Not acting his age

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 5

Not acting his age

When it comes to act-, ing in the future, Richard Beckinsale wants to act his age. For Richard, who has achieved much of his acting popularity through playing impressionable, naive youths (as Alan, the amiable long-haired student in “Rising Damp”) recalls he has been playing 21-year-olds for the last eight years. “I’m getting a bit old for this type of role,” says Richard who is 28 and “hoping to move on”. Tall, dark and amiable in real life. Richard has had a remarkably successful career to date in television, films and on the stage. Nearly everything he has been in, including “Rising Damp”, “The Lovers” and the current B. B. C. comedy “Porridge” (with Ronnie Barker), hit the popularity; high spots when they] screened in Britain. He attributes this to a mixture of being choosy and good luck. “I have been selective, especially where comedy series are concerned,” he points out. “I have been lucky in that I accepted three offers in television comedy within a relatively short space of time

and they all became hits.] But 1 have also turned down several offers which 1 feel' pretty sure would not havel been hits.”

~ Richard hails proudly J from Nottingham — “real D. jH. Lawrence country”, he ’ calls it — and says that his >j grandfather was a miner l: who died of pneumonia ■lwhile poaching ducks. Before starting his career , (he was one of 600 appli- ’ cants for 30 places at the ‘ Royal Academy Of Dramatic I Arts) Richard worked as an ; upholsterer and a clerk in a . pipes factory. Ever since “Rising Damp”. I Richard has become one of i the busier talents in the ’ field. He and actress Judy 'iLoe, whom he met in reper- > Story at Crewe, live in ■’Twickenham and they have . a two-year-old daughter, >i Katie. 1 Richard's busy career H leaves him little time for ’] hobbies or other interests, ’'■although he does like dog ’; racing. A successful punter,

he has had some quite substantial wins and frequents the Wimbledon track when he is in town. ‘‘l won S6O the last time I was there”, he said.