British actor
Benjamin John Whitrow (17 February 1937 – 28 September 2017) was a British actor. He was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his role as Mr Bennet in the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, and voiced the role of Fowler in the 2000 animated film Chicken Run. His other film appearances include Quadrophenia (1979), Personal Services (1987) and Bomber (2009).
Early life and education
Whitrow was born on 17 February 1937 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, the son of Mary Alexandra (Flaunders) and Philip Whitrow, a teacher at St Edward's School, Oxford.[1]
Whitrow attended two independent schools: The Dragon School in Oxford and Tonbridge School, in the town of Tonbridge in Kent, followed by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[2][3]
Life and career
Whitrow served in the King's Dragoon Guards during his
national service from 1956 to 1958.[2] He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1981.[4] He played Russell in the original radio version of After Henry by Simon Brett.[5]
A lifelong fan of the writings of the English author Denton Welch, he was instrumental in bringing the third, revised version of Welch's journals to print in 1984, having made the acquaintance of one of Welch's friends who had possessed the manuscript of the original editor's edition.[6]Whitrow appeared in the hard-hitting police drama,The Sweeney, in which he played Det. Chief Supt. Braithwaite
In 1989, Whitrow appeared in episode four of the BBC Two sketch show A Bit of Fry and Laurie (series one), playing an irate member of the audience who claimed that Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie had stolen several of their sketches from him.[7]
Between 1990 and 1992, Whitrow appeared in the sitcom The New Statesman as Paddy O'Rourke, a Labour shadow minister who feigned an Irish accent when in public to attract the working-class vote.[2]
Whitrow was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Mr Bennet in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.[8]
In the 2000 animated movie Chicken Run Whitrow voiced the character of Fowler, an old rooster who claims to have fought in World War II.[9]
Whitrow's last work was two plays for BBC Radio 4, in which he played the late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman. Mr Betjeman's Class was his last completed work;[10] he died during the recording of Mr Betjeman Regrets, with the voice work being completed by Robert Bathurst.[11] Both plays were broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over Christmas 2017.[12]
Personal life
Whitrow was married to Catherine Cook, with whom he had two children: Hannah Mary Whitrow (b. 1973) and Thomas George Whitrow (b. 1976).[2] He also had a son, Angus Imrie (b. 1994) with actress Celia Imrie.[13]
Whitrow died from a brain hemorrhage in Wimbledon, London on 28 September 2017, aged 80.[2]
