John Le Mesurier

John Le Mesurier

John Le Mesurier appeared in more than 120 films across a range of genres. He is perhaps best remembered for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in Dad’s Army. He was married three times, most notably to the actress Hattie Jacques. He died in 1983, aged 71, from a stomach haemorrhage.

About John Le Mesurier in brief

Summary John Le MesurierJohn Le Mesurier was an English actor. He appeared in more than 120 films across a range of genres. He is perhaps best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation comedy Dad’s Army. He was married three times, most notably to the actress Hattie Jacques. He died in 1983, aged 71, from a stomach haemorrhage, brought about as a complication of cirrhosis of the liver. He had a relaxed approach to acting and felt that his parts were those of \”a decent chap all at sea in a chaotic world not of his own making\”. He was a heavy drinker of alcohol for most of his life, and died of a stomach hemorrhage on 15 November 1983, at the age of 71. His last role was in a production of Hamlet for John Gielgud’s Millicent Ward Repertory Players. He also appeared in Hancock’s Half Hour, The Rebel and The Punch and Judy Man. In 1971 he received his only award: a British Academy of Film and Television Arts \”Best Television Actor\” award for his lead performance in Dennis Potter’s television play Traitor; it was one of the few lead roles he played during the course of his career. He has been described as ‘the most successful British actor of the 20th century’ and ‘one of the most successful actors of all time’ He is survived by his wife Hattie, a former actress, and a son, John Elton, a barrister and former director of a private law firm.

His grandson is the director of the London-based theatre company, The Actors’ Company, and his great-great-grandson is the composer of the Oscar-winning film The Godfather, starring Tom Hanks. His great-granddaughter is the actress Emma Watson, who is married to the late Sir David Walliams. He wrote a book about his life and career, The Man Who Lived in the Dark, published by Simon & Schuster, with a foreword by Julian Fellowes, in which he describes how he was inspired by his father’s legal career. The book is available in hardback and is available on Kindle for £3.99. For more information, visit www.thebookshop.co.uk or go to the website of the author’s website, The Author’s Bookshop, which is also available in paperback and Kindle versions for £2.99, or order a copy of the book for £4.99 for £5.50. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 or visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1 800 8255 or the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 909090.