George Layton

George Layton (born George Lowy on 2 March 1943 in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire) is an English actor, director, screenwriter and author. He was born to a family of Czechoslovak and Jewish ancestry and educated at Belle Vue Boys' Grammar School in Bradford during which time, in an interview for Talking Pictures TV Channel in April 2020, he mentioned his work on BBC Children's Hour at the former BBC Studios at Piccadilly, Manchester, where he came under the influence and guidance of Trevor Hill, Violet Carson and Doris Gamble. He then studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he won the Emile Littler award.[1] He went on to leading parts at Coventry and Nottingham and appeared on Broadway in Chips with Everything as well taking over the role of Fagin from Roy Hudd in 1979[2] in the first London revival of Oliver! at the Albery Theatre. He also appeared in an Australian production called Funny Peculiar.

For the English footballer, see George Layton (footballer).

George Layton
Born
George Lowy

(1943-03-02) 2 March 1943
Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
OccupationActor, author, theatre director, screenwriter, performer, writer
Years active1964–present
Websitegeorgelayton.co.uk

He is best known for three television roles – junior doctor Paul Collier in the comedy series Doctor in the House and its first two and last sequels Doctor at Large, Doctor in Charge and Doctor at the Top, that of Bombardier 'Solly' Solomons in the first two series of It Ain't Half Hot Mum,[3] and as Des the mechanic in early episodes of Minder.

Life and career

Layton was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.[4] His early television work includes Swizzlewick, Enter Solly Gold, United!, Thirty-Minute Theatre, Detective, What's in It For Me? and Lay Down Your Arms. He also made guest appearances in many classic British series, including The Likely Lads, Z-Cars, The Liver Birds, The Sweeney, Minder and played the lead in Len and the River Mob. In 1969 he played a small role in the Doctor Who story The Space Pirates.

Later that year he made his debut as medical student Paul Collier in Doctor in the House. As well as continuing to star in the series and its sequels, in 1971, he began to co-write episodes with former co-star Jonathan Lynn, the first under the pseudonym Oliver Fry to conceal the new writer's identity from his fellow cast members.

At the end of the Doctor in Charge series in 1973 he left the show (although he stayed on as a writer), and the following year he appeared in the first two series of It Ain't Half Hot Mum as Bombardier 'Solly' Solomons. He then joined forces with Jonathan Lynn once again to co-write and co-star in another sitcom My Brother's Keeper. He also appeared in Carry On Behind in 1975 playing a hospital doctor.

Layton was also one of the main presenters on the original series of That's Life!, hosted by Esther Rantzen.

His other television writing credits with Jonathan Lynn include episodes of On the Buses, Nearest and Dearest, Romany Jones and My Name Is Harry Worth.

In the mid-1970s, he and Lynn began to write separately, and Layton became a regular writer of Robin's Nest, in which he also played a guest character. Following this, he created and wrote the sitcoms Don't Wait Up starring Nigel Havers and Tony Britton and Executive Stress with Geoffrey Palmer and Penelope Keith. In 1990, Don't Wait Up won the Television and Radio Industries Club's 'Best Comedy Series' award.

Throughout the 1980s, as well as playing a recurring character in the hit comedy-drama Minder, he provided voices for the children's cartoons Pigeon Street and Joshua Jones, and was the voice behind Sydney, a character in a popular and long-running advertising campaign for Tetley tea.

After a brief return to the role of Paul Collier in 1991's Doctor at the Top, he starred in the hit comedy-drama series Sunburn (1999–2000), playing Alan Brooks, area manager of Janus Holidays in Cyprus. His most recent acting appearances have been in Doctors, Holby City and Casualty. In 2006, he made five appearances in Dictionary Corner on the game show Countdown and made a guest appearance in an episode of Heartbeat.

On 18 January 1999 Layton was the subject of This Is Your Life. He has also appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.[5] Layton's less well-known voiceover work includes TV commercials for various financial products, and narration of promotional videos for property speculators Inside Track.

Layton is an avid Bradford City fan.

In August 2012 George competed in Celebrity Masterchef.

Television roles
YearTitleRole
1964SwizzlewickEustace Madden
1968Len and the River MobLen Tanner
1969Doctor WhoTechnician Penn
1969–73, 1991Doctor in the House
Doctor at Large
Doctor in Charge
Doctor at the Top		Junior Dr Paul Collier
1974–75It Ain't Half Hot MumBombardier 'Solly' Solomons
1975The SweeneyRay Stackpole
1975–76My Brother's KeeperBrian Booth
1979MinderDes
1981Pigeon StreetNarrator
1986The Adventure GameHimself
1992Joshua JonesNarrator &
male voices
1999-00Sunburn (TV Series)Alan Brooks
2011–12EastEndersNorman Simmonds
2012Celebrity MasterchefHimself
2015CasualtyClive
2015ViciousAndrew
2018CasualtyGeorgie

Filmography

Selected theatre

As actor:

As director:

Author

Layton has written three books of fictional short stories, entitled The Fib and Other Stories, The Swap and Other Stories and The Trick and Other Stories. The tales describe family life in the North of England in the post-Second World War era. The books have been part of the National Curriculum in British schools, and film versions are in the works. Myles McDowell quotes Layton's The Balaclava Story as an example of how adults are often mostly absent from children's fiction.[6]

References
  1. "Honorary Degrees Conferred at Degree Ceremonies held on 10–11 December 1999 / 11–13 July 2000". University of Bradford. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  2. "Actor George Layton and pop singer Helen Shapiro who are co-starring..." Getty Images. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  3. "George Layton". bradfordjewish.org.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  4. George Layton at the British Film Institute
  5. Lily Savage's Blankety Blank. 6 May 2001. ITV.
  6. McDowell, Myles (1976). Fox, Geoff; Hammond, Graham; Jones, Terry; Smith, Frederic; Sterck, Kenneth (eds.). Writers, Critics and Children. New York: Agathon Press. pp. 150. ISBN 0-87586-054-0.
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