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: Connolly bought a banjo and formed a folk group, the Humblebums, which also included future music star Gerry Rafferty. Their success enabled him to quit his day job. Tours, a Royal Command Performance and two albums followed. The band split when Connolly's jokes between songs started taking over the act and he set out on his own in 1971. By 1975, when he first appeared on the Michael Parkinson chat show, he was a household name. Since then, he's gained fans across the globe thanks to a number of successful stand-up tours. Away from comedy, he's written plays and acted, appearing in numerous films including Mrs Brown, Still Crazy, Quartet and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. He has also fronted a number of TV travelogues, such as World Tour of Scotland, Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia, and Billy Connolly's Route 66. In 2013, he was successfully treated for prostate cancer and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.