Bernard Bresslaw (25 February 1934 – 11 June 1993) was an English comic actor, best remembered as a member of the Carry On films team.

Biography

Bernard Bresslaw was born the youngest of three boys into a Jewish family in Stepney, London, on 25 February 1934. He attended the Coopers' Company's School in Tredegar Square, Bow, London E3. His father was a tailor's cutter and he became interested in acting after visits to the Hackney Empire. London County Council awarded him a scholarship to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he won the Emile Littler Award as the most promising actor. After Educating Archie on radio and The Army Game on television, more television, film and Shakespearean theatre roles followed, until his big break when he was cast in Carry On Cowboy in 1965.

He featured as Varga, the lead villain in the 1967 Doctor Who story The Ice Warriors. Even though all the actors playing the aliens were over six feet tall, Bresslaw towered over them. Sonny Caldinez, who played an Ice Warrior in the story, stated in a 2004 interview that Bresslaw "was the only man that could make me feel small."

Although officially starring in 14 Carry On films, Bresslaw did appear in one other: Carry On Nurse. The legs of Terence Longdon were deemed to be too thin and scrawny looking, so Bresslaw's were used as stand-ins for the scene where Joan Sims gives him a bath.

Bresslaw's catchphrase, in his strong Cockney accent, was "I only arsked" (sic), first used in The Army Game, and later revived in Carry On Camping (1969). In his fleeting appearance as an angry lorry driver in the 1970 film Spring and Port Wine, his character was dubbed.

Bresslaw, at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), was the tallest of the Carry On cast, head and shoulders over fellow Carry On regular, Barbara Windsor, who is 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m). Because of his height he was briefly considered for the part of the Creature in Hammer's Curse of Frankenstein (1957), which ultimately went instead to 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Christopher Lee. Bresslaw later made a comedy version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for Hammer titled The Ugly Duckling (1959). He made great efforts to prepare for roles, for example learning genuine Swahili phrases for Carry On Up the Jungle (1970).


Television series
The Adventures of Robin Hood: The Black Patch as Sir Dunstan's Captain
The Army Game
Our House (1961-1962) 22 episodes William Singer
Carry On Christmas Specials and Carry On Laughing
Danger Man: The Outcast, as Leo (1964)
Doctor Who serial The Ice Warriors (1967) as Varga, an Ice Warrior
The Goodies
The Book Tower (1987)
Terry and June (16 Nov. 1982) Series 5 Episode 5 (Playing pool) Morris
Sykes (7 Nov. 1974) Series 3 Episode 4 (The Band) Johnny Brunswick
Doctor in the House (13 Sep. 1969) Series 1, Episode 10 (The Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Casino) Malcolm
Films
Up in the World (1956)
Blood of the Vampire (1958)
I Only Arsked! (1958)
The Ugly Duckling (1959)
Too Many Crooks (1959)
Carry On Cowboy (1965)
Carry On Screaming! (1966)
Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966)
Follow That Camel (1967)
Carry On Doctor (1967)
Carry On... Up the Khyber (1968)
Carry On Camping (1969)
Moon Zero Two (1969)
Carry On Up the Jungle (1970)
Carry On Loving (1970)
Up Pompeii (1971)
The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (Avarice segment) (1971)
Carry On at Your Convenience (1971)
Carry On Matron (1972)
Carry On Abroad (1972)
Carry On Girls (1973)
Carry On Dick (1974)
Carry On Behind (1975)
One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975)
In the Movies it Doesn't Hurt (Educational short, several roles) (1975)
Jabberwocky as "The Landlord" (1977)
Hawk the Slayer as "Gort" (1980)
Krull (1983)
Asterix and the Big Fight (animation) as voice of "Obelix" (1989)
Leon the Pig Farmer (1993)
Bernard Bresslaw: A Story About Bernard Breslaw "as Joe" (2009)
UK chart singles
"Mad Passionate Love/You Need Feet" (1958)
"The Army Game/What Do We Do in the Army?" (1958) Michael Medwin, Bernard Bresslaw, Alfie Bass & Leslie Fyson
"Charlie Brown/The Teenager's Lament" (1959)
"Ivy Will Cling/I Found a Hole" (1959)