Tony Britton

Anthony Edward Lowry "Tony" Britton (born 9 June 1924) is an English actor. He is the father of presenter Fern Britton, scriptwriter Cherry Britton and actor Jasper Britton.

Life and career

Britton was born above the Trocadero public house in Temple Street, Birmingham, England, the son of Doris Marguerite (née Jones) and Edward Leslie Britton. He attended Edgbaston Collegiate School, Birmingham and Thornbury Grammar School, Gloucestershire. During World War II he served in the Army and he also worked for an estate agents and in an aircraft factory. He joined an amateur dramatics group in Weston-super-Mare and then turned professional, appearing on stage at the Old Vic and with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

He has appeared in numerous British films from the 1950s onwards, including such classics as Operation Amsterdam (1959), Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) and The Day of the Jackal (1973). Britton won the Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actor in 1975 for The Nearly Man.

From 1983 to 1990, he starred with Nigel Havers and Dinah Sheridan in the BBC sitcom, Don't Wait Up. His other sitcoms appearances include ...And Mother Makes Five and Robin's Nest.

Britton has married twice. First to Ruth Britton (née Hawkins). They had two children, scriptwriter Cherry Britton and TV presenter Fern Britton. Cherry is married to children's TV presenter......
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