Former Yes Minister star John Nettleton dies aged 94

Actor John Nettleton was best known for portraying Sir Arnold Robinson in the political satire Yes Minister

John Nettleton in Yes Minister

Yes Minister star John Nettleton has died aged 94, his representatives have confirmed.

The actor was best known for portraying Sir Arnold Robinson in the political satire sitcom and in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, in the 1980s.

A statement from his agent, Scott Marshall Partners, said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved client and much-loved stage and screen actor John Nettleton at the age of 94.

Yes Minister actors Nigel Hawthorne, who played Humphrey Appleby, and Paul Eddington, as Jim Hacker, perform a sketch with Margaret Thatcher in 1984. Co-star John Nettleton has died, his representatives have confirmed. Picture: PA

“He is survived by his wife Deirdre, three children and five grandchildren.”

Born in London on February 5, 1929, Nettleton’s television credits include another political role as a Conservative MP in the British sitcom The New Statesman. He also appeared in detective dramas Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War and long-running medical series Casualty.

Comedy dramas Kingdom and Brass are also among his show billings as well as 1987’s East Of Ipswich, which was written by Sir Michael Palin.

Nettleton also turned his hand to the world of theatre, featuring in numerous productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Old Vic.

His theatre work also includes Harley Granville-Barker’s The Voysey Inheritance and an adaptation of The Wind In The Willows at the National Theatre.