| Derek Fowlds | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 September 1937 Wandsworth, London, England, British |
| Occupation | Actor, Presenter |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Spouse | Adrienne Corri (Divorced) Lesley Judd (1974–1978 Divorced) |
Derek Fowlds (born 2 September 1937) is an English actor, known for playing Bernard Woolley in popular British television comedies Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister and Oscar Blaketon in the long-running ITV police drama Heartbeat.
Contents |
Fowlds was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of Ketha Muriel (née Treacher) and James Witney Fowlds,[1] a salesman. He attended a Secondary Modern School in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.
Fowlds was previously married to actress Adrienne Corri and Blue Peter presenter and dancer Lesley Judd.
After amateur acting, he trained at RADA and made his debut on the West End stage in The Miracle Worker. He appeared in various film roles, including East of Sudan (1964), Hotel Paradiso (1966), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) and The Smashing Bird I Used to Know (1969), prior to becoming familiar to British television viewers as 'Mr. Derek' in the children's series The Basil Brush Show, replacing Rodney Bewes as presenter. Perhaps his most famous role was that of Bernard Woolley in Yes Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister alongside Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne.
From 1983–1985 he played the lead role in the sitcom Affairs of the Heart. He featured in a more sinister role in the 1990 political thriller Die Kinder. Fowlds then played Oscar Blaketon in the long running ITV police drama nostalgia series Heartbeat for its entire run. The character first appeared as the local police sergeant, then retired from the force and ran the post office before becoming a publican.
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1969–1973 | The Basil Brush Show | Mr Derek |
| 1980–1984 | Yes Minister | Bernard Woolley |
| 1982 | Minder | Meadhurst |
| 1983–1985 | Affairs of the Heart | Peter Bonamy |
| 1986–1988 | Yes, Prime Minister | Bernard Woolley |
| 1988 | The Settling of the Sun | Kurt Friedman/Michael Robson |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1992–2010 | Heartbeat | Oscar Blaketon |
| 1990 | Die Kinder | Crombie |