On This Day
Births
1921 – Peter Sallis
Peter John Sallis, OBE was an English actor, known for his work on British television. He was the voice of Wallace in the Academy Award-honored Wallace and Gromit films and played Norman “Cleggy” Clegg in Last of the Summer Wine from its 1973 inception until its final episode in 2010, making him the only actor to appear in all 295 episodes.
Although Sallis was born and brought up in London, his two best remembered roles required him to adopt the accent and mannerisms of a Northerner. He also voiced Rat in The Wind in the Willows, appeared in Danger Man in the episode “Find and Destroy” (1961) as Gordon, appeared in the BBC Doctor Who serial “The Ice Warriors” (1967), playing renegade scientist Elric Penley, and appeared in an episode of The Persuaders! (“The Long Goodbye”, 1971). Other appearances include The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), and Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970). He retired from acting in 2010 and died in 2017, aged 96.
Died: 02 June 2017
Aged 96
1942 – Terry Jones
Terence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh actor, writer, comedian, screenwriter and film director. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe.
Age 76
1946 – Elisabeth Sladen
Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen was an English actress best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series Doctor Who. She was a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, and reprised the role many times in subsequent decades, both on Doctor Who and its spin-offs, K-9 and Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Sladen was interested in ballet and theatre from childhood, and began to appear on stage in the mid-1960s, although more often as a stage manager at this time. She moved to London in 1970 and an appearance in the police drama Z-Cars led to her being selected for a part in Doctor Who. She stayed as a regular cast member alongside Pertwee and Baker until 1976. She subsequently starred in other roles on both television and radio, before semi-retiring to bring up a family in the mid-1980s.
She returned to the public eye in the 2000s with more Doctor Who related appearances, which culminated in taking a regular lead role in The Sarah Jane Adventures. The show earned the Royal Television Society 2010 award for Best Children’s Drama. She also made regular guest appearances on the main television series, and provided voice-over commentaries for its releases to DVD.
Her death made national and international news headlines, and major television stations and newspapers paid her tribute.
Died: 19 April 2011
Aged 65
1959 – Dave Bamber
John David “Dave” Bamber is an English former professional footballer.
Bamber played 4 times for Portsmouth in 1985
Age 59
1965 – Sherilyn Fenn
Sherilyn Fenn is an American actress. She came to attention for her performance as Audrey Horne on the 1990 cult TV series Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017) for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. She is also known for her roles in Wild at Heart (1990), Of Mice and Men (1992), Boxing Helena (1993) and the television sitcom Rude Awakening (1998–2001).
Age 53
1993 – Nicke Kabamba
Nicke Kabamba is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Aldershot Town on loan from Portsmouth.
Age 25
Deaths
2013 – Robin Sachs
Born: 05 February 1951
Robin David Sachs was an English actor and voice actor. He is known for his voice over work in video games, movies and TV shows. He is also known for voicing Zaeed Massani in the Mass Effect franchise, Admiral Saul Karath in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Sergeant Roderick in SpongeBob SquarePants and Xoloti in Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom.
Died Aged 61