Doug Fisher (actor)

Douglas Marjoribanks Fisher (London, England, 20 September 1941 – 9 July 2000) was an English actor best known for playing Larry Simmonds in Man About the House (1973–1976), Sammy in the films The Stud (1978) and The Bitch (1979) and Jim Medhurst in London's Burning (1988–1993).

Doug Fisher
Fisher in 1968
Born(1941-09-20)20 September 1941[1]
London, England
Died9 July 2000(2000-07-09) (aged 58)
London, England
OccupationActor
Years active1964–2000

Early life

edit

He graduated from St Edmund Hall, Oxford in 1966, with a degree in French and Russian.[2]

Career

edit

He portrayed Larry Simmonds, the lovable rogue who occupied the attic apartment in the ITV sitcom Man About the House[2] and played Sammy in the films The Stud (1978) and The Bitch (1979), opposite Joan Collins.[3] He also appeared in All Our Saturdays, Yes Minister, Home to Roost, Sorry!, Haggard, Close to Home, Goodnight Sweetheart, The Upper Hand and Heartbeat.[4] His final role was a clergyman in the 1999 miniseries adaptation of Oliver Twist.[5]

He also played the role of Jim Medhurst (Kevin Medhurst's father) In TV series London's Burning from 1988 until the character was killed off in series 6 in 1993.[5] Fisher appeared as habitual criminal Stephen Grismal in the Jonathan Creek episode The Wrestler's Tomb, in 1997.

Personal life

edit

Fisher had a relationship with actress Susan Penhaligon in the early 1980s.[6]

Death

edit

On 9 July 2000, Fisher died of a heart attack aged 58.[7][5][8]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
YearTitleRoleNotes
1969The Smashing Bird I Used to KnowYoung Man
1974Man About the HouseLarry Simmonds
1978The StudSammy
1979The BitchSammy
1996Street GunBig G
1999The Naked ManViking

Television

edit
YearTitleRoleNotes
1966BlackmailCedric DelamoreEpisode: "Boys and Girls Commute to Play"
1970Father, Dear FatherLeslieEpisode: "A Man About the House"
1970His and HersLandlordEpisode: "Morals"
1971That's Your FuneralAlfEpisode: "Unholy Deadlock"[9]
1971Take Three GirlsHenryEpisode: "The Private Sector"
1971Comedy PlayhouseTom PottsEpisode: "The Importance of Being Hairy"
1972The Strauss FamilyGirardi2 episodes
1972Cheap at Half the PriceCharlieTV film
1973The AdventurerDon MerrickEpisode: "Make It a Million"
1973All Our SaturdaysRonnie Rendell5 episodes
1973Hunter's WalkDennis KenwrightEpisode: "Disturbance"
1973–1976Man About the HouseLarry Simmonds19 episodes
1973Helen: A Woman of TodayLarryEpisode: "Harold"
1973Thirty Minutes WorthVariousEpisode: #3.8
1974The ProtectorsTom WattEpisode: "The Tiger and the Goat"
1975Whodunnit?Dennis RogersEpisode: "Beware, Wet Paint"
1978A Soft TouchLenEpisode: "I Wanna Be like You"
1978Play for TodayTerryEpisode: "A Touch of the Tiny Hacketts"
1978BBC2 Play of the WeekPilkingtonEpisode: "The Vanishing Army"
1979Feet FirstHamilton DefriesAll 6 episodes
1979The Other OneDonEpisode: #2.6
1981BBC2 PlayhouseThe ManEpisode: "The Man Who Almost Knew Eamonn Andrews"
1982BBC2 PlayhouseJamesEpisode: "Keeping in Touch"
1982Yes Minister Ben StanleyEpisode: "The Challenge"
1984SinglesRickieEpisode: "Singles' Night"
1984Ellis IslandHarry EpsteinEpisode: #1.1
1985Full HouseWorkmanEpisode: "May the Best Man Win"[9]
1987–1988Sorry!Wurzo2 episodes
1987Home to RoostGeorgeEpisode: "Paper Chase"
1988All in Good FaithSamEpisode: "Where My Caravan Has Rested"
1988Streets ApartMan in Wine BarEpisode: #1.5
1988–1993London's BurningJim Medhurst9 episodes
1989Close to HomeTed WoodsEpisode: "Helen the Receptionist"
1991Prime SuspectEdward HarveyEpisode: "Price to Pay: Part 2"
1991SinglesHargreavesEpisode: "Fourth Time Lucky for Dennis Duval"
1991The Upper HandDanEpisode: "Wheels"
1992HaggardElusive EdwardEpisode: "Condemned"
1992The BillMellorEpisode: "On the Record, Off the Record"
1993The DetectivesCabbieEpisode: "Studs"
1993Fool's Gold: The Story of the Brink's-Mat RobberySolicitorTV film
1994Pie In The SkyMr. BarnetEpisode: "An Innocent Man"
1994Silk StalkingsGunmanEpisode: "Reluctant Witness"
1996The BillJohn FryEpisode: "Going Guilty"
1997Goodnight SweetheartStanley2 episodes
1997Jonathan CreekStephen GrismalEpisode: "The Wrestler's Tomb"[9]
1997HeartbeatTrevor LammasEpisode: "In on the Act"
1999Oliver TwistClergymanEpisode: "Containing Fresh Discoveries"

References

edit
  1. ^ Douglas Marjoribanks Fisher in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007
  2. ^ a b "Actor Left Out In In The Cold". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 July 1977. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Doug Fisher | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
  4. ^ "Doug Fisher". www.aveleyman.com.
  5. ^ a b c "Doug Fisher". BFI. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021.
  6. ^ Oglethorpe, Tim (26 January 2002). "Frost brings Susan in from the cold; 1970s pin-up Susan Penhaligon on her tangled love life and her TV comeback in A Touch Of Frost". The Mirror.
  7. ^ Roger Bilder, Michael Palin (10 August 2000). "Doug Fisher Obituary". The Stage.
  8. ^ Robertson, Peter (22 April 2019). "Man About The House star Sally Thomsett opens up about her complicated love". mirror.
  9. ^ a b c "Doug Fisher". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
edit