Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Acting Up by British actor John Inman dies at 71. The British stage and television actor John Inman has died at the age of 71. Mr. Inman, born in Preston, Lancashire, had been suffering from the Hepatitis A infection for some time. "John, through his character Mr. Humphries of Are You Being Served? was known and loved throughout the world. He was one of the best and finest pantomime dames working to capacity audiences throughout Britain," said Inman's manager, Phil Dale. Most famous for his role in the BBC comedy series Are You Being Served? , Inman entered popular culture with his appearance as the camp store assistant, Mr Humphries, and popularised the catchphrase "I'm Free!" across British society. Tributes from across the acting and stage professions have been coming in all morning, since the death was announced by Mr Inman's spokesman earlier this morning. According to the Londonpaper, dated 8th of March, Inman's long-term partner, Ron Lynch, was said to be "devastated" at his death. His co-star, who played opposite him in the BBC show, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, "John was one of the wittiest and most inventive actors I've ever worked with. He was a brilliant, brilliant pantomime dame and he was a very good all-round actor, really. He was a true professional." Inman’s manager Phil Dale told the BBC - "John was known and loved throughout the world. He was one of the best and finest pantomime dames working to capacity audiences throughout Britain". Mike Berry, who played Mr Spooner in Are You Being Served? , told the BBC: "I felt like going home at the end of the day and ironing my face, he made me laugh so much! As funny as he was in front of the camera, he was funnier off.” It was revealed on Friday, March 9 that Australia's premier gay and lesbian publication, SX , would publish a special tribute in Inman's honour, commemorating the actor with a feature article written by the magazine's star journalists, Katrina Fox and Peter Hackney. Sources. "John Inman dies" — Sydney Morning Herald , March 9, 2007 "John Inman, British comedy actor, dies" — Times Online , March 8, 2007 "Comedy Actor Inman dies at 71" — BBC News Online , March 8, 2007 "John Inman dead at 71" — Brisbane Courier & Mail , March 8 2007. This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable. Got a correction? Add the template > to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age. Got a correction? Add the template > to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. John Inman. The actor John Inman, who has died aged 71 after a long illness, endeared himself to millions as the outrageously camp menswear shop assistant in the 1970s BBC television series Are You Being Served. But the role had a less welcome side; it subjected the actor to unsought controversy and protests from militant gay men who thought the character's limp-wristed gestures and mincing walk ridiculed homosexuals. Inman's Mr Humphries was, against stiff competition, one of the most arresting characters on the staff of Grace Brothers department store, created by the formidable comedy writers and David Croft (Croft himself had once worked in a department store). The show was first tried as a pilot in the BBC Comedy Playhouse slot in 1972. It ran at peak time for 12 years from 1973 to 1985 - a total of 69 episodes. The large and anachronistic family business at its heart was run on traditional lines by a doddering "Young Mr Grace", and staffed by oddities like of ladies' wear, played by Molly Sugden, who was always prattling on about her "pussy", and a floor manager, Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton), who was invariably referred to by his military rank. Inman's suggestive catchphrase, when asked to attend to a customer, was "I'm free," after which he would set about measuring an inside leg with attentive enthusiasm. He become instantly recognisable in the street and was constantly asked, "Are you free?" "No, but I'm reasonable," became one of his stock ripostes. Inman claimed he was cheeky but not dirty, and that he found the character a joy to play. Mr Humphries was, in Inman's eyes, a jokey figure about whom the audience could never decide whether or not he was "queer". "I always say that when it comes to sex, Mr Humphries is nothing really. He's neither one way or the other." Some critics who had no such doubts described Inman and Mr Humphries as two of the best friends of gay liberation on television. But the gratitude was not universal. In 1977, the Campaign for Homosexual Equality targeted Inman in Brighton, where he was appearing in a seaside show. They handed out leaflets blaming him for depicting homosexuals as sexually obsessed, too extravagant in manner and too eager to drag up. They argued that most homosexuals did not behave like Mr Humphries, and that Inman was contributing to television's distortion of their image. Poor Inman, not a strong swimmer in the fast-flowing river of controversy, argued that he was not campaigning in any way, merely trying to make people laugh. There were compensations for him, too. Are You Being Served? made Inman famous not only in Britain but also in the US, where the series was sold. He was recognised in Los Angeles as much as in London. Once, in San Francisco, a young man fell off his bicycle because he was so surprised to see Inman, and lay in the road shouting "I love you, Mr Humphries." Before the success of that one role, however, Inman's impact had been modest. He was born in Preston, Lancashire, the son of two hairdressers who moved to to open a boarding house. His parents financed his elocution lessons at the local church hall, and he made his professional debut at 11 on the South Pier, Blackpool. The Jack Rose Repertory Company paid him £5 a week to play a boy in the drama Frieda. But it was showbiz rather than acting that had the greater appeal for Inman. "I'm a tits-and-feathers man really," he explained. He loved the Tiller Girls, and blamed for making showbusiness less glamorous. At 17, he left Blackpool for London to become a window dresser. To augment his income, he sewed garments for theatres and lived in a £3-a-week bedsit. At 21, he joined the repertory company at Crewe as an actor, and made his first West End appearances in Anne Veronica, Salad Days and Let's Get Laid (which, he had to explain to his mother, was about a poultry farm). Summer shows became his speciality, alternating with more than 40 appearanaces as the pantomime Dame. Instead of "resting" he sometimes went back to shop-window dressing. In 1977, ITV offered him an exclusive contract and his own show, Odd Man Out, but the divorce from the BBC was not a success, and it ran for only seven episodes. So Inman returned to the corporation and Are You Being Served? Seven years after the final episode, five of the characters returned for a sequel - Grace And Favour - but there were only two series. By this time, however, Inman was secure as a national comic treasure. In 2005 a poll found that the 1977 film of Are You Being Served? was the worst ever feature film remake of a television series - but his reputation had never been dependent on the cinema, and the television episodes continued to sell around the world. Inman suffered from poor health. In 1993, he was hospitalised with bronchitis. In 1995, he collapsed during a performance of Mother Goose, and in 2004 he had to withdraw from Dick Whittington at Richmond theatre after contracting hepatitis A through eating contaminated food. In December 2005, he went through a civil partnership ceremony with Ron Lynch, his partner of more than 30 years. · John Inman, actor, born June 28 1935; died March 8 2007. Nancy Banks-Smith writes: I would like to apologise to John Inman. It is long overdue. Thirty odd years ago I was on a TV jury to choose the best of the new comedies. One entry was Are You Being Served? I remember the piece de resistance with embarrassing clarity. Mrs Slocombe's stocking promotion went out of control. An oo-la-la line of legs, all snapping garters and saucy frillies, cancan-ed wildly to Offenbach. Any one of those high kicks would have had your hat off. Captain Peacock retreated in good order. Mr Humphries fled. Germaine Greer did not look amused. We all pursed our lips and chose something else. I have no recollection whatsoever of the winner, but Are You Being Served? ran for 12 years. The moral of this is that when your nose is pressed so close to something, you cannot see it. I am terribly sorry, Mr Humphries. British comedy actor John Inman dies after long illness. BRITAIN: Tributes poured in yesterday for John Inman, star of the Are You Being Served?, following his death at the age of 71. The actor, much loved for his role as a camp, sharp-tongued salesman with the catchphrase "I'm free!", had been ill for some time. Actress Wendy Richard said: "John was one of the wittiest and most inventive actors I have ever worked with. He was a brilliant pantomime dame and an all-round brilliant actor." Of Inman's sexuality she said: "Of course he never said he was gay; he just said he was a young man who was very good to his mother." Inman's manager, Phil Dale, said: "John, through his character Mr Humphries of Are You Being Served?, was known and loved throughout the world. "He was one of the best and finest pantomime dames, working to capacity audiences throughout Britain. "Ron Lynch, his partner of many, many years, is absolutely devastated and at the moment inconsolable," Mr Dale said. The couple had been together for 35 years, and participated in a civil partnership ceremony two years ago. Inman suffered from hepatitis A and had been taken into hospital for tests after problems with his liver. The highly infectious disease forced him to cancel the opening of a pantomime in London in December 2004, and after that he never worked again. Hepatitis A is a liver inflammation caused through eating contaminated food, which Inman believed was how he came to have the virus. His portrayal of the pouting Mr Humphries character brought him awards for the Funniest Man On Television and TV's Personality Of The Year. But he was also attacked by gay groups offended by his stereotypical portrayal of a camp homosexual. He argued that his sexual orientation was never stated. Fellow actor said of Inman: "He was always sweetness and light . . . He would stand for hours at the stage door chatting to fans and signing photos." She added: "He could be as suggestive as you like but never vulgar." - (PA) Acting Up. It’s not easy breaking into show biz. Especially when you aren’t exactly loaded with talent. But Malcolm Fox won’t let a little thing like that hold him back. Actually, it isn’t the show-business part of his life that bothers him as much as the romantic part—or the lack thereof. At twenty-six, Malcolm has never been in love. He lives in San Diego with his roommate, Beth, another struggling actor, and each of them is just as unsuccessful as the other. While Malcolm toddles off to this audition and that, he ponders the lack of excitement in his life. The lack of purpose. The lack of a man. Then Beth’s brother moves in. Freshly imported from Missouri of all places, Cory Williams is a towering hunk of muscles and innocence, and Malcolm is gobsmacked by the sexiness of his new roomie from the start. When infatuation enters the picture, Malcolm knows he’s really in trouble. After all, Cory is straight! Acting Up. It’s not easy breaking into show biz. Especially when you aren’t exactly loaded with talent. But Malcolm Fox won’t let a little thing like that hold him back. Actually, it isn’t the show-business part of his life that bothers him as much as the romantic part—or the lack thereof. At twenty-six, Malcolm has never been in love. He lives in San Diego with his roommate, Beth, another struggling actor, and each of them is just as unsuccessful as the other. While Malcolm toddles off to this audition and that, he ponders the lack of excitement in his life. The lack of purpose. The lack of a man. Then Beth’s brother moves in. Freshly imported from Missouri of all places, Cory Williams is a towering hunk of muscles and innocence, and Malcolm is gobsmacked by the sexiness of his new roomie from the start. When infatuation enters the picture, Malcolm knows he’s really in trouble. After all, Cory is straight ! At least, that’s the general consensus. Cover Artist: Reese Dante. Acting Up. We Also Recommend. This book did not get me hooked right away; I'm not going to lie and say that it did. After the third chapter however it was interesting enough to continue to read. I found that the humor parts were in the first few chapters which is what nearly made me turn away. Once there was a plotline worth following the story did get better. This book is worth a read if you want something entertaining but not too in-depth. This gets a 3/5 as I almost didn't finish reading it (but was advised to give it three chapters before deleting the book) It would have been 4/5 should the beginning be as entertaining at the rest. I enjoyed every second of John Inman's Acting Up, as it's sweet and perfectly entertaining. Malcolm has a fantastic sense of humor and kept me laughing throughout. He and his roommate Beth are just a great combination of great friends, banter, and wit. Then Cory moves in, and they were so much fun together. This book has a whole of laughs and romance, mixed in with some serious moments. The combination is expertly executed. I mean seriously, the pets had me in stitches and the whole moment of the mattress had me giggling. Cory's sexuality is handled in a charming, tender and genuine manner. It definitely has it's share of serious moments that are emotional. Overall, Acting Up was the perfect mix of flirting, humor, and charm for me. It is a wonderful feel-good romance that I look forward to re-reading. Reviewed by Meredith for Diverse Reader. John Inman has always been the type of writer to balance humor and seriousness well. Always great depth with perfect levity. Acting Up has those qualities that I love about this author. This story is told in Malcolm’s POV. In the beginning he engages the reader by holding conversations with us. It’s funny because it reminded me of the show Malcolm in the Middle… And yes the fact that in both cases the MC is named Malcolm doesn’t go unnoticed. So, back to THIS Malcolm. He’s a struggling actor, he doesn’t know what being in love is because he’s never experienced it. Cory Williams is Malcolm’s best friend and roommate Beth’s brother and he has moved in with them. He’s a hunky southern boy and of course Malcolm is attracted to him. So we play this cat and mouse game. The buildup the burn. It was sweet to see the realization with Malcolm and the fall into love… It was sweet. Malcolm and Cory do have it easy in the love department, maybe too easy. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say it was too effortless. I kept hoping for more drama maybe? I can’t place what was missing but I’d say that. All the same it was a good, sweet read. It absolutely falls in the fluffy effortless love category for me.