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Ballard Blascheck (6 August 1904 – 16 January 1988), known professionally as Ballard Berkeley, was an English actor of stage and screen. He is best remembered for playing Major Gowen in the British television sitcom Fawlty Towers.
Ballard Berkeley (1904-1988) was a British actor who appeared in many stage and TV shows, including "Fawlty Towers" as Major Gowen. He also replaced Norman Shelley as Colonel Freddy Danby in the radio series "The Archers".
- January 1, 1
- Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK
- January 1, 1
- Westminster, London, England, UK
Aug 9, 2021 · Ballard Berkeley was a British actor who appeared in Fawlty Towers, Stage Fright, and National Lampoon's European Vacation. He passed away in 1988 and would have been 117 on August 9, 2021.
Ballard Berkeley was a British actor who appeared in stage, film and TV. He was known for his roles in "Fawlty Towers", "Command Room" and "The Archers".
- August 6, 1904
- January 16, 1988
- Overview
- Life and career
- References
Ballard Blascheck, known professionally as Ballard Berkeley, was an English actor of stage and screen.
He is perhaps best known for playing Major Gowen in the British television sitcom, Fawlty Towers.
Ballard Berkeley was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent on 6th August 1904. He was the son of Joseph and Beatrice Blascheck.
He served as a Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police during the Second World War, witnessing the Blitz at first hand including the bombing of the Café de Paris nightclub in London. For his service he received the Defence Medal and the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal.
Berkeley played the role of the bumbling Major Gowen in the BBC TV comedy Fawlty Towers. He had played a similar role in 1969 in the legal drama The Main Chance. He portrayed another retired military man (Colonel Freddie Danby) in BBC Radio 4's The Archers, taking over the role from Norman Shelley.
Berkeley later performed the role of Winston – a similar character to "The Major" – in the radio comedy Wrinkles by Doug Naylor and Rob Grant. He played Badedas the Blue, a wizard in the radio comedy series Hordes of the Things. His last role was in 1987 as the Head of the Army in the animated film version of Roald Dahl's The BFG which was released two years later.
•Profile, timeout.com/london; accessed 30 August 2014.
Ballard Berkeley made his professional stage debut in 1928, and performed for many years in London's West End and in New York theatres. He is best remembered as Major Gowen in the British television series "Fawlty Towers" (1975).
Feb 2, 2024 · He was portrayed by the actor Ballard Berkeley, who appeared in many films and shows throughout his lengthy career including The BFG. In 1988, Ballard died aged 83.
