 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
8 March 2007
Actor John Inman Dies at 71
Friends pay tribute to Are You Being Served? star
Comedy actor John Inman passed away this morning in St. Mary's Hospital, west London, at the age of 71.
Most famous for playing camp shop clerk Mr Humphries in the sitcom Are You Being Served?, Inman was suffering from a hepatitis A infection that had forced him to abandon a production of Dick Whittington back in December 2004.
Inman, born in Preston in 1935, was regarded as something of a national treasure. His manager, Phil Dale, said, "he was one of the finest pantomime dames."
Inman lived with his partner of 35 years, Ron Lynch, with whom he tied the knot in December 2005. Lynch is said to be "devastated" at the news.
Are You Being Served?, which ran from 1972 to 1985, was a light-hearted take on the everyday life of staff in a department store. It led to Inman being voted BBC's TV Personality of the Year in 1976.
But the much-adored performer also attracted bigoted criticism for playing a camp homosexual, while others thought his gay parody was "an insulting stereotype".
His co-star Wendy Richards told BBC Radio 4, "John was one of the wittiest and most inventive actors I've ever worked with."
Read More
Related Links
