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Walter Sparrow

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Walter Leonard Sparrow (22 January 1927 – 31 May 2000) was an English film and television actor best known for his appearance as Duncan in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner.

Born in Eltham, London in 1927, Sparrow began his career as a stand-up comic before moving to acting with a period with the Royal Shakespeare Company. His first film role was in 1964, in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, with Christopher Lee. Subsequent films, interspersed between countless TV appearances, included the 1969 sex fantasy Zeta One, Young Sherlock Holmes, and the acclaimed 1988 film The Accidental Tourist starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis.

His career enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s, with Sparrow playing key roles in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves as the blinded retainer Duncan, 1993's The Secret Garden as gruff gardener Ben Weatherstaff, and the 1995 American coming-of-age film Now and Then as tragic drifter 'Crazy Pete'. In 1998 he starred in Tony Harrison's film Prometheus.

He received positive notice for his role in television serial The Mind of the Enemy (1965).[1]

Sparrow's even more prolific TV appearances included regular roles in the soap opera Emmerdale Farm, as three different minor characters in 1980, 1987 and 1993, and the comedy Paris, and guest spots on Hugh and I, Adam Adamant Lives!, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Z-Cars, The Onedin Line, All Creatures Great and Small, Alas Smith and Jones, Rumpole of the Bailey, One Foot in the Grave, Ernie in Birds of a Feather, and The Bill among many others.

Sparrow is also well known for playing Maurice, a peasant who was threatened to be shipped to the Americas, in the 1998 Cinderella remake Ever After.

One of his more notable guest appearances was in the 1989 episode Danger UXD of the sitcom Only Fools and Horses, which had 16.1 million viewers, as sex shop owner Dirty Barry.[2] His last appearance was in 2000 in an episode of the BBC's medical drama series Doctors.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1963 A Stitch in Time Gardener Uncredited
1965 Dr. Terror's House of Horrors Second Ambulance Man (segment "Disembodied Hand"), Uncredited
1965 City Under the Sea Second Fisherman Uncredited
1969 Zeta One Stage Manager
1969 The Champions George Whetlor Episode: "The Night People"
1970 Cool It Carol! Cameraman
1975 The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother Henchman Uncredited
1978 The Famous Five Salomon "Sully" Weston Episode: "Five Get Into Trouble": Part 1 & 2
1978 Rumpole of the Bailey Harry Harris Episode: Runpole and the Learned Friends
1983 Give Us a Break Alan Clegg Episode: Heaven Sent
1985 Young Sherlock Holmes Ethan Engel
1988 The Accidental Tourist Hot Dog Vendor
1990 I Hired a Contract Killer Hotel Porter
1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Duncan
1991 Let Him Have It Nightwatchman
1993 The Secret Garden Ben Weatherstaff
1993 U.F.O. Fred Paxford
1994 Don't Get Me Started Nurse Uncredited
1994 Dirtysomething (1994 film) Bill
1995 Now and Then Crazy Pete
1995 The Famous Five Finniston Farm Grandad Episode: "Five on Finniston Farm"
1996 Jane Eyre Lord Eshton
1997 The Woodlanders Old Creedle
1998 Ever After Maurice
1998 Prometheus Grandad
1999 Treasure Island Ben Gunn
1999 Simon Magus Benjamin

References

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  1. ^ Norris, Marjorie. "Impossible for the newcomer to make head or tail of it". The Stage and Television Today. Iss. 4394, (Jul 1, 1965): 12. Via Proquest.
  2. ^ Martland, John. Obituary. The Stage. 6 July 2000
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