Actors/Actresses who ended up destitute

[Moor Larkin]

name='duffy moon']Don't know if this one has already been mentioned but Barry Evans (Mulberrry Bush & Mind Your Language) springs to mind.

I think he ended up mini cabbing in Leicester and living in a rundown bungalow, sadly in which he died all alone at the age of 53.

Very sad.

I always remember him being the very good-looking doctor in the house when that series was first made. I always recall being baffled when he disappeared after the first run or two and was 'replaced' as the main character by Richard O'Sullivan......... who I note also features in this Thread.



What were the fates of the other doctors I wonder...............







Just checked and it was Robin Nedwell who took over. Mr. O'Sullivan carried on being the irritating little sneak.......

[batman]

George Layton is a writer and appears in ads for pensions!

Richard O'Sullivan had a stroke and lives in an actors retirement home.

Geoffrey Davies is still acting, mainly on stage. Last TV appearance was in Eastenders.

Ernest Clark died in 1994 aged 82. He was married to Julia Lockwood (Margaret's daughter).

Robin Nedwell died in 1999 aged 53.



Bats.

[stevie boy]

name='batman']George Layton is a writer and appears in ads for pensions!

Richard O'Sullivan had a stroke and lives in an actors retirement home.

Geoffrey Davies is still acting, mainly on stage. Last TV appearance was in Eastenders.

Ernest Clark died in 1994 aged 82. He was married to Julia Lockwood (Margaret's daughter).

Robin Nedwell died in 1999 aged 53.



Bats.

It seems that here is a curse on that TV Doctors series. Nedwell, O, Sullivan and the other poor chap whose name escapes me.



Barry Evans(I just remembered and he is mentioned on this thread)

[batman]

name='stevie boy']It seems that here is a curse on that TV Doctors series. Nedwell, O, Sullivan and the other poor chap whose name escapes me.

You mean Barry Evans .... he gets a mention further back up the thread.



Bats.

[ShirlGirl]

This is what is in IMDb about Barry Evans:



He trained for the stage at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

During his last years in Melton Mowbray, he was a taxi driver.

Grew up in an orphanage in Twickenham, England, UK.

At age 18 won a John Gielgud scholarship to the Central School of Speech and Drama.

The circumstances of his early death remain a mystery; he was found dead in his bungalow in Leicestershire, England with bottles of whiskey and aspirins nearby. A youth was charged with his murder, but acquitted on lack of evidence. A local coroner later recorded an open verdict.







As duffy moon said, he was only 53. Extremely sad.

[oxfam1uk]

This is going to sound really morbid ... but how could a coroner record an open verdict after someone had been put on trial for murder ? I think that part of the info must be wrong.

[Steve Crook]

name='oxfam1uk']This is going to sound really morbid ... but how could a coroner record an open verdict after someone had been put on trial for murder ? I think that part of the info must be wrong.

He was charged, but not put on trial. The charge was dropped when the coroner gave his verdict



Steve

[Moor Larkin]

Typical soppy British thing about being innocent until proved guilty I suppose....

[Steve Crook]

name='Moor Larkin']Typical soppy British thing about being innocent until proved guilty I suppose....

Ridiculous idea



Steve

[Dame Starry]

name='Moor Larkin']Typical soppy British thing about being innocent until proved guilty I suppose....

That is no longer relevant in this country.

You are now guilty unless you can prove beyond any doubt whatsoever that you aren't!



YDSL x.

[petandav]

Another one for the list - Hylda Baker.

She had a good long life but, I understand, spent her later years in relative poverty in a retirement home.

She died alone in Horton Hospital and only a handful of people attended her funeral.

[Shadwell]

Another would be Edward Judd, star of "The Day the Earth Caught Fire." For some reason it never seemed to work out for him. I caught the Leo MCkern interview on the extras of the DVD who said that EJ was a little insecure of his acting ability and would cover this up by being argumentitive and difficult at times. Great actor who appeared in a number of sci-fi films in the sixties. As to whether he's alive or dead, well that one still remains a mystery. Rumour has it, he's living in a nursing home but thats in another thread elsewhere in the forum....

[faginsgirl]

Oh poor Hilda Baker.........but I guess if we out live our friends thats the way it goes!

[batman]

name='Shadwell']Another would be Edward Judd, star of "The Day the Earth Caught Fire." For some reason it never seemed to work out for him. I caught the Leo MCkern interview on the extras of the DVD who said that EJ was a little insecure of his acting ability and would cover this up by being argumentitive and difficult at times. Great actor who appeared in a number of sci-fi films in the sixties. As to whether he's alive or dead, well that one still remains a mystery. Rumour has it, he's living in a nursing home but thats in another thread elsewhere in the forum....

Another member has confirmed that Eddie is alive and well. Although he never made to 'A' list, Eddie worked steadily for years. McKern's interview can be taken with a pinch of salt as he admitted he hadn't seen him since TDTECF and had only seen the 'Think Bike' ads he had done in the 70s. Since his film heyday in the 60s Eddie worked steadily on stage, TV and on radio including appearances in Coronation Street and Jack the Ripper with his good friend Michael Caine. His last screen appearance was in 1992 when he was 60.

[batman]

name='petandav']Another one for the list - Hylda Baker.

She had a good long life but, I understand, spent her later years in relative poverty in a retirement home.

She died alone in Horton Hospital and only a handful of people attended her funeral.

Hylda retired in 1981 due to her inabilty to learn lines any longer. This turned out to be the early stages of dementia and she was admitted to Horton Psychiatric Hospital and lived there till her death in 1986 aged 81. Hylda was notoriously difficult to get along with and had long been estranged from her family. She rarely had anything good to say about her colleagues (Jimmy Jewel allegedly hated her guts and vice versa) and most of her few friends pre-deceased her.



One thing that seems to be a common theme in this thread is that many people believe actors simply curl up and die when they stop working in film. Of course this is the case with some of them, but many others retire, change careers or simply work in another branch of the profession.

[dremble wedge]

Carol White ended up living in a Miami hotel room for the last few years of her life. She died in 1991 after a long struggle with drink.



Julian Upton's book 'Falling Stars' relates that she wished to be buried alongside her parents in London but no-one in her family could afford the cost of transporting her body back home. In a macabre twist her body was cremated in Miami and her ashes posted back to the UK in a parcel.

[christoph404]

Orson Welles seemed to be skint and in debt his whole life, I don't think that changed at the end. And what about Errol Flynn? I read that at the end of his career he lost what little money he had left on an aborted film project (William Tell). The stories of Marlon Brando's financial muddle at the end of his life didn't sound too healthy either, whether any of all that is true or not who knows, maybe they all had a secret bundle hidden away but simply thought it prudent to pleed poverty most of the time!

[Windthrop]

name='christoph404']Orson Welles seemed to be skint and in debt his whole life, I don't think that changed at the end. And what about Errol Flynn? I read that at the end of his career he lost what little money he had left on an aborted film project (William Tell). The stories of Marlon Brando's financial muddle at the end of his life didn't sound too healthy either, whether any of all that is true or not who knows, maybe they all had a secret bundle hidden away but simply thought it prudent to pleed poverty most of the time!

Welles lived well thanks to TV commercials and personal appearances. Flynn I think had problems because of divorces. Brando's finances have been subject to contradictory stories - some reports say he left millions.

[batman]

Flynn owned an estate in Jamaica that was worth 3 million dollars on his death in 1959. He lost all his avavilable cash on the William Tell project in 1953 but worked steadily on film and TV till his death. He also used to make money by letting people charter his yacht (inc Welles for the Lady From Shanghai, Flynn can be glimpsed in a couple of scene). He lived on his yacht and used to visit this estate whenever he could. At the very end of his life he had to sell the yacht to pay his back taxes. He died the day after he sold it.



Welles was always short of ready cash because he spent all his money on making his own films. At the end of his life he lived in a tiny apartment in LA and survived by doing those numerous ads and by making TV chat show and guest appearances.



Brando left something like 12 million dollars on his death, plus his house in Beverly Hills was worth another 10 million dollars. He was terrible in looking after his cash but huge paydays from the likes of The Score, Don Juan de Marco and The Freshman plus the sale of his island nr Tahiti left him a wealthy bloke. The muddles were caused by him leaving no proper will and having about 12 kids via several women (some legitimate, some not) and also the details of who was to get the royalties from his films and autobiography were unclear.



Sad to see his son Christian died last week.

[Moor Larkin]

name='batman'] Sad to see his son Christian died last week.

His first wife (who was a Welsh actress), and the mother of Christian, must be devastated. Last I read she had had a pretty awful life too, largely driven by her fights with Brando over their child.

Christian Brando's death probed | Reuters







Sometimes I'm glad I've been gently destitute my whole life..........