Image of Norman Beaton

Norman Beaton

Norman Beaton was a popular and much loved Guyanese born British actor. He arrived in the UK in 1960 and worked as a calypso singer and musician and a teacher - being the first black teacher employed by the education authority in Liverpool. His heart set on a career in showbusiness, he moved to Bristol and became a presenter on the regional news magazine Points West, before a two week prison sentence curtailed his presenting career. He subsequently found work in London's West End, appearing in The Tempest as Ariel, a role he subsequently cited as the most important in his career. He helped set up the Black Theatre in Brixton in the mid 70s and broke into television with the first black British sitcom, The Fosters in 1976, playing Lenny Henry's father. A star turn in the movie Black Joy followed a year later, as did the principal role in the fledgling black soap Empire Road for the BBC. But it is perhaps his performance as Desmond Ambrose, the crotchety Peckham barber in Channel 4's hit sitcom Desmond's that Beaton will forever be remembered for. The series ran from 1988 until his ill health curtailed the show in 1994. He retired to Georgetown, the place of his birth, but collapsed and died of a heart attack at the airport on arrival, on 13th December 1994. He was 60 years old.


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Born:
Oct 31, 1934 In Georgetown, Guyana
Movie/TV Credits:
26
First Appeared:
In the series Barlow 1971-09-15
Latest Project:
Series Little Napoleons 1994-06-07
Known For
Poster of Little Napoleons
Poster of Big George Is Dead
Poster of Nice
Poster of Easy Money
Filmography
Series Little Napoleons N.K. Edwards 1994-06-07
Movie Black and White in Colour Himself 1992-06-27
Movie When Love Dies Pastor 1990-01-20
Series Desmond's Desmond Ambrose 1989-01-05
Movie Endgame Hamm 1989-01-01
Movie The Mighty Quinn Governor Chalk 1989-02-17
Movie Playing Away Willie Boy 1987-01-02
Movie Big George Is Dead Boogie 1987-10-01
Series Dead Head Caractacus 1986-01-15
Movie Real Life Leon McDonald 1984-06-01
Series The Cosby Show Unknown 1984-09-20
Movie Nice 1984-10-19
Movie Eureka Byron Judson 1983-05-01
Movie Easy Money Trevor 1982-05-28
Series Hammer House of Horror Unknown 1980-09-13
Movie Growing Pains Ngenko 1980-10-04
Movie The Last Window Cleaner Leroy 1979-02-13
Series Minder Unknown 1979-10-29
Series Empire Road 1978-10-31
Movie Black Joy Dave King 1977-11-06
Movie Black Christmas Bertie 1977-12-20
Movie Pressure Preacher 1976-11-19
Movie In Sickness and in Health Mr Byron 1975-05-21
Movie Up the Chastity Belt Blacksmith 1972-01-14
Series Sykes Unknown 1972-09-14
Series Barlow Unknown 1971-09-15