Norman Rossington English character actor Date of Birth: 24.12.1928 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Norman Rossington

Norman Rossington, an English character actor, is best known for his roles in the British sitcom "The Army Game," several films from the "Carry On" comedy series, and the pseudo-documentary comedy "A Hard Day's Night," starring members of "The Beatles." He was born in Liverpool on December 24, 1928, and his father owned a pub. Rossington did not complete high school, dropping out at the age of 14. He worked various odd jobs, including being a courier, a dock messenger in Liverpool, and an apprentice carpenter. Eventually, he completed evening school and pursued a career in technical design, studying at the Liverpool Technical College.

However, Rossington's interest in acting emerged by chance, leading him to join a local theater company. He studied drama at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and began his career at the Theatre Royal. By the mid-1950s, Rossington had already built an impressive repertoire, appearing on the stage of the London Old Vic in plays such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Salad Days," and touring with the theater troupe in the United States.

In 1956, Rossington was invited to act in both films and television. He played a small role in the comedy film "Three Men in a Boat" and appeared in two episodes of the TV series "Assignment Foreign Legion." However, his breakthrough came in 1957 when he joined the popular sitcom "The Army Game" as Private 'Cupcake' Cook. In 1958, he reprised the same role in the film adaptation "I Only Arsked!" In the same year, Norman Rossington appeared in "Carry On Sergeant," the first film in the famous comedy series. He continued to star in subsequent films such as "Carry On Nurse" in 1959 and "Carry On Regardless" in 1961. Additionally, Rossington played notable roles in films like "Saint Joan" in 1957 and the classic British new wave film "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" released in 1960.

In 1958, he also starred in "A Night to Remember," his first film about the Titanic disaster, portraying the ship's chef. He returned to this theme in 1979 with the television film "S.O.S. Titanic." In 1962, Rossington appeared in the classic film "Lawrence of Arabia," although his name was not mentioned in the credits. In 1967, he starred in another musical film featuring superstar Elvis Presley, "Double Trouble." Rossington recalled Presley as a calm person who often sat in the corner and read the newspaper.

Starting from the 1970s, Rossington increasingly appeared in television films and series, gradually reducing his presence on the big screen. His filmography includes 115 roles in movies and TV. His final roles were as Bertie Mould in the TV series "Heartbeat" and Sergeant Horatio Havercamp in "Sharpe's Regiment" in 1996. Throughout his career, he also continued to perform on stage at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In his free time, he enjoyed woodworking, skiing, learning languages, and playing golf.

Norman Rossington was married twice, with his second marriage taking place a few months before his death. He passed away on May 21, 1999, in Manchester at the age of 70 after a six-month battle with cancer.