Overview (5)
Born | in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK |
Died | in Ramsgate, Kent, England, UK (cirrhosis of the liver) |
Birth Name | John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley |
Nickname | Le Mez |
Height | 5' 10" (1.78 m) |
Mini Bio (3)
The son of a solicitor, British character actor John Le Mesurier attended public school in Dorset, England, before embarking on a career in law. However, acting was his true calling, and at age 20, with his parents' approval, he began his acting career by studying drama at the Fay Compton School of Acting, where one of his classmates was Alec Guinness.
After acting school he performed in repertory until World War II, when he served as a captain in the Northwest Indian Frontier.
After the war, he returned to the stage and made his film debut in Death in the Hand (1948). By the late 1950s Le Mesurier had made appearances in numerous films, especially those made by the Boulting Brothers, and also on television, particularly on Hancock's Half Hour (1956). In 1968 he landed arguably his most popular role, that of Sgt. Wilson in the long-running television series Dad's Army (1968). Although preferring comedy, Le Mesurier also excelled in drama, winning a BAFTA award for Best Actor of the Year in 1971 for his performance in Dennis Potter's "Traitor (1971) (TV)".
In 1977, during "Dad's Army", he had become very ill, but he recovered and continued acting until his death six years later.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Lyn Hammond
Although born in Bedford he grew up in Bury St Edmunds. Following his Solicitor father's wishes he studied law and worked in a solicitor's office for a while but his heart wasn't in it as his love was acting so with his father's blessing he left and got into a repertory company.
He married his first wife June Melville in 1939. The marriage later collapsed due to her alcoholism.
In 1940 he was called up for the army and was was posted to India.
He later married his second wife Hattie Jacques (1949-1965) by whom he had two sons.
He married his third wife Joan Malin in 1966. When his close friend, comedian, Tony Hancock's marriage broke up John invited him to stay with them. This resulted in Joan falling for Tony but his continued drinking drove her back to John.
In 1977 John was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver but he recovered. He lived for another six years before dying in a Ramsgate hospital aged 71.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: tonyman 5
Educated at Sherbourne, he was half way through his law exams when he decided that his future was the stage. When he was 23 he went to a stage school run by actress Fay Compton, The only other male in the class was Alec Guinness, He spent a short time at Oldham Repertory from where he was fired for sleeping through a performance of Up in Mabel Room. At the outbreak of war he returned home to Chelsea to find his house had been flattened by a bomb. He joined the army and ended up as a captain in India, After being demobbed he made a film in colour and widescreen in Budapest which gave him a day and a half's work in 2 months but in the end it was turned into a travelogue and he was seen twice in long shot, In the film Monsieur le Coq he spent 3 weeks in a bath with Julie Newmar then it was canceled half way through the shoot. Things changed for him with the television play Traitor in 1971 which won him Best tv Actor of the Year.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tonyman 5
Family (2)
Spouse |
Joan Le Mesurier (2 March 1966 -
15 November 1983) (his death)
Hattie Jacques (10 November 1949 - 31 August 1965) (divorced) (2 children) June Melville (18 April 1940 - 1949) (divorced) |
Children |
Robin Le Mesurier Kim Le Mesurier |