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Versatile British Actor Eric Sykes Dead at 89 — He Had His Own TV Show in the 1960s and Later Appeared in ‘Harry Potter’ Film

Jul 5, 2012  •  Post A Comment

Eric Sykes, a British comedian who starred in television, on stage and on film, has died, reports Reuters. He was 89.

Sykes was a regular collaborator on the 1950s radio comedy show "The Goon Show" and starred in his own TV series "Sykes and A …" in the 1960s, the story says. In 2005 he played Frank Bryce in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

His early feature film work included roles in "Heavens Above!" in 1963 and "The Spy With a Cold Nose" in 1966. In the late 1960s, he starred with "The Goon Show" co-creator Spike Milligan in a sitcom called "Curry and Chips," which was taken off the air after only six episodes amid criticisms of racism, the story adds.

The show was defended by its co-creator, Johnny Speight, as designed to highlight discrimination in society, the piece notes.

"He is widely credited with introducing an offbeat tone to mainstream British comedy, and recalls a gentler age of humor that has been overshadowed by more aggressive, controversial performers," the article points out.

Sykes’ success was remarkable because he had been almost totally deaf since he was in his early 30s and blind from the early 1990s, the story adds.

eric-sykes.jpgEric Sykes

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