British Actor Anton Rodgers, Passes On at the Age of 74
Beloved British actor Anton Rodgers entertained generations on both the stage and screen as often charming, though never the leading man type characters. He was perhaps best known for his television work in BBC sitcoms like May to December and Fresh Fields. He also performed for several years on the stage in such roles as Mr. Jingle in the musical Pickwick in the West End and Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium.
He was born in Wisbech, Cabridgeshire in 1933 and attended the Italia Conti acting school and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He married actress Elizabeth Garvie and later shared the small screen with her in Something in Disguise.
I, however, remember Anton fondly as the beloved Tom Jenkins in my father’s (and now our entire family’s) favorite adaptation of Dicken’s The Christmas Carol. The version, titled Scrooge, has excellent songs – one of the most memorable is the number sung by Anton. Below is that clip of Anton and the song.
Good bye Mr. Anton Rodgers. You will be missed this holiday season!
Read Anton Rodger’s life story and memorial on the Times Online.
