One Foot in the Grave - The Wisdom of the Witch - 9:00 pm Sunday, December 28 on BBC Four

Richard Wilson (Actor) .. Victor Meldrew

Born: July 09, 1937 in Greenock, Renfrewshire

Best Known For: His role as acerbic pensioner Victor Meldrew.

Early-life: Iain Richard Wilson was born on July 9, 1936, in Greenock, Renfrewshire. He has an older sister called Moira. His father worked in the shipyards and was an elder in the Presbyterian Church. Wilson claims to have been teased at school due to his slight frame. On leaving school, Wilson became a hospital laboratory technician, did National Service and eventually got into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) at the age of 27. After graduating, he concentrated largely on theatre work.

Career: Wilson has film credits, sitcoms and top dramas to his name. Only When I Laugh, Tutti Frutti and A Passage to India are among them, but it is probably for the character of Victor Meldrew in One Foot in the Grave that he will be best remembered. The series was written with him in mind by David Renwick, though Wilson turned it down at first, believing he was too young to play a retired man. Luckily, he changed his mind and a TV legend was born. Since then he's appeared in such projects as Born and Bred, Doctor Who, and he had a regular role in BBC hit Merlin. Away from the small screen, he continues to direct plays and was awarded an OBE in 1994.

Quote: "I do find it quite easy to get angry, especially after a hard day. In public, you have to try and rein in your temper because people try and goad you into it."

Trivia: He lent his voice to a character in the animated film Gnomeo & Juliet.

Annette Crosbie (Actor) .. Margaret Meldrew

Born: February 12, 1934 in Gorebridge, near Edinburgh

Best Known For: Playing Victor Meldrew's wife in One Foot in the Grave.

Early-life: Born on February 12, 1934, in Gorebridge, outside Edinburgh. Her parents were strict Calvinists and did not believe in lavishing affection on their only child. She had little self-confidence and as a youngster her only friend was a Staffordshire bull terrier called Dougal. Her mother was a talented musician and wanted Crosbie to be a music teacher, but she became an actress against both her parents' wishes. "You'd have thought I'd announced I wanted to go on the streets," she remarks about their reaction to her career choice.

Career: After gaining experience with various repertory companies, Crosbie left Scotland at the age of 17 for a scholarship at the Bristol Old Vic theatre school. On graduating, she worked in London's West End. Her film debut came in 1959's The Bridal Path. She later had acclaimed TV roles in The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Edward the King. More recently she has starred in One Foot in the Grave, Doctor Finlay, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, Calendar Girls, Quite Ugly One Morning, New Tricks, Doctor Who and Little Dorrit.

Quote: "You don't really want to know about me. My dogs are far more interesting."

Trivia: Crosbie was awarded an OBE in 1998 and works tirelessly for animal rights.

Angus Deayton (Actor) .. Patrick

Born: January 06, 1956 in Surrey

Best Known For: Have I Got News For You?

Early-life: Born Gordon Angus Deayton on January 6, 1956, the youngest son of an insurance firm manager and a cookery teacher. He was raised in Caterham, Surrey. He excelled at football at school and had a trial with Crystal Palace at age 12. He studied French and German at New College, Oxford, but a showbusiness career didn't seem to be on the cards until writer Richard Curtis asked him to stand in at the last minute after someone dropped out of an Edinburgh Festival revue.

Career: Success in Australia with spoof band the Hebegeebees prompted him to concentrate on comedy. He sold a sketch to The Dick Emery Show in 1978, and in 1983 made his TV debut in The Black Adder. Other small roles followed before his show Radio Active transferred to the small screen as KYTV in 1988. Two years later he became a household name thanks to sitcom One Foot in the Grave and his role as the host of current affairs comedy quiz Have I Got News For You. He left the quiz in 2002 following accusations about his private life. Deayton also appeared in the film Elizabeth, TV shows Mr Bean, Monkey Trousers, Nighty Night and Waterloo Road, and presented Hell's Kitchen, Bognor or Bust and Stick to What You Know.

Quote: "When one door closes, another one falls on top of you."

Trivia: In BBC Two's World's Most Dangerous Roads, Deayton drove with Mariella Frostrup along the east coast of Madagascar.

Janine Duvitski (Actor) .. Pippa

Best Known For: Waiting for God, One Foot in the Grave and Benidorm.

Early-life: Born Christine Janine Drzewicki in Morecambe in June 1952 to an English mother and a Polish father. She moved to London to train as an actor at the East 15 Acting School. Her first TV credit was an episode of Z Cars in 1972. After finishing her training and despite being in her early 20s, she landed the role of a 13-year-old girl in the 1975 BBC play Diane. Her big break came in 1977 when Mike Leigh cast her in his stage play Abigail's Party. She went on to play the same role in an abridged TV version for the BBC.

Career: Duvitski has worked steadily on TV in a number of shows, popping up in the likes of Citizen Smith, Minder, Cowboys, The New Statesman, Midsomer Murders, Foyle's War and Little Dorrit. Her face is better known to audiences as prudish assistant Jane in Waiting for God, Victor and Margaret's neighbour Pippa in One Foot in the Grave and swinger Jacqueline in Benidorm. She has also appeared on the big screen in Dracula (1979), Breaking Glass (1980) and The Madness of King George (1994).

Quote: "People really do seem to believe I'm a swinger!"

Trivia: Duvitski enjoys reading when she's not filming.

Phil Daniels (Actor) .. Melvin

Born: October 25, 1958 in London

Best Known For: Starring in cult film Quadrophenia, and EastEnders.

Early-life: Philip William Daniels was born in Islington on October 25, 1958. He and his parents survived the 1972 Eltham Well Hall rail crash. He was introduced to acting by drama teacher Anna Scher, who ran a workshop at his school. Although he only took part for a laugh, he found he really enjoyed it, and later signed up for her acting school. He began winning TV roles when he was still in his early teens, and at the age of 16 made an uncredited appearance as a waiter in Bugsy Malone.

Career: Daniels appeared in Scum and Zulu Dawn, but his biggest break came in 1979 when he landed the lead role in cult film Quadrophenia. He continued to work steadily in TV, film and theatre before a slightly lean patch hit in the early 1990s. However, in 1994 he reached a new audience by narrating Blur's hit song Parklife; he was also in demand as an actor with roles in Holding On, Still Crazy, The Long Firm and Outlaws. In 2006, he joined the cast of EastEnders as Kevin Wicks and stayed for two years. Since leaving Walford, he has competed in Strictly Come Dancing, played Granddad in the Only Fools and Horses prequel Rock and Chips, and written his autobiography.

Quote: "The worst thing you can ever be is skint and a bit famous. It's embarrassing when you're standing in line at the local dole office and someone asks for your autograph."

Trivia: He supports Chelsea FC.

Rachel Bell (Actor) .. Lorna

Joanne Engelsman (Actor) .. Christine

Bruce Byron (Actor) .. Tunstall

Peter McNally (Actor) .. Gridley

Susan Belbin (Producer)

David Renwick (Writer)

One Foot in the Grave: The Wisdom of the Witch

9:00 pm - 10:00 pm, Sunday, December 28 on BBC Four (9)

About this Broadcast

The Wisdom of the Witch
Season 5, Episode 7

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