Dudley Sutton

Dudley Sutton (6 April 1933 – 15 September 2018) was an English actor. Active in radio, stage, film and television, he was best known for his role of Tinker Dill in the BBC Television comedy/drama series Lovejoy.

Early life Sutton was born in Kingston upon Thames, and educated at a boys' boarding school at Lifton Park, Devon. He served in the Royal Air Force as a mechanic before enrolling in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, from which he was later expelled for responding to rock-and-roll.

Career After early stage work with Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, Sutton became known for his unusual roles in two films directed by Sidney J. Furie. At a reunion of the three surviving stars of the earlier film at Elstree Studios on 17 September 2017, Sutton related that he felt himself privileged that these films had dealt with two matters close to his heart: the iniquity of the death penalty, and gay rights. From 25 May 1966, he appeared in Tango, a play by Slawomir Mrozek at the Aldwych Theatre alongside Patience Collier, Peter Jeffrey, Mike Pratt, and Ursula Mohan under director Trevor Nunn.

Sutton appeared in many films during his career, including Rotten to the Core (1965), Crossplot (1969), The Devils (1971), Madame Sin (1972), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Fellini's Casanova (1976), Edward II (1991), and The Football Factory (2004).

Among his many television appearances were his roles as Tinker Dill in Lovejoy (1986 and 1991–94) – whose friendship with Lovejoy, the title character, and expertise in the antique trade was the backbone of the show – as Mr Carter in the Beiderbecke Trilogy and as Oleg Kirov in Smiley's People (1982).

In 1999, he appeared in the BBC Radio play Cosmos the Mystic Dog. In 2003, Sutton starred opposite Edward Hardwicke in David Bartlett's film The Goodbye Plane, and in 2004, he made an appearance in the soap opera EastEnders for sixteen episodes, playing Wilfred Atkins, a conman.

Sutton followed up Killing Kittens with a second autobiographical show Pandora's Lunchbox in 2006. He reprised the role in the film of the same name in 2009.

Sutton had a small role in the British teenage drama Skins as Freddie's granddad. In 2012, he featured in the video "Once And For All" by Clock Opera.

Sutton also appeared in episode three of the BBC comedy series Family Tree ("The Austerity Games"), which was first broadcast in July 2013, and was a guest star in episode three of the BBC series Boomers in 2014. He also appeared in two episodes of the BBC's day time show, Doctors, in August 2015. He narrated the 2016 documentary The Future of Work and Death. In November 2017 he played the lead role in a video for the Tom Chaplin song "Midnight Mass". He had two more children.

Death Sutton died of cancer on 15 September 2018 at the age of 85.

Filmography

A Night to Remember (1958) – lookout (uncredited) Go to Blazes (1962) – boy lover The Boys (1962) – Stan Coulter The Leather Boys (1964) – Pete The Human Jungle (1964, TV Series) - "Ring of Hate" episode - Leigh Garner The Saint (1964, S3E4: "The Scorpion") – Eddy Rotten to the Core (1965) – Jelly Crossplot (1969) – Warren The Walking Stick (1970) – Ted Sandymount Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1970, S1E18: "Could You Recognise The Man Again?") – Mort Roden One More Time (1970) – Wilson A Town Called Bastard (1971) – Spectre The Devils (1971) – Baron De Laubardemont Family Life (1971) – Ambulance man (uncredited) Mr. Forbush and the Penguins (1971) – Starshot Madame Sin (1972) – Monk Diamonds on Wheels (1973, TV Movie) – Finch Paganini Strikes Again (1973) – Raddings The Stud (1974, by Wilbur Stark) – Randy Warpshot / Longstreet / Charlady / Yidnar Warpshot / Newsboy The Sweeney (1975) – Golden Boy / Max Deller Porridge (1976, TV Series) - "The Desperate Hours" episode - Reg Urwin Pure as a Lily (1976) – Jack Fellini's Casanova (1976) – Duke of Wuertemberg The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) – Hugh McClaren The Glitterball (1977) - (uncredited) The Prince and the Pauper (1977) – Hodge Valentino (1977) – Willie Coleus No. 1 of the Secret Service (1977) – K.R.A.S.H. Leader The Big Sleep (1978) – Lanny The Playbirds (1978) – Hern The London Connection (1979) – Goetz The Island (1980) – Dr. Brazil George and Mildred (1980) – Jacko Brimstone and Treacle (1982) – Stroller Smiley’s People (1982, TV Mini-Series) - Oleg Kirov Widows (1983, TV Mini-Series) - Boxer Davis Those Glory Glory Days (1983, TV Movie) – Arthur – Journalist Lamb (1985) – Haddock Lovejoy (TV Series 1986–1994) – Tinker Dill A State of Emergency (1986) – Soviet professor The Rainbow (1989) – MacAllister Edward II (1991) – Bishop of Winchester Orlando (1992) – King James I Incognito (1998) – Halifax / Offul The Tichborne Claimant (1998) – Onslow Onslow Up at the Villa (2000) – Harold Atkinson David Copperfield (2000, TV Movie) - Mr Dick This Filthy Earth (2001) – Papa Tomorrow La Scala! (2002) – Dennis The Goodbye Plane (2003) - Harry Song for a Raggy Boy (2003) – Brother Tom The Football Factory (2004) – Bill Farrell EastEnders (2004) – Wilfred Atkins Irish Jam (2006) – Pat Duffy Dean Spanley (2008) – Marriot Sezon tumanov (2009) – Darby Albion Rising (2009) – William Blake Skins (2010, TV Series) – Norman McClair The Shouting Men (2010) – Charlie Weekend Retreat (2011) – Paulie Billy the Kid (2011) – Billy Outside Bet (2011) – Alfie Hobnails Cockneys vs Zombies (2012) – Eric Katherine of Alexandria (2014) – Marcellus Tin (2015) – Zachariah Bennett Father Brown (2015) - The Upcott Fraternity (episode 6, season 3) - Father Francis Palfreyman When the Devil Rides Out (2017) – George Steven Berkoff's Tell Tale Heart (2019) – Old Man