of his songs are included in his show, Richard Bucket Overflows: An Audience with Clive Swift, which toured the UK in 2007 and Clive Swift Entertains, performing his own music and lyrics, which toured the UK in 2009. He also played the part of the Reverend Eustacius Brewer, which aired on BBC 1,from 2002-2005.
Contents |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Nesbitts Are Coming | Ernie Nesbitt |
| 1985 | The Pickwick Papers | Tracy Tupman |
| 1985/2007 | Doctor Who | Jobel/Mr. Copper |
| 1990 to 1995 | Keeping Up Appearances | Richard Bucket |
| 2009 to Present | The Old Guys | Roy Bowden |