David Kossoff(1919-2005)

At 17 he was a designer in a furniture business but soon after starting he took an interest in the theatre. A French cafe cook who'd been a clown taught him mime then an elocution teacher taught him voice production.He was nearly 20 when he decided to try his luck in the theatre but war came and with his drawing ability he ended up in an aircraft drawing office. In his spare time he worked at an amateur theatre the after the war he got a job with the BBC drama repertory company which lasted 6 years then it was into the West End.Probably best remembered for the television comedy series The Larkins.