‘Yes Prime Minister' star visits Beehive

Press, 28 January 1988, Page 4

‘Yes Prime Minister ' star visits Beehive

PA Wellington The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, lost his seat yesterday to the actor, Paul Eddington, who plays Britain’s leader in the television series, “Yes Prime Minister.” But rather than being usurped in his Mangere electorate, Mr Lange simply gave Eddington a chance to try out the driver’s seat of New Zealand — behind Mr Lange’s desk in the Beehive. “I’ll be his shadow,” Mr Lange said. Peering quizzically over the top of his half-rim glasses for photographers, Eddington looked just like his screen personality, the Honorable James Hacker, about to call on Sir Humphrey for some advice. Eddington said that at least one person was sufficiently convinced by his primeministerial demeanour to mistake him for the real thing. He was talking to an elderly man at

dinner when the man “asked if I would use my influence to allow nuclear warships into New Zealand.” “I had to tell him he came to the wrong place,” Eddington said. However, the occasion drew sharp comment from the Acting Leader of the Opposition, Mr Don McKinnon, who last year also took' issue with Mr Lange’s enjoyment of car racing. “New Zealanders will have some difficulty assessing who is the real actor and who is the real Prime Minister,” Mr McKinnon said. “The New Zealand Prime Minister could take a lesson from the actor in how to look interested in the job of being Prime Minister.” Eddington will be. in Christchurch today with two other actors, John Aiderton and Hannah Gordon, for a tour operator’s promotion.