Obituary: Graham Crowden, actor

SCOTS actor Graham Crowden, best remembered for the medical drama A Very Peculiar Practice and sitcom Waiting for God, has died at the age of 87.

Though known for comedy-drama roles, Crowden began as a Shakespearean actor, appearing on the big screen, television, stage and radio, in a career that stretched over seven decades.

Born and brought up in Edinburgh, he lived in London for much of his life but had returned to his birthplace with his wife, actress Phyllida Hewat, several years ago.

He died on Tuesday following a short illness.

His daughter, actress Sarah Crowden, said: "His legacy lives on. He did so much work that there's something of his on almost all the time somewhere in the world."

Born Clement Graham Crowden on 30 November, 1922, he was the third of four children born into a respectable Scottish Presbyterian family laid low by the First World War in which his father, a classics teacher, was seriously injured.

He had an unremarkable time at Edinburgh Academy, failing all of his exams, before going on to work in a tannery.

He joined the Royal Scots Youth Battalion in 1940, but his military career ended after a year when he suffered internal injuries from a gunshot fired by his own platoon sergeant.

His burgeoning theatre career could have ended in a similarly inglorious fashion had he heeded the advice of Shakespeare Without Frills director Robert Atkins, who told him: "You're too tall, too thin, you're not good looking and you have a funny voice."

Despite this early knock he persuaded Atkins to grant him a student contract, beginning a long stage apprenticeship with a succession of rep companies.

He married Phyllida Hewat, then a costume designer, in 1952. In the ensuing years the couple had four children, and Mr Crowden's stage career began to take off starting with major role in a Bristol Old Vic production of Major Barbara.

His introduction to movies started inauspiciously with a series of flops, beginning with 1961's Don't Bother To Knock, but he finally found his form with his appearances in director Lindsay Anderson's iconic satirical trilogy of If..., O Lucky Man! and Britannia Hospital.

Among some of the many films he appeared in were Terry Gilliam's Jabberwocky, Out of Africa and the Bond movie For Your Eyes Only.

In 1974, Crowden turned down the chance to succeed Jon Pertwee as Dr Who.

Unable to commit the amount of time required by the part, he recommended Tom Baker for the role instead.

Speaking of his decision to refuse the role, he once joked: "Working with a lot of Daleks didn't sound like much fun."

When asked for his epitaph, Mr Crowden first thought of Lewis Casson's observation that "he looked funny even in serious roles", but he eventually settled on his own verdict: "I've done very good work for very bad money."