Freddie Jones

Frederick Charles Jones (12 September 1927 – 9 July 2019) was an English actor who had an extensive career in television, theatre and cinema productions for almost sixty years. In theatre, he originated the role of Sir in The Dresser; in film, he collaborated with David Lynch, starting with his role as a ruthless ringmaster Bytes in The Elephant Man; and in television, he played Sandy Thomas in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 2005 to 2018.

Early life Jones was born on 12 September 1927 in Dresden, a suburb of the town of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, the son of Ida Elizabeth (née Goodwin) and Charles Edward Jones. Jones' description of his mother's piano playing was: "She played piano in Longton the way most people play rugby, as though she had a grudge against it."

Career Jones won a scholarship to the Rose Bruford Training College of Speech and Drama—where he shed his Midlands accent. He spent time in repertory theatre in Lincoln, before making his London debut in 1962 with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), performing at the Arts Theatre in Afore Night Come. followed by Maxim Gorky's play Lower Depths at the Aldwych Theatre in 1964.

In 1980 he appeared as Sir in Ronald Harwood's play The Dresser, first in Manchester, then transferring to the London stage; he later reprised the role on BBC Radio 4's The Monday Play in 1993. Coveney said of Jones in the role: "No subsequent performance in The Dresser – not Albert Finney in the 1983 film, nor Anthony Hopkins on television in 2015, nor Ken Stott in the West End in 2016 – matched the rumbling thunder of Jones". as Inspector Baynes in the "Wisteria Lodge" episode of The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1988), He said he had been offered a contract extension but he declined as he felt it was the right time to move on.

Jones also performed extensively in radio drama, including: "Mr. Pickwick" in the 1977 adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers, "The Player" in the 1978 adaptation of Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead "The Waiter" in the 1971 adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's You Never Can Tell "Albert Edward, Prince of Wales" in Lydia Ragosin's Bertie "Rodin" in Jonathan Smith's Abandoned "The Scribe" in the 1992 adaptation of Bruce Bedford's The Gibson "Charlie" in A. L. Kennedy's Like An Angel "Sir Morton Makepeace" in Martyn Read's The Folly "The Artist" in the adaptations of the Gormenghast novels by Mervyn Peake.

Personal life Jones married actress Jennifer Heslewood in 1965. They had three sons, including Toby Jones. He was a Stoke City fan.

Jones died on 9 July 2019, aged 91, in Bicester, Oxfordshire, following a short illness. Following his death several of the cast members from Emmerdale paid tribute to Jones.

Filmography

Film + Jones' film credits Year Title Role Notes 1967 Accident Man In Bell's Office 1967 Marat/Sade Cucurucu 1967 Far from the Madding Crowd Cainy Ball 1968 The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom Sergeant Dylan 1968 Otley Philip Proudfoot 1969 Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed Professor Richter 1970 The Emergence of Anthony Purdy Esquire Farmer's Labourer Anthony Purdy 1970 The Man Who Haunted Himself Dr. Harris, The Psychiatrist 1970 Goodbye Gemini David Curry 1971 Assault Reporter 1971 Horatio Knibbles The Gamekeeper 1971 Kidnapped Cluny 1972 Antony and Cleopatra Pompey 1972 Sitting Target MacNeil 1973 The Satanic Rites of Dracula Professor Keeley 1974 Son of Dracula The Baron 1974 Juggernaut Sidney Buckland 1974 Vampira Gilmore A.K.A Old Dracula 1975 All Creatures Great and Small Cranford TV movie 1975 Romance with a Double Bass Maestro Lakeyich Short 1976 Never Too Young to Rock Mr. Rockbottom 1979 Zulu Dawn Bishop Colenso 1980 The Elephant Man Bytes 1982 Firefox Kenneth Aubrey 1982 Captain Stirrick Mr. Leach 1983 Krull Ynyr 1983 And the Ship Sails On Orlando 1984 Firestarter Dr. Joseph Wanless 1984 The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood Orlando TV movie 1984 Dune Thufir Hawat 1985 The Black Cauldron Dallben Voice 1985 Young Sherlock Holmes Chester Cragwitch 1986 Comrades Vicar of Tolpuddle 1987 Maschenka Podtyagin 1988 Consuming Passions Graham Chumley 1989 Erik the Viking Harald, The Missionary 1990 Wild at Heart George Kovich 1990 Dark River The Official TV movie 1991 The Last Butterfly Karl Rheinberg 1992 Spies Inc. Filatov 1993 The Mystery of Edwin Drood Sapsea 1994 Prince of Jutland Bjorn 1994 The Neverending Story 3: Escape from Fantasia Mr. Coreander / Old Man of Wandering Mountain 1995 Cold Comfort Farm Adam Lambsbreath TV movie 1997 Seeing Things Prisoner Park Short 1998 Keep in a Dry Place and Away from Children Voice Over Short 1998 What Rats Won't Do Judge Foster 1998 The Life and Crimes of William Palmer Dr. Bamford 1999 My Life So Far Reverend Finlayson 2000 House! Mr. Anzani 2000 Married 2 Malcolm Jasper 2000 David Copperfield Barkis TV movie 2002 The Count of Monte Cristo Colonel Villefort 2002 Puckoon Sir John Meredith 2004 Ladies in Lavender Jan Pendered 2005 The Libertine Betterton 2008 Caught in the Act Collingsworth Jenkins 2010 Come on Eileen Dermot 2015 By Our Selves The Narrator

Television + Jones' television credits Year Title Role Notes 1960 Androcles and the Lion Christian 2 episodes 1963 Z-Cars Craig Episode: "Pay by Results" 1963 Maltby Episode: "The Ticket-of-Leave Man" 1963 Maupassant Boissel Episode: "The Inheritance" 1963-1965 Our Man at St. Mark's Benson / George Gregory 2 episodes 1964 Festival Unknown Episode: "Six Characters in Search of an Author" 1964 ITV Play of the Week Arthur Lowe Episode: "Gina" 1965 Taylor Episode: "For the West" 1966—1970 Mystery and Imagination Sweeney Todd / Vaudin / Parkes 3 episodes 1967 Sword of Honour Ludovic Episode: "Officers and Gentlemen" 1967 Basil / John Steed Episode: "Who's Who???" 1967 The Landlord Episode: "So Dark the Night" 1967 Half Hour Story Walter Bishop Episode: "A Man Inside" 1967-1973 Armchair Theatre Fiodor Dostoyevski / John Dolby 2 episodes 1968 Claudius 5 episodes 1968 Martin Graves Episode: "The Time to Die" 1968 Nana Count Muffat 5 episodes 1968 Cold Comfort Farm Urk / Dr. Adolf Mudel 2 episodes 1969 ITV Playhouse Wilfred Eames Episode: "You've Made Your Bed: Now Lie in It" 1969 Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) James McAllister Episode: "For the Girl Who Has Everything" 1970 Anthony PurdyTelevision Film 1970 Germinal Maheu 4 episodes 1970 William Shaw Television film 1970 Menace Elystan Griffiths Episode: "The Straight and the Narrow" 1970 Professor Ian Allardyce Episode: "The Walls of Jericho" 1970 BBC Play of the Month Uncle Vanya Episode: "Uncle Vanya" 1970-1971 Jackanory The Storyteller 9 episodes 1971 Doctor at Large Sir Robert Joyce Episode: "Let's Start at the Beginning" 1971 Six Dates with Barker Major Rupert Yappe Episode: "1915: Lola" 1971 Out of the Unknown Lester Episode: "The Shattered Eye" 1971 Nitro Episode: "On Paperback Revolutionaries" 1971 Jack Episode: "The Long Wash" 1971 For the Love of Ada David Llewellyn Griffiths Episode: "The Admirer" 1971 Jason King Mr. Quirly Episode: "A Deadly Line in Digits" 1972 Mr. Sparklipegs Episode: "Charity Bounce" 1972 His and Hers Tom Waller Episode: "Driving" 1972 Love and Mr Lewisham Mr. Chaffery 3 episodes 1973 Calloway Episode: "Mr. Calloway Is a Very Cautious Man" 1973 Robard Episode: "The Bodyguards" 1973 Ooh La La! General Irrigua Episode: "Kept on a String" 1973 Bowler The Festival Hall Manager Episode: "On the Fiddle" 1973 Alice Through the Looking-Glass Humpty Dumpty Television film 1973 Fall of Eagles Witte 2 episodes 1974 Baa Baa Black Sheep Uncle Harry Television film 1974 ITV Sunday Night Drama Ethelred Episode: "The Ceremony of Innocence" 1974 Marked Personal George Prewett 2 episodes 1974 Play for Today Joe Jones Episode: "Joe's Ark" 1975 This Week Lord Londonderry Episode: "1844" 1975 Centre Play Walter / "Tiny" 2 episodes 1975 Lord Loverule Television film 1975 Thriller Arnold Tully Episode: "A Midsummer Nightmare" 1975 Old Billy Television film 1976 Shades of Greene Lever Episode: "A Chance for Mr. Lever" 1976 Space: 1999 Dr. Charles Logan Episode: "Journey to Where" 1976 The Mayor 3 episodes 1976 Brensham People Mr. Chorlton Episode: "Master of Many Parts" 1976 Children of the Stones Dai 5 episodes 1976–1978 Sir George Uproar 20 episodes 1977 Just William Sandy Dick Episode: "William and the Tramp" 1977 Peter Episode: "Cheers" 1977 Nicholas Nickleby Mr. Vincent Crummles 2 episodes 1977 Duchess of Duke Street Professor Stubbs Episode: "Poor Catullus" 1977 Van der Valk Joop Pater Episode: "Accidental" 1977 Target Chief Superintendent Neville Clegg Episode: "Carve Up" 1978 Hazell Dobson Episode: "Hazell Settles the Accounts" 1978 Fall 2 episodes 1978 Diomedes Television film 1978 Bertrand de Born 3 episodes 1978 Pennies From Heaven The Headmaster 2 episodes 1978 Play for Today Head Maltster, 'Audience' Episode: "Sorry…" 1978 BBC Play of the Month Gibbet Episode: "The Beaux' Stratagem" 1978 BBC2 Play of the Week Vollard Episode: "Renoir, My Father" 1978 Parrot Voice, Television film 1978 King Television film 1979 Strangers Effingham Episode: "Friends in High Places" 1979 Selwyn Raven 5 episodes 1979 Of Mycenae and Men Menelaus Television short 1979 In Loving Memory Jeremiah Unsworth Episode: "In Loving Memory" 1979 Screenplay Richard Morrison Episode: "The Sound of Guns" 1979 Brecht and Co Member of Brecht's Company / Azdak Television film 1979 Secret Orchards Roger Ackerley / Uncle Bodger Television film 1980 Socrates 3 episodes 1980 Spine Chillers Reader 5 episodes 1981 Tiny Revolutions Professor Jan Kalina Television film 1981 Theatre Box Nodding Dog Voice, Episode: "Marmalade Atkins in Space" 1982 Murder Is Easy Constable Reed Television film 1982 Eleanor, First Lady of the World Unknown Television film 1983 Charles Television film 1984 Travelling Man Morgan Rees Episode: "The Watcher" 1985 Mr. Scruton 4 episodes 1985 Bulman Victor Garforth Episode: "Another Part of the Jungle" 1985 Lost in London Leo Porter Television film 1985 Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe Squire Cass Television film 1986-1990 Screen Two Agejev / Ulick Uniake 2 episodes 1987 Dr. Emlyn Isaacs 12 episodes 1987 Theatre Night Engstrand Episode: "Ghosts" 1987 Vanity Fair Sir Pitt Crawley 7 episodes 1987 Mr. Scruton 6 episodes 1988 The Return of Sherlock Holmes Inspector Baynes Episode: "Wisteria Lodge" 1988 Room at the Bottom Andre Shepherd Episode: "The Chef" 1988 How to Be Cool Dr. Benjamin Barnard Walters 3 episodes 1989 Sob Sisters Leo 7 episodes 1989 Boon David Tredegar Episode: "Walking Off Air" 1990 TECX Sir Neil Milverton Episode: "A Soldier's Death" 1990 Sir Charles Llewellyn Miniseries 1990 Hale and Pace Dr. Pratt Episode: "Season Three, Episode Three" 1990 ScreenPlay Politician Episode: "Shoot the Revolution" 1991 Inspector Morse Harry Field Senior Episode: "Who Killed Harry Field?" 1992 Screen One Old Squire Episode: "Adam Bede" 1992 On the Air Stan Tailings Episode: "Episode 1.4" 1992 True Adventures of Christopher Columbus Herald 1993 Hotel Room Lou Boca Episode: "Tricks" 1993 Lovejoy Arnold Tapie Episode: "Goose Bumps" 1993 The Pedlar Episode: "The Last Vampyre" 1993 Mr. Wroe's Virgins Tobias 4 episodes 1993 "Birdy" Soames Episode: "Young Indiana Jones and the Phantom Train of Doom" 1993–2009 Heartbeat Howard Druce / Fred Braithwaite / George Woodford / Mr. Parrish 4 episodes 1994 Dr. Gilbert Haggard Television film 1994 Just William Sir Giles Hampton Episode: "William and the Great Actor" 1995 Cold Comfort Farm Adam Lambsbreath Television film 1995 Tales of Mystery and Imagination Fortunato Episode: "The Cask of Amontillado" 1996 No Bananas Perce 2 episodes 1996 Neverwhere The Earl 2 episodes 1996 Arthur Gordon Episode: "Old Codgers" 1997 Dalziel and Pascoe French Episode: "Ruling Passion" 1997 Drovers' Gold "Moc" Morgan Miniseries 1997 Unknown Television film 1998 Dr. Bamford Television film 1998 Duck Patrol Cyril Episode: "The Spirit of the Deep" 1999 Sunburn Mr. Dawson Episode: "Episode #1.5" 1999 George 2000 David Copperfield Barkis Television film 2000 Dr. Magnus Purblind Episode: "The League of Gentlemen Christmas Special" 2000 Casualty Henry Wallowski Episode: "Sympathy for the Devil" 2001 Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) Carodoc Evans Episode: "Revenge of the Bog People" 2003 Broken Morning The Undertaker Television film 2004 Sebastian Fox-Kirby 2 episodes 2004 Midsomer Murders Benbow Episode: "The Maid in Splendour" 2004 Casualty Iain Roles Episode: "Passions and Convictions" 2005 Casanova Bragadin / Bragani 2 episodes 2005–2018 Emmerdale Sandy Thomas 776 episodes (final appearance)

Notes and references