Some actors land a role that defines their career, and yet when you consider everything they did, you find an iceberg of other work lurking beneath the surface. So it is with 'Allo 'Allo! star Gorden Kaye, who died today aged 75.
Born Gordon Fitzgerald Kaye in Huddersfield in 1941 (the "Gorden" of his stage name came from an Actors' Equity Association typing error), he was a young rugby player and studied shipping management at college, supporting himself with a variety of jobs. He worked at textile mills, a wine factory and a tractor plant, but got his first taste of entertainment in local hospital radio, where he interviewed The Beatles in 1965.
He landed roles in a TV play and a radio theatre production written by Alan Ayckbourn, who suggested Kaye audition for the Bolton Octagon Theatre, where he was offered a contract. That led to more offers of TV work, including Coronation Street and kicked off a steady career in soaps and comedy, including Till Death Do Us Part, All Creatures Great And Small, Are You Being Served? and, more recently, Revolver.
After working with writer/producer David Croft several times (including It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Come Back Mrs. Noah), he was offered the role of beleaguered bar owner René Artois in 'Allo 'Allo!, and kicked off a run of 84 episodes across 10 years, plus a long stint in the stage version.
On the big screen, he worked twice with Terry Gilliam, cropping up for quick appearances in Jabberwocky and Brazil. He also played Dines in the Porridge spin-off film.
Outside of his stage and screen work, Kaye was perhaps best known for the accident of 25 January 1990, in which gale force winds sent a wooden piece of advertising board through his car windscreen, leaving him with serious injuries, no memory of the incident and a permanent forehead scar. "Gorden Kaye was a terrific comic actor whose signature role, Rene Artois, earned his place in the comedy hall of fame," says Shane Allen, controller of BBC comedy commissioning. "He was instrumental in making 'Allo 'Allo! such a long running and well-loved series. His work lives on and thoughts are with friends and loved ones at this sad time."