Biography
George William Everard Yeo Ward was born on 9th
April 1909 in the village of Carmenellis, Cornwall. Being the son of a
clergyman, his family moved from parish to parish for
most of his early life. He detested this nomadic
lifestyle and being an only child. It was not until
1930 when the family settled in Caddington, near
Luton, that he got the chance to make friends and
become independent.
Between 1930 and 1945 Michael worked as a private
tutor and then as an ambulance driver during the war
years.
By March 1946 he had chosen acting after abandoning
his first love, to be a concert pianist, winning a
scholarship to the Central School of Speech and Drama
in London.
On completing the course, he began auditioning and in
1946 landed the role as understudy to comedian Vic
Oliver in The Night and the Music at the Coliseum, now
the home of English National Opera.
This was the beginning of a long career in supporting
roles comprising of nearly seventy films, twenty West End
shows and over two hundred television appearances.
It was in 1947 that Michael secured his first film role.
Directed by Alexander Korda, An Ideal Husband
starred Paulette Goddard and was released in June of that year.
It was generally well received and acted as a springboard for Michael's screen
career, as between 1947 and 1960 he starred in no
fewer than thirty films, making him one of the
country's busiest and best-known character actors.
The year 1961 brought Michael to the attention of an even
wider audience, playing the photographer in Carry On
Regardless. Further roles in the series included 'Man in Tweeds' in
Carry On Cabbie, 'Archimedes' in Carry On Cleo, 'Vivian
the Window Dresser' in Carry On Screaming and 'Andre the
Wigmaker' in Carry On Don't Lose Your Head.
The BFI credited Michael as delivering one of the
funniest one liners in British film history, as the
effete gentleman in tweeds who alights from Kenneth
Connors' black cab. Remember it? Watch it again and
judge for yourself.
Other classic British comedy vehicles included four
Norman Wisdom comedies, as well as dozens of other
films, but eventually television provided the bread
and butter of his later career.
His work on the big screen was reflected on TV, from the early 1960's to the
mid-1970's, the golden age of British television comedy.
Appearances ranged from Hancock's Half Hour, The Jack Benny Show,
Steptoe and Son, Sykes and Rising Damp. Other shows
included The Avengers, The Two Ronnies and The Dick
Emery Show. He was most memorably cast in Morecambe
and Wise, where he played Adrian, the comedy duo's
extremely camp next door neighbour.
After making what would be his last ever screen outing
in 1978's Revenge of the Pink Panther, Michael
suffered a stroke, forcing him to retire. He finally
passed away on 8 November 1997 at St Mary's Hospital,
Ladbroke Grove, London, aged eighty-eight.
Copyright: James Hogg 2004
April 1909 in the village of Carmenellis, Cornwall. Being the son of a
clergyman, his family moved from parish to parish for
most of his early life. He detested this nomadic
lifestyle and being an only child. It was not until
1930 when the family settled in Caddington, near
Luton, that he got the chance to make friends and
become independent.
Between 1930 and 1945 Michael worked as a private
tutor and then as an ambulance driver during the war
years.
By March 1946 he had chosen acting after abandoning
his first love, to be a concert pianist, winning a
scholarship to the Central School of Speech and Drama
in London.
On completing the course, he began auditioning and in
1946 landed the role as understudy to comedian Vic
Oliver in The Night and the Music at the Coliseum, now
the home of English National Opera.
This was the beginning of a long career in supporting
roles comprising of nearly seventy films, twenty West End
shows and over two hundred television appearances.
It was in 1947 that Michael secured his first film role.
Directed by Alexander Korda, An Ideal Husband
starred Paulette Goddard and was released in June of that year.
It was generally well received and acted as a springboard for Michael's screen
career, as between 1947 and 1960 he starred in no
fewer than thirty films, making him one of the
country's busiest and best-known character actors.
The year 1961 brought Michael to the attention of an even
wider audience, playing the photographer in Carry On
Regardless. Further roles in the series included 'Man in Tweeds' in
Carry On Cabbie, 'Archimedes' in Carry On Cleo, 'Vivian
the Window Dresser' in Carry On Screaming and 'Andre the
Wigmaker' in Carry On Don't Lose Your Head.
The BFI credited Michael as delivering one of the
funniest one liners in British film history, as the
effete gentleman in tweeds who alights from Kenneth
Connors' black cab. Remember it? Watch it again and
judge for yourself.
Other classic British comedy vehicles included four
Norman Wisdom comedies, as well as dozens of other
films, but eventually television provided the bread
and butter of his later career.
His work on the big screen was reflected on TV, from the early 1960's to the
mid-1970's, the golden age of British television comedy.
Appearances ranged from Hancock's Half Hour, The Jack Benny Show,
Steptoe and Son, Sykes and Rising Damp. Other shows
included The Avengers, The Two Ronnies and The Dick
Emery Show. He was most memorably cast in Morecambe
and Wise, where he played Adrian, the comedy duo's
extremely camp next door neighbour.
After making what would be his last ever screen outing
in 1978's Revenge of the Pink Panther, Michael
suffered a stroke, forcing him to retire. He finally
passed away on 8 November 1997 at St Mary's Hospital,
Ladbroke Grove, London, aged eighty-eight.
Copyright: James Hogg 2004
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