Bill Wallis

November 20, 1936 (age 76)

Farnham, Waverley, United Kingdom

He gained a State Scholarship to Street John"s College, Cambridge, and while at Cambridge University met Peter Cook and David Frost. When Cook and the team took Beyond the Fringe to Broadway, Wallis took over the roles played by Alan Bennett. In 1988 he appeared as Gestapo-man Werner Beck in award-winning War and Remembrance. He also appeared briefly in the first episode of Independent Television"s Midsomer Murders, apparently driving a Morgan sports car. In fact this was pushed by other cast members, as he did not hold a driving licence. He appeared in Not Only. But Also with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, alongside comic actors John Wells and Joe Melia, singing the comic song "Alan a" Dale," which students of the absurdist strand of British humour such as Monty Python will recognise. He appeared in the original London cast of the unsuccessful Andrew Lloyd Webber/Alan Ayckbourn musical Jeeves in 1975. He presented and narrated a semi-dramatised documentary titled "A Pleasant Terror" on the life and works of M. R. James, broadcast by Independent Television in December 1995. Some of his most frequent appearances were on British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4 for The Afternoon Play and the Classic Serial, but he was also in the cast of the long-running sketch show Week Ending, and in the first episode of The Hitchhiker"s Guide to the Galaxy in 1978, originating the roles of Mr. Prosser and Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz. He reprised the latter in the second episode and in one episode of the second series. However, due to unavailability, the roles of Jeltz and (briefly) Prosser were taken over by Toby Longworth. He played Winston Hayballs in Peter Tinniswood"s Winston series. He also featured as the third party in the "..is approached by Ivor Cutler" series of short humorous pieces, including playing the Miner, the Farmer and the Sheet Metal Worker". His film appearances include The Romantic Englishwoman (1975), The Orchard End Murder (1980), Brazil (1985), The Whistle Blower (1986), The Fool (1990), Splitting Heirs (1993), Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). He suffered from multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer, but was able to continue performing in audio and radio work. Wallis died on 6 September 2013.

Bill Wallis

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stage actor

Education

He attended Farnham Grammar School from 1948 to 1955, where he was head boy.

Career

He gained a State Scholarship to Street John"s College, Cambridge, and while at Cambridge University met Peter Cook and David Frost. When Cook and the team took Beyond the Fringe to Broadway, Wallis took over the roles played by Alan Bennett. In 1988 he appeared as Gestapo-man Werner Beck in award-winning War and Remembrance.

He also appeared briefly in the first episode of Independent Television"s Midsomer Murders, apparently driving a Morgan sports car.

In fact this was pushed by other cast members, as he did not hold a driving licence. He appeared in Not Only.

But Also with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, alongside comic actors John Wells and Joe Melia, singing the comic song "Alan a" Dale," which students of the absurdist strand of British humour such as Monty Python will recognise. He appeared in the original London cast of the unsuccessful Andrew Lloyd Webber/Alan Ayckbourn musical Jeeves in 1975.

He presented and narrated a semi-dramatised documentary titled "A Pleasant Terror" on the life and works of M. R. James, broadcast by Independent Television in December 1995.

Some of his most frequent appearances were on British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4 for The Afternoon Play and the Classic Serial, but he was also in the cast of the long-running sketch show Week Ending, and in the first episode of The Hitchhiker"s Guide to the Galaxy in 1978, originating the roles of Mr. Prosser and Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz. He reprised the latter in the second episode and in one episode of the second series.

However, due to unavailability, the roles of Jeltz and (briefly) Prosser were taken over by Toby Longworth.

He played Winston Hayballs in Peter Tinniswood"s Winston series. He also featured as the third party in the "..is approached by Ivor Cutler" series of short humorous pieces, including playing the Miner, the Farmer and the Sheet Metal Worker".

His film appearances include The Romantic Englishwoman (1975), The Orchard End Murder (1980), Brazil (1985), The Whistle Blower (1986), The Fool (1990), Splitting Heirs (1993), Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). He suffered from multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer, but was able to continue performing in audio and radio work.

Wallis died on 6 September 2013.

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Bill Wallis

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