Lionel Jeffries, whose credits include well-loved films such as The Railway Children and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, has died. The Rada-trained star, who was associated with a number of children’s classics, was 83.
A spokeswoman for his agent, the Liz Hobbs Group, said on Friday: “We can confirm he did pass away this morning. It was following a long illness.”
Among his many achievements, Jeffries not only directed but scripted The Railway Children. His four other directing credits included The Amazing Mr Blunden, a version of The Water Babies and the Womble movie Wombling Free.
However his on-screen appearances were much more plentiful than his career behind the camera. Jeffries clocked up roles in dozens of films when the British film industry was flourishing with movies such as First Men In The Moon, Camelot and his performance as Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
During the 1980s and 1990s, he made many TV appearances with guest appearances in shows such as Minder, Inspector Morse, Boon and Lovejoy. One of his longer fixtures was portraying Grandad in the children’s TV series Woof! in 1993.
Copyright © 2010 The Press Association.
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