The 61-year-old has played the loveable policeman Robbie Lewis for more than quarter of a century but announced last year he would be taking time out from the successful detective show. Despite reservations Kevin has returned for another series, here he is pictured with Laurence Fox Try as he might, Kevin Whately can't escape from Inspector Robert Lewis. Six years after the Inspector's fictional end and four since the tragic death of John Thaw from cancer, Sergeant Lewis has been promoted to Detective Inspector - and Kevin Whately promoted to. who died from throat cancer in 2002. For a free trial, go to Audible.com/Masterpiece. This left him with a slight limp that is noticeable in some scenes of the Inspector Morse series. . Jace: Unlike the end of Morse its a far happier ending for Robbie Lewis here as he sets off with Laura for a 6 month trip to New Zealand. Laurence and I see each other regularly now and talk on the phone, and its never goodbye, so in that way its not a sad occasion at all, I dont think. Carrying Lewis as its lead opposite Laurence Fox's Hathaway has made him realise exactly how hard Thaw worked. Though this is not the first time that weve said goodbye to Inspector Robbie Lewis, actor Kevin Whately insists that, this time, the beloved character is leaving the screen for good. So in that sense we are not always together. Jace: The summer of mysteries may be over, but on Sunday, September 11th at 8 pm,MASTERPIECEreturns in full force with the two-hour historical drama Churchills Secret. There are lots of talented actors around without work, simply because at any one time, there are only jobs for about twenty per cent of them. But the producers of Morse took me out to lunch and said, Were not going to leave you alone; youd better have a go at it and if its laughed out of court we wont bother you again. Lewis was first screened in 2006 and attracted record ratings. His mother Dorothy (Dolly) walked out on the family when he was 7 years old. Jace: It does beg the question, because he is so infamous for his running gags, what was his gag with you? So we might have run it a bit longer than it shouldve done, but it felt about right 10 years to finish. Hobson: No this is a social call, Im having a party. But I haven't been in that position for a long time now. 20 Years On, Clare Holman Still Delivers Sass and Science. After a Christmas in London four years ago, when Mrs Whately attempted to walk home, forgetting she was 300 miles from her beloved Northumberland, her deterioration became apparent. Some 700,000 people suffer from dementia, and one in three people die with it. Kevin: Yeah, I just thought that a woman would be more interesting and then maybe a Muslim as well because that was was starting to hit the headlines and I thought it would give us a lot of story potential story lines, but theyd already decided at ITV that they wanted a sort of young Morse prototype. It does resolve itself at the end of the films. Jace: So those little those little butterfly bandages are not just for show then maybe? You would be surprised how many people don't drink now. I wake up fresh and stay fresh till the end of the day. I am talking about it because I think it is really important that we improve the research and treatment of Alzheimer's.". There is no such happy ending in The Children. In this episode, Kevin Whately reminisces about playing Robbie Lewis for the past 30 years, and recalls the dramatic series finalebombs, goodbyes, and all. In 1980 he met his wife when they were performing in a production of 'A Nightingale in Berkley Square'. Difficult to film in a big public place like that, to try and get some subtlety into the into the scene. The mezzo-soprano, daughter of North East actors Kevin Whately and Madelaine Newton, . Kevin Whately How tall, Weight & Measurements At 70 years of age. Kevin: Yeah. commemorating one of Britain's greatest mezzo-sopranos who died of cancer in 1953, aged just 41. . Jace: What was it like filming this final scene for the series in which theres so much left unsaid between the two men? He began at the age of eleven performing in school plays. Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox. Jace: Why was Lewis so torn between going with Laura to New Zealand and staying? 'He ran between two cars that were parked on the side of the road. I thought I ought to so youve asked the right question. He returned for the final episode in 2000, in which Morse was killed off. 'And Anna (Madeley) was a screen virgin who obviously felt nervous about her first ever sex scene on TV. (Photo by Gareth Davies/Getty Images). "Of Morse, and of John.". Princess Diana's nieces Lady Eliza and Amelia share Fabulous in fuchsia! Sign up to get the latest news on your favorite dramas and mysteries, as well as exclusive content, video, sweepstakes and more. Were coming at it from a different angle now; Lewis is retired and Hathaways been promoted to Inspector. His wife is Madelaine Newton (m. 1984) Kevin Whately Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2020-2021. Who Is Kevin Whately's Wife? I know you should never say never, but I dont think Ill be appearing as Lewis again, he said at the time. When asked by an interviewer if he would continue playing older characters he tapped his packet of cigarettes and replied, "No, I'll be dead. Jace: One of the most surprising developments over the last few seasons was Robbie and Laura falling in love. Supposing he had just retired and gone to live in Lyme Regis. Another factor in the series conclusion: Lewis, the character, was getting on in years, and Whately, who is 65, said he didnt want to be a 70-year-old policeman, especially since British police generally retire at 55. So why was being grilled about her books on Mastermind so Why should I be asked to tip when I shop online? New kid on the block: Lewis and his new sidekick James Hathaway, played by Laurence Fox. When I met Sheila I wasn't consciously looking for anything in particular. Jace: And that final episode of Lewis features, as you mentioned earlier, a quite spectacular explosion, which is a real rarity for the show. "She was all over him like a rash," Whately laughs. Mum is now very well looked after in a home, but the situation did put a heavy strain on Madelaine and my family before she went there. You've got to have a solid foundation and mutual respect. Isnt that strange? Sheila and I have had our ups and downs. Me, not so much. Age is the greatest risk factor; one in 50 people aged between 65 and 70 have dementia, compared with one in 5 above the age of 80. I was about six months away from finishing and was worried I wouldnt be able to leave but my boss said, If I had my time again I wouldnt be doing this; off you go., So what about Lewis? I didnt want him to die. "I never got classical music though, till John would play it.". She was always great fun on set as well, and made a real character out of Laura and a believable one. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. "Hathaway is a great character - he's really an embryonic Morse. For more information on Alzheimer's, visit www.alzheimers.org.uk, Inspector Morse actor Kevin Whately, pictured in 1996 with his mother Mary, who is now in a home and suffering from dementia, The irresistible Manchester United bandwagon keeps on rolling, Matt Hancock sent me menacing message after I leaked WhatsApps, says Isabel Oakeshott, Liverpool seniors step up with top-four finish now firmly in their sights, Low-energy Tottenham set for another season without silverware, Arsenal go five points clear of Man City now the title race really begins, Grimsby scale new post-war heights as they sink Southampton to reach FA Cup quarters. You think suddenly of a touching scene from the Lewis pilot Lewis watches a girl take a music exam after noticing a sign pointing to the examination room announcing The Endeavour Music Prize. are kevin whately and laurence fox friendsNitro Acoustic. I'm getting to the point where I have done it now. 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Im police retirement age, and Im sure Lewis would be thinking about that or would be kicked out anyway.. 'His death has left television with a major problem - they simply haven't found anybody to take his place.'. But then, at twenty-two I was in my first TV series Redcap. I've seen too much of what it can do to girls to want my daughter to be any part of it. In 2000 Thaw predicted he would die from his heavy smoking habit. In June 2001, he was treated for cancer of the oesophagus. I have no memory of of finishing at all. Although audiences will no doubt clamor for more, Kevin Whately is gladly saying farewell to Inspector Robbie Lewis, the character he has been playing for almost 30 years on the public television series,Inspector Morse, and its offshoot, Inspector Lewis. "And I found that moment very moving", Celeb obsessed? His favourite episodes of his television series Inspector Morse were. Kevin developed a taste for showbiz as a child, when inspired by their mother, an opera singer and former pupil of the Royal College of Music he and his siblings would perform plays in the garage. Kevin: I would always miss it, but I live quite near it 30 miles away so I get to go over there quite regularly. This article about a television actor is a stub. What was it like shooting that particular scene in which Lewis says goodbye to his mentor? Coronavirus: Keech Hospice pleads for donations. Jace: This week we are joined by Kevin Whately. That's what kept us together. Jace: How much of a formative moment was the hit and run death of his wife, Valerie? But, I think basically, hes as diligent and honest, and pretty much the same character as he was 30 years ago. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Born February 6, 1951 Add to list Awards 1 win How? He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1993 Queen's New Year Honours List for his services to drama. Released August 21, 2016July 9, 2019--:--. The executive producer ofMASTERPIECEis Rebecca Eaton. Simon Callow and Helen Baxendale also guest starred in this 2009 episode. There are more episodes to film once the students have left Oxford in the summer. Kevin Whately height is 180 cm . Northern Ireland-born Miss Burton was accused of having an affair with fellow actor Kevin Whately in 1993 when they both appeared in Peak Practice. It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't actually know what it's like. These days, the caring Kevin and Madelaine love to look after their first grandchild, Ivy, who was born in December 2006 to their daughter Kitty, 25, and her partner Ben. Please subscribe to to my website. Is it the juxtaposition of Geordies straightforwardness with lofty intellectualism? "And I hate anything with 'celebrity' in the title, where people are playing to the cameras all the time." are kevin whately and laurence fox friends | February 26 / 2023 | alastair atchison pilotalastair atchison pilot Hanging on to John Thaws shirttails would have been just as popular, he said. Jace: Its a brilliant call back to the pilot episode that Hathaway turns up to drive Robbie and Laura to the airport, complete with his Lewis sign and . Im really sorry. I like Sheila, I respect her, and I know its vice-versa. Their TV profiles started to change when Kevin found fame as Neville Hope in comedy drama series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, in the Eighties, and shifted further when he starred as Sergeant Lewis in ITV's Morse. In one of them he appeared as Mistress Quickly in "Henry V.". Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. My name was above the title. Follow. Thats time to quit. I like doing it as a job, but Im not driven to play Hamlet or King Lear any more.. Kevin: It was. His first stage role was at Green End Junior School in Manchester, England as Uncle Joseph, the leading part in "Where the Rainbow Ends" (1953). Kevin: Yeah. However, you have to make such scenes look convincing. Jace: Now, Clare Holman joined the Morse universe in 1995 at the start of the specials as pathologist Laura Hobson. Jace: Youve been very outspoken about your desire for a break from Lewis. Queen Letizia of Spain is polished in a recycled Reiss skirt as she joins King Felipe VI at Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! Madelaine has been a great support for Kevin, as he has dealt with the deteriorating health of his mother, Mary, 82, a victim of Alzheimer's disease. Since the diagnosis, Kevin and his brother and sisters have watched helplessly as the disease has taken its cruel toll. [3] Lewis: Yeah I know. But again, a very loyal friend, hugely talented. I get to work with some of the finest actors around. You had a drink, someone might drop by and offer you a voiceover. Then, the Monday following the films premiere, actor Sir Michael Gambon who plays powerful Prime Minister Winston Churchill and powerful wizard Albus Dumbledore, sits down with us here onMASTERPIECEStudio. Jace: The final shot of the series is Hathaway turning and walking away alone. A memorial service was held for him at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London on 4 September 2002. 'Ivy has made me feel younger, she's put me back in touch with my youth!'. What has it been like working with Clare? Your learn that at the end of the day, there are more important things in life, such as the people you love. I didnt have any big plans I just wanted a year off to play golf and be with my children and granddaughter, adds the father-of-two his daughter Kitty, 31, is an opera singer and mother of his adored seven-year-old granddaughter Evie, while his son Kieran, 29, works in a bakery near their Woburn home. Who knows why people fall in love? The actor has on and off been trying to give up the role for nearly 20 years. I just enjoy the moment. Gone. He does end up with a new wife, with a new chapter to his life, and I thought that was a fitting way to distinguish the ending as being different from that of Morse. And what did he acknowledge by finally turning up? I mean when we began Lewis, I was slightly concerned that they wanted to turn him into another Morse; they killed off his wife and made him a bit of a lonely, glum character. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Whately, who is happily now spending time with a new granddaughter, gardening, and working on charity activities for disabled children and Alzheimers disease, said he would start pestering his agent again from Christmas onwards about new work. I thought whoever said about me waiting until I was forty was wrong. Drinking was very much a way of life. Close bond: Kevin with his mother Mary in 1996 as he received an honorary degree 'It helps her to remember and gives us something to talk about, because otherwise the conversation can go round in. He and Sheila Hancock married at Cirencester registry office on Christmas Eve. - IMDb Mini Biography By: ", * To enter the ballot to run in the Bupa Great North Run, with proceeds to the Alzheimer's Society, click here. We worked on it ten years and think thats enough, he said. But when I got to the the audition John was there with his amazing blue, gimlet eyes staring across the room at me, watching me, and not saying much. Although Kevin loves sitting down and watching a DVD with Ivy, he won't be letting her anywhere near The Children. But in a way I think it is a good thing he died rather than driving off into the Oxford sunset. ", Other days are better: "Sometimes, she still calls me our Kev. It was the start of their careers - Geordies Tim Healy, Jimmy Nail and Kevin Whately joined Timothy Spall, Gary Holton, Pat Roach and Christopher Fairbank to play Dennis, Oz, Neville, Barry, Wayne . Wont they? And and asked if they could get together, and so I was glad when they did, and then youre exploring a slightly different relationship. I suppose it might have ended if Laurence had got a job in America but he didnt go in the end because his wife Billie Piper won a role at the National Theatre so they all stayed at home.. There are more of them for a start, and far fewer parts to go round. Being a grandparent is whole new phase in your life.". I mean originally, I think, in 1988 after Id done two years in Morse and I thought, Ah! But before we say our final farewells, Kevin Whately joins us to look back on his incredible 30 year career as Robbie Lewis the once second banana turned leading detective and star. And if son Kieran - now a 23-year-old Bedfordshire-based builder - led a charmed existence when he was younger, then so too did his father's marriage. So thats my main memory of that, because it wasnt the last scene we shot obviously; it was in the middle of the shoot so after that we sort of celebrated and and sent it up a bit. Did you have any inkling that this would be the start of a 30 year run as this character? Who Is Kevin Whately's Wife? Im pretty sure they wont spin Hathaway off; I hope theyll find something totally different for Laurence to do in his own series, but well see what happens. But he never f***ed up on camera, never ever.". But at least we can share the problems and understand the pressures and the demands it makes on you. "And he looks extraordinarily good on camera. ', Loose Women's Jane Moore halts proceedings to break news of 'special' shake-up on ITV show, Hosting Wednesday's Loose Women,. A Flying Squad officer said to me once, 'Sometimes it takes us three days to get a man to admit his own name, whereas you solve a case in sixty minutes.' If you fundamentally disagree, then when the initial romance goes, you've nothing to replace it with. But then, as times gone on, theyve come to appreciate us again, I think. Jace: But Inspector Lewis did work and the show ended up running for five more seasons before it was rumored that the sixth season would mark Lewiss retirement from the screen. Remains of baby found in search for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon's newborn child, Met Police say, A police detective announced the news on Wednesday evening and assured the public 'we will do everything we possibly can to establish what has happened. MASTERPIECEStudio is brought to you by Audible. But the new series focuses more on Lewis and his sidekick Hathaway, but inevitably refers to one of Britain's most cherished characters. Here are the seven best ways to wear them this spring. Doesnt mean that you cant Lewis stars Laurence Fox and Kevin Whately reunited last night. [1] [2] Since 1984 she has been married to actor Kevin Whately, known for his role as Robert "Robbie" Lewis in both Inspector Morse and its spin-off Lewis. Subscribing to this website can be done in two ways. He had an ambition to play Iago in 'Othello'. She really hates it, but it didnt bother me. So, how much is Kevin Whately worth at the age of 70 years old? 'To this day, we don't know what stopped him - we thought we were going to lose him, he seemed so oblivious to the traffic. He was the working class boy from Manchester whose intensity and natural honesty made him British television's most bankable actor. I decided boozing wasn't good for me and particularly some mornings if you had too much the night before. Probably time to go and do something else.. "I miss him, of course," Whately says, looking off into the middle distance. Theater of popular music. He's been a TV star for 35 years and struggled to make it - but Kevin Whately insists it is much harder for young working class actors to get started today. When I saw him (Morse) dead I had a mental flashback of the fifteen years that we had been doing it. He lived quietly in an 18th century manor house in Wiltshire, England. Laurence is exactly the other extreme: very self-assured, incredibly bright, and could keep a running gag going with every single member of the crew. He smiles. Kevin: Just, hours and hours, often if the best days were if it was pouring with rain and we couldnt work. Kevin Whately's income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. Kevin: We were in the studio, and I think the whole day had sort of built towards it, again because for some of the crew it was 28 years of work, for me it was 30 years of work finishing. Jace: Looking back, how has Robbie Lewis evolved since you first started playing him 30 years ago? Housman, but I can't do crosswords. TIRED and a bit crumpled, but glowing with a very particular kind of joy - Kevin Whately has new grandparent written all over him. Actors always bump into each other again. He smiles. 'I may be shy - which makes filming a scene like this even more difficult - but Cameron has lots of self-confidence and is clearly a bit of a lad. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. 'Ivy is a ray of sunshine who almost never cries,' he grins. Were the boring centre doing all the routine stuff while they have lots of fun being the red herrings., Thats why the two leads insisted on a bit more grit before they came back. When he died at the age of 60, the BBC website was inundated with tributes from the viewing public. Having hit 65, I dont want to work myself to death, which I think is what John Thaw did. The marriage also survived a reported affair in the Nineties, between Kevin and Amanda Burton, when they filmed the ITV medical drama Peak Practice together in Derbyshire. Browse more videos. His "Inspector Morse" co-star Kevin Whately simply described him as the country's finest screen actor. In the final series of Morse in 2000, Thaw played a dying man as heart problems exacerbated by heavy drinking took their toll. And I said to Clare, We should practice the kiss in the caravan, but she wasnt having any of that so. Oscar Cainer tells all. Kevin Whately Birth Name: Kevin George Edward Whately Occupation: TV Actor Born In: Humshaugh, Hexham, Northumberland, England, UK Birthdate: February 6, 1951 Age: 72 years old (as of 2023) Ethnicity: White Nationality: British Sexuality: Straight Kevin Whately was born on the 6th of February, 1951. Ive done 3 long running series now, and I always think youre cheating a bit to suddenly bring some very different characteristic in. He was accepted by RADA in 1958 when he was two years underage. He was also a favourite of film director Richard Attenborough, who cast him in Cry Freedom (1987) and Chaplin (1992).John Thaw was a quiet, private man. 'She lights up our lives and we've been fortunate to see plenty of her since she was born. It was something hed done with Dennis Waterman [in The Sweeney] and it meant we were always together, chewing the fat and maybe running scenes together. We don't live in each others pockets. Mariella Frostrup: I was widely mocked for putting sex with my husband in the diary. [1][2] Since 1984 she has been married to actor Kevin Whately, known for his role as Robert "Robbie" Lewis in both Inspector Morse and its spin-off Lewis.

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