Wilfrid Brambell
Biography
Wilfrid Brambell was an Irish actor who became best known as Albert Steptoe, the rag-and-bone man in the BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son. Born in Dublin, he began acting as a child and later worked at the Abbey and Gate theaters before moving into repertory. From 1947 he appeared in films and television, often cast as old men while still in his forties, including roles in The Quatermass Experiment and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954). His success in Steptoe and Son, which ran from 1962 to 1974, led to his role as Paul McCartney's fictional grandfather in A Hard Day's Night (1964). Other screen credits included In Search of the Castaways (1962) and Holiday on the Buses (1973). He also starred in the West End musical The Canterbury Tales and other stage productions, and his performance in The Terence Davies Trilogy (1983) won critical acclaim.
72years old at death
- Born Dublin
- Died Westminster
- Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
- Also credited as Henry Wilfrid Brambell
Movie Career
- Films
- 7
- Career span
- 30 years1954 to 1984
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First role
Brambell's first role on screen came in 1947, when he played a tram passenger in Odd Man Out, though he was not credited for the appearance.
A role that slipped away
Brambell starred in the 1971 premiere of Eric Chappell's play The Banana Box as Rooksby, a role that was later adapted for television as Rising Damp with the character renamed Rigsby and played by Leonard Rossiter.
A role that slipped away
John Sullivan thought about Brambell for Grandad in Only Fools and Horses, but chose not to cast him since he was too tied to Steptoe. Lennard Pearce took the role instead.
Beyond film
Brambell released two 45-rpm singles: Second Hand backed with Rag Time Ragabone Man in 1963 as his Steptoe character, and The Decimal Song with Time Marches On in 1971.
Wilfrid Brambell movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight1984as Porter
IMDb rating 4.42.9K votes
Worked with
Wilfrid Brambell shares two films with Peter Cushing, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Peter Cushing's page
John Rhys-Davies's page
Donald Pleasence's page
Sean Connery's page
George Sanders's page
Trevor Howard's page
All films by Richard Lester
Robert StevensonDirector, 1 film, 1962
All films by Robert Stevenson
Don ChaffeyDirector, 1 film, 1963
All films by Don Chaffey
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.