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Tony Selby

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Tony Selby
Selby in Witchfinder General (1968)
Born
Anthony Samuel Selby

(1938-02-26)26 February 1938
Lambeth, London, England
Died5 September 2021(2021-09-05) (aged 83)
London, England
OccupationActor
Years active1951–2016
Notable workGet Some In!
Doctor Who
Mulberry
EastEnders
Spouses
  • Jacqui Milburn
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1964; div. 1981)​
  • Gina Sellers
    ​
    (m. 1986)​
Children1

Anthony Samuel Selby (26 February 1938 – 5 September 2021) was an English actor. He was best known for his roles as Clive Mitchell in EastEnders, Corporal Percy Marsh in Get Some In!, and Sabalom Glitz in Doctor Who.

Life and career

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Selby was born in Lambeth, London, in February 1938, the son of Annie Elizabeth (Weaver), a waitress, and Samuel Joseph Selby, a cab driver.[1] After training at the Italia Conti Stage School, he made his adult stage debut in 1956.[2] His theatre work included the original production of Edward Bond's controversial play Saved at the Royal Court Theatre in 1965.[3][4] He has appeared in many television programmes including a starring role in RAF National Service comedy Get Some In!,[5] and a recurring role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who as the intergalactic conman Sabalom Glitz.[5]

In 1965, he appeared as a convict under sentence of death in the BBC television drama Three Clear Sundays, directed by Ken Loach.[6]

He had one of his earliest film acting roles in The Early Bird (1965), Alfie (1966), starring Michael Caine, and his other film appearances include Press for Time (1966), Poor Cow (1967), Witchfinder General (1968), Before Winter Comes (1969), In Search of Gregory (1969), Villain (1971), Nobody Ordered Love (1972), and Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall (1973).[7] In 1971-2 he played magician's assistant Sam Maxstead in children's supernatural TV series Ace of Wands and had a brief 1972 appearance as a jealous fiancé in Public Eye.[8][9]

Other notable television appearances in the 1970s included Callan,[10] The Avengers as a villainous car mechanic, Bless This House as a depressed burglar, and as Boozy in the all-star Eric Sykes comedy If You Go Down in the Woods Today (1981).[11][12] He appeared in three episodes of the drama series Minder, twice playing Jack, the minder of gangster's wife Rose Mellors.[11][13] In the early 1990s he played chauffeur to Adam Faith's character in the drama series Love Hurts; he also played Clive Mitchell in BBC's soap opera EastEnders in 2002.[14][15]

Selby appeared in the third episode of The Good Life (known as Good Neighbors in the US), as a rag-and-bone man who sold the Goods an old wood stove and brought them a cat.[16]

In the United States, Selby had an uncredited role as a hood in the first Superman motion picture.

Selby played Susan Harper's long-lost father Arthur in the BBC comedy My Family, in the episode "A Decent Proposal", first broadcast on 12 August 2011.[17]

In 2012, he appeared in the film Cockneys vs Zombies.[18]

He appeared in the television series New Tricks as Danny Paye, an East End loan shark, in the 2009 episode Meat is Murder.

Selby died in London on 5 September 2021, at the age of 83, after contracting COVID-19.[19][20]

Selected filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1965 The Wednesday Play | Up the Junction Dave
1966 Alfie Lacey
1968 The Avengers Stanley Episode: The Curious Case of the Countless Clues
Witchfinder General Salter
1970–1971 Ace of Wands Sam Maxstead
1971 Catweazle Sergeant Jones Episode: The Walking Trees
Villain Duncan
1972 The Adventures of Black Beauty Moss Episode: Day of Reckoning
1973 Warship PO-Wtr. Willows Episode: Funny, They All Say That
1974 Thriller Mark Episode: I'm the Girl He Wants to Kill
1974–1976 Bless This House Fingers/Intruder 2 episodes
1975 The Good Life Sam Episode: The Weaker Sex?
1975–1978 Get Some In! Corporal Marsh
1978 Superman 5th Hood Uncredited
1983 Give Us a Break Benny 2 episodes
1983 Jack of Diamonds Norman Lugg 6 episodes
1984 Cockles Bunter Episode: Mermaids
1986–1987 Doctor Who Sabalom Glitz 9 episodes
1987 The Secret Garden Sergeant Barney TV movie
1991 Lovejoy Sgt. Hartley Episode: Raise the Hispanic
1992–1993 Mulberry Bert 13 episodes
1992-1994 Love Hurts Max Taplow 30 episodes
1994-1997 The Detectives 'Nozzer' Richardson 6 episodes
1995 The World of Lee Evans Father Episode: Meet the Folks
1997–2004 The Bill Vinnie Rogers/Norman Klein/Barry Jackson 4 episodes
1999 Holby City Jim Horton Episode: Puppy Love
2002 EastEnders Uncle Clive 2 episodes
2011 My Family Arthur Riggs Episode: A Decent Proposal

References

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  1. ^ "Tony Selby Biography (1938-)". Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  2. ^ Brian McFarlane (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Manchester University Press. p. 685. ISBN 978-1-5261-1197-5.
  3. ^ "Tony Selby | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  4. ^ Walsh, Maeve (21 February 1999). "Thirty years ago today: 'Saved' for the nation, farewell to the censor". The Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  5. ^ a b Masters, Tim (14 October 2011). "Saved still shocks, says original cast member". BBC News. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  6. ^ "The Wednesday Play: Three Clear Sundays". 7 April 1965. p. 40 – via BBC Genome.
  7. ^ "Tony Selby". BFI. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017.
  8. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Ace of Wands (1970-72)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  9. ^ "Selby, Tony 1938– | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com.
  10. ^ "None of Your Business (1972)". BFI. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019.
  11. ^ a b "Tony Selby". www.aveleyman.com.
  12. ^ "If You Go down in the Woods Today (1981)". BFI. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Days of Fines and Closures (1989)". BFI. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Love Hurts". 7 February 1992. p. 80 – via BBC Genome.
  15. ^ "EastEnders". 3 October 2002. p. 110 – via BBC Genome.
  16. ^ "The Good Life - S1 - Episode 3: The Weaker Sex?". Radio Times.
  17. ^ "BBC One - My Family, Series 11, A Decent Proposal". BBC.
  18. ^ "Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)". BFI. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016.
  19. ^ "Sitcom star Tony Selby dies aged 83". Belfasttelegraph. Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  20. ^ Hayward, Anthony (7 September 2021). "Tony Selby obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
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