Career: Cole made his big-screen debut in 1941's Cottage to Let, but didn't achieve fame until he landed the part of Flash Harry in the classic St Trinian's films. He went on to have a successful career on stage, TV and in movies, often appearing opposite mentor Sim in such productions as Scrooge and The Green Man. TV credits include My Good Friend, Dad, An Independent Man, Blott on the Landscape and Minder, which ran for 15 years. In his later years, he appeared in Station Jim, Bodily Harm, Mary Reilly, A Class Apart, and Diamond Geezer. He died on August 6, 2015, after a long illness. He was 90.

Career: At 16, Waterman returned to Britain and concentrated on stage work until an acclaimed performance in 1968's Up the Junction led to more film roles. Low-budget movies (such as Scars of Dracula) and TV shows (including Colditz) followed until, in 1974, he co-starred with John Thaw in Regan, the pilot episode of iconic series The Sweeney, which became a major TV hit. A 10-year stint in comedy drama Minder followed. Other projects include TV shows On the Up, Stay Lucky, and Circles of Deceit. He's also worked on the stage, most notably in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell, and My Fair Lady. As Gerry Standing, in BBC drama New Tricks, he has introduced himself to a new generation of fans.

Career: Following acclaimed performances at university, Jacobi joined Birmingham Rep. He was spotted by Laurence Olivier, who invited him to join the National Theatre Company. He made his film debut alongside Olivier in 1965's Othello. Since then, Jacobi has continued to make acclaimed appearances on stage and screen. Among his films are The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, Love Is the Devil, Gladiator, Gosford Park, The King's Speech and Hereafter. He inspired Kenneth Branagh to become an actor and worked alongside him in Henry V, Hamlet and Dead Again. Jacobi won a Bafta for I, Claudius in 1977, starred in the medieval-set series Cadfael, played The Master in Doctor Who, is the narrator of In the Night Garden and scored a surprise hit with Last Tango in Halifax.

Career: Biggins made his TV debut in a 1971 episode of sitcom Doctor at Large, and has been making audiences laugh ever since. There have been forays into drama with the likes of I, Claudius, The Duchess of Duke Street, Poldark and Upstairs, Downstairs, but his gregarious nature has been put to good use in a variety of comedies. Among his most famous projects are Porridge, Rentaghost, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Cluedo and Psychoville. He was also a co-host on Cilla Black's Surprise Surprise. Biggins won the 2007 series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! His most recent big-screen credit is the critically panned Britflick Run For Your Wife, and he continues to appear on stage in both plays and panto.