Born:
June 06, 1918
in
London
Best Known For:
Being a member of the Carry On team.
Early-life:
Born in London on June 6, 1918, his father was a naval petty officer who organised concert parties. Kenneth made his stage debut at the age of two as an organ-grinder's monkey in one of his father's shows, and by the age of 11 was performing in revues as a solo act and a doubles act with his brother. He studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama and made his professional debut on the stage in The Boy David in 1936.
Career:
During the Second World War, Connor served as an infantry gunner with the Middlesex Regiment but continued acting with the Stars in Battledress concert party and ENSA. After the war, he joined the newly formed Bristol Old Vic before moving on to the London Old Vic Company. He found his greatest successes in comedy. He took over from Peter Sellers in the radio show Ray's a Laugh and made occasional appearances on The Goon Show when one of the regular cast members was ill. His first major role on the big screen came when he was cast in the first Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant (1958). He went on to become a regular in the Carry On series, appearing in 18 Carry On films. Connor was also notable for his many TV roles, which included parts in Rentaghost, Hi-de-Hi! and ‘Allo ‘Allo. He died on November 28, 1993 at the age of 75.
Quote:
'I have a need to balance comedy with drama.'
Trivia:
Connor was awarded an MBE in 1991 for services to drama.