Bernard Bresslaw (born Stepney, London, February 25, 1934 - Enfield, June 11, 1993) was an English actor. He is best known for his comedy work, especially as a member of the Carry On team.
His father was a tailor's cutter and he became interested in acting after visits to the Hackney Empire. London County Council awarded him a scholarship to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he won the Emile Littler award as the most promising actor. After Educating Archie on radio and The Army Game on television, more television, film and Shakespearean theatre roles followed, until his big break when he was cast in Carry on Cowboy in 1965.
Bresslaw's catchphrase, in his strong Cockney accent, was 'I only arsked' (sic), first used in The Army Game, and later revived in Carry On Camping (1969). He was a very tall man, exactly 6' 7.5" (2.01 m), the biggest of the Carry On team, head-and-shoulders over fellow Carry On regular, Barbara Windsor, who is 4'10" (1.47 m). Because of his height he was briefly considered for the part of the Creature in Hammer's Curse of Frankenstein, which ultimately (and famously) went instead to 6'4" Christopher Lee. Bresslaw later made a comedy version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for Hammer titled The Ugly Duckling. He made great efforts to follow up any role, learning a genuine African language for Carry on Up the Jungle. He died after collapsing in his dressing room at the Open Air Theatre in Regents Park, London, where he was to play Grumio in the New Shakespeare Company's production of Taming of the Shrew, the day after the death of fellow comedy performer Les Dawson. He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium where his ashes are buried.
Bresslaw performed with the Young Vic Theatre Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. One of his last stage performances was as Malvolio in "Twelfth Night" at the Regent's Park open air Theatre, (1990) where he demonstrated the fine line between pathos and comedy to perfection
His song "You Need Feet" (a parody of "You Need Hands" by Max Bygraves) was used in The Rutles' TV special, accompanying the Yoko Ono film parody "A Thousand Feet of Film", but was cut from the syndicated version and the original DVD release, but was restored for subsequent versions.
Bernard, together with Miriam Margolyes, appeared with English comedienne Maureen Lipman in a series of BT (British Telecom) adverts in the late 1980s. Bresslaw and Margoyles played Gerald and Dolly, a nervous couple who drop in on Lipman's character Beattie and her husband Harry unannounced.
He was married to dancer Betty Wright from 1959 until his death, and they had three sons (James, Mark and Jonathon).
