An exceptionally admired and loved British actor taken from the world of entertainment at a young age but leaving behind two of the world’s best known actress, his daughter’s Kate Beckinsale and Samantha Beckinsale.

Richard Beckinsale was born in Carlton, Nottinghamshire on July 6^th 1947 to a mother who’s heritage was part Burmese and an English father.

On leaving Alderman White Secondary Modern School at the age of fifteen Richard’s main ambition in life was to become and actor and although working in menial jobs he enrolled in an adult drama school in Nottingham and later winning himself a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He turned professional in 1968.

Before turning professional, Richard married his first wife, Margaret Bradley, with whom he had a daughter in the same year, Samantha Beckinsale who is now also an actress. They divorced in 1971 and Richard went on to marry an actress Judy Loe in 1977. The couple had already had their daughter Kate Beckinsale in 1973.

After turning professional Beckinsale moved to Crewe where he worked in reparatory theatre and made his television debut on the long running British TV soap opera, Coronation Street, in which he played the role of a policeman who arrested one of the oldest and best loved members of the cast, Violet Carson, who played the old battle axe character of Ena Sharples.

Richard’s first big role came in character of Geoffrey in the sitcom The Lovers where he played the boyfriend of Beryl Battersby, played by Paula Wilcox. The series was so successful that both Paula and Richard were catapulted into the public eye and later appeared in the movie which was spawned from the series.

With the success of The Lovers followed two more roles in British comedies, both of which have been listed as two of the all time best UK programs, in which he was cast as the naive medical student Alan Moore in Rising Damp along with Leonard Rossiter and Don Warrington and in Porridge where he starred with Ronnie Barker. This sitcom also had a spin off movie which was to be Richard’s last completed work.

Eamomm Andrews, famed for surprising celebrities with ‘the big red book’ on a show named This is Your Life, sprang a surprise attack on Richard shortly after his 30th birthday.

By the time he was thirty one Richard’s life was cut short when one night he went to bed after complaining of feeling unwell and experienced a massive heart attack in his sleep. During a tribute the actor several years later, his daughter Kate said, "It was so sudden. He just went to sleep one night, and didn't wake up again."

ABB