John Bird (actor)

John Michael Bird (22 November 1936 – 24 December 2022) was an English actor, director, writer and satirist.

In 1956 he passed the entrance exam for King’s College, Cambridge; he read English literature and stayed for postgraduate studies with a thesis entitled "European Drama 1888–1914".

While studying at Cambridge, Bird met fellow King's student John Fortune.

He performed in the television satire boom of the 1960s, appearing in That Was the Week That Was.

His television work included many appearances with John Fortune.

Bird had an acting career in film, television, theatre and radio for over 55 years.

During the television satire boom of the 1960s, Bird appeared in That Was the Week That Was (1962–1963), the title of which he had coined.

The stage director Ned Sherrin intended for him to play David Frost's role in the series but Bird was committed elsewhere.

Bird also became an active stage director writer and actor, directing The Naming of Murderers’ Rock in 1960 at the Royal Court Theatre in London.

He toured with the production One Over The Eight in 1961 and appeared in Alice in Wonderland, directed by Jonathan Miller in 1966.

He also appeared in the television programmes Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life (1964–1965), and If It Moves File It (1970).

Bird acted in straight and comic roles in several television series and in films including My Father Knew Lloyd George (1965), Red and Blue (1967), A Dandy in Aspic (1968), 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia (1968), This, That and the Other (1969), Take A Girl Like You (1970), The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) and Jabberwocky (1977).

He appeared in films including Take A Girl Like You (1970) and Jabberwocky (1977) as well as in television shows such as Joint Account, Marmalade Atkins, El C.I.D. and Chambers.

His stage career continued into the 1970s, with his writing of the adaptation of Council Of Love in 1970, which was shown at the Criterion Theatre in London, his appearance in Who’s Who? in 1972 in Guildford and Southsea and in Habeas Corpus by Alan Bennett at the Oxford Playhouse in 1973, as well as at the Lyric Theatre from 1973 to 1974.

During the 1970s, while Idi Amin was at the height of his infamy, Bird starred on the album The Collected Broadcasts of Idi Amin, with lyrics based on Alan Coren's anti-Amin Punch columns.

In 1975 the single "Amazin' Man", from the album, was released on the Transatlantic label.

The record stayed for 12 weeks in the Australian Singles Chart, peaking at number 26.

In 1975, Bird took the part of Mr Rembrandt in The Melting Pot, a sitcom written by Spike Milligan and Neil Shand.

Milligan played Mr. Van Gogh (in brownface) alongside Bird as Mr. Rembrandt, father and son illegal Asian immigrants who are first seen being rowed ashore in England, having been told that the beach is in fact Piccadilly Circus.

It was cancelled by the BBC after one episode had been broadcast.

In 1979, Bird played an African chieftain in a cinema commercial for Silk Cut cigarettes.

He played Raymond, a nervous boy who stuttered, in Dennis Potter's play Blue Remembered Hills which was also broadcast in 1979.

In 1980 Bird appeared in The Dangerous Brothers.

From 1981 to 1984, Bird made his mark in the world of children's entertainment taking the role of Mr Humphrey Atkins, the roguish father of Marmalade Atkins (played by Charlotte Coleman) for Thames Television.

In 1982, Bird performed in the role of the Duke of Albany in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of King Lear.

In 1984 he played the part of Jack Ormand, a local gang boss, in the tenth episode of the Granada TV series Travelling Man.

From 1986 to 1988 he starred as Ernest Hemmingway, the university vice chancellor, in the first series of A Very Peculiar Practice, working alongside Peter Davison.

Bird played the director of the British National Theatre in an episode of the BBC situation comedy Yes, Prime Minister broadcast in 1988.

In 1988 he appeared in One Way Pendulum at the Old Vic Theatre.

From 1989 to 1990, he played opposite Hannah Gordon in the 16-episode sitcom Joint Account which was set in a bank.

From 1990 to 1992, he starred in 18 episodes of the television detective series El C.I.D. which was set in Spain.

The series was serious rather than comedy-based and co-starred Alfred Molina in the first two series and Amanda Redman in the third.

In 1993, Bird featured in the role of Professor Plum in the fourth series of Cluedo and appeared as a newspaper editor in the political drama To Play the King.

Also in 1993, he was the guest star in the Sooty & Co. episode "Voice Problems".

From 1996 to 1999, Bird starred as barrister John Fuller-Carp in the BBC radio and television sitcom Chambers.

He starred as well in the BBC Radio 4 and BBC Two series Absolute Power with Stephen Fry.

Bird guest-starred in two television series by writer David Renwick, namely in three episodes of the BBC mystery crime drama series Jonathan Creek as well as in one episode of the BBC sitcom One Foot in the Grave.

He also featured in the long-running Bremner, Bird and Fortune (1999–2010), on Channel 4, which was nominated for BAFTA TV Awards.

John Michael Bird was born in Bulwell, Nottingham, where his father ran a small chemist's shop.

He failed his 11-plus, but his secondary modern headmaster managed to have him transferred, aged 12, to High Pavement Grammar School.