This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2013) |
Anthony Samuel Selby (26 February 1938 – 5 September 2021) was an English actor. He was best known for his roles as Clive Mitchell in EastEnders, Corporal Percy Marsh in Get Some In!, and Sabalom Glitz in Doctor Who.
Tony Selby | |
|---|---|
 Selby in Witchfinder General (1968) | |
| Born | Anthony Samuel Selby 26 February 1938 Lambeth, London, England |
| Died | 5 September 2021 (aged 83) London, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1951–2016 |
| Notable work | Get Some In! Doctor Who Mulberry EastEnders |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 1 |
Life and career
editSelby was born in Lambeth, London, in February 1938, the son of Annie Elizabeth (Weaver), a waitress, and Samuel Joseph Selby, a cab driver.[1] After training at the Italia Conti Stage School, he made his adult stage debut in 1956.[2] His theatre work included the original production of Edward Bond's controversial play Saved at the Royal Court Theatre in 1965.[3][4] He has appeared in many television programmes including a starring role in RAF National Service comedy Get Some In!,[5] and a recurring role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who as the intergalactic conman Sabalom Glitz.[5]
In 1965, he appeared as a convict under sentence of death in the BBC television drama Three Clear Sundays, directed by Ken Loach.[6]
He had one of his earliest film acting roles in The Early Bird (1965), Alfie (1966), starring Michael Caine, and his other film appearances include Press for Time (1966), Poor Cow (1967), Witchfinder General (1968), Before Winter Comes (1969), In Search of Gregory (1969), Villain (1971), Nobody Ordered Love (1972), and Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall (1973).[7] In 1971-2 he played magician's assistant Sam Maxstead in children's supernatural TV series Ace of Wands and had a brief 1972 appearance as a jealous fiancé in Public Eye.[8][9]
Other notable television appearances in the 1970s included Callan,[10] The Avengers as a villainous car mechanic, Bless This House as a depressed burglar, and as Boozy in the all-star Eric Sykes comedy If You Go Down in the Woods Today (1981).[11][12] He appeared in three episodes of the drama series Minder, twice playing Jack, the minder of gangster's wife Rose Mellors.[11][13] In the early 1990s he played chauffeur to Adam Faith's character in the drama series Love Hurts; he also played Clive Mitchell in BBC's soap opera EastEnders in 2002.[14][15]
Selby appeared in the third episode of The Good Life (known as Good Neighbors in the US), as a rag-and-bone man who sold the Goods an old wood stove and brought them a cat.[16]
In the United States, Selby had an uncredited role as a hood in the first Superman motion picture.
Selby played Susan Harper's long-lost father Arthur in the BBC comedy My Family, in the episode "A Decent Proposal", first broadcast on 12 August 2011.[17]
In 2012, he appeared in the film Cockneys vs Zombies.[18]
He appeared in the television series New Tricks as Danny Paye, an East End loan shark, in the 2009 episode Meat is Murder.
Selby died in London on 5 September 2021, at the age of 83, after contracting COVID-19.[19][20]
Selected filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | The Wednesday Play | Up the Junction | Dave | |
| 1966 | Alfie | Lacey | |
| 1968 | The Avengers | Stanley | Episode: The Curious Case of the Countless Clues |
| Witchfinder General | Salter | ||
| 1970–1971 | Ace of Wands | Sam Maxstead | |
| 1971 | Catweazle | Sergeant Jones | Episode: The Walking Trees |
| Villain | Duncan | ||
| 1972 | The Adventures of Black Beauty | Moss | Episode: Day of Reckoning |
| 1973 | Warship | PO-Wtr. Willows | Episode: Funny, They All Say That |
| 1974 | Thriller | Mark | Episode: I'm the Girl He Wants to Kill |
| 1974–1976 | Bless This House | Fingers/Intruder | 2 episodes |
| 1975 | The Good Life | Sam | Episode: The Weaker Sex? |
| 1975–1978 | Get Some In! | Corporal Marsh | |
| 1978 | Superman | 5th Hood | Uncredited |
| 1983 | Give Us a Break | Benny | 2 episodes |
| 1983 | Jack of Diamonds | Norman Lugg | 6 episodes |
| 1984 | Cockles | Bunter | Episode: Mermaids |
| 1986–1987 | Doctor Who | Sabalom Glitz | 9 episodes |
| 1987 | The Secret Garden | Sergeant Barney | TV movie |
| 1991 | Lovejoy | Sgt. Hartley | Episode: Raise the Hispanic |
| 1992–1993 | Mulberry | Bert | 13 episodes |
| 1992-1994 | Love Hurts | Max Taplow | 30 episodes |
| 1994-1997 | The Detectives | 'Nozzer' Richardson | 6 episodes |
| 1995 | The World of Lee Evans | Father | Episode: Meet the Folks |
| 1997–2004 | The Bill | Vinnie Rogers/Norman Klein/Barry Jackson | 4 episodes |
| 1999 | Holby City | Jim Horton | Episode: Puppy Love |
| 2002 | EastEnders | Uncle Clive | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | My Family | Arthur Riggs | Episode: A Decent Proposal |
References
edit- ^ "Tony Selby Biography (1938-)". Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- ^ Brian McFarlane (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Manchester University Press. p. 685. ISBN 978-1-5261-1197-5.
- ^ "Tony Selby | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
- ^ Walsh, Maeve (21 February 1999). "Thirty years ago today: 'Saved' for the nation, farewell to the censor". The Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ a b Masters, Tim (14 October 2011). "Saved still shocks, says original cast member". BBC News. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- ^ "The Wednesday Play: Three Clear Sundays". 7 April 1965. p. 40 – via BBC Genome.
- ^ "Tony Selby". BFI. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017.
- ^ "BFI Screenonline: Ace of Wands (1970-72)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
- ^ "Selby, Tony 1938– | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com.
- ^ "None of Your Business (1972)". BFI. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Tony Selby". www.aveleyman.com.
- ^ "If You Go down in the Woods Today (1981)". BFI. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019.
- ^ "Days of Fines and Closures (1989)". BFI. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Love Hurts". 7 February 1992. p. 80 – via BBC Genome.
- ^ "EastEnders". 3 October 2002. p. 110 – via BBC Genome.
- ^ "The Good Life - S1 - Episode 3: The Weaker Sex?". Radio Times.
- ^ "BBC One - My Family, Series 11, A Decent Proposal". BBC.
- ^ "Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)". BFI. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016.
- ^ "Sitcom star Tony Selby dies aged 83". Belfasttelegraph. Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
- ^ Hayward, Anthony (7 September 2021). "Tony Selby obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
External links
edit- Tony Selby at IMDb
- Tony Selby discography at Discogs