George Layton

Infobox actor
name = George Layton


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birthname =
birthdate = bda|1943|03|02|df=y
location = Bradford, Yorkshire, England
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occupation = actor
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homepage = http://www.georgelayton.com/

George Layton (born March 2, 1943 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England) is an English actor, director, screenwriter and author, who studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

He is best known for two television roles: that of Dr Paul Collier in the comedy series "Doctor in the House" and its first two sequels "Doctor At Large" and "Doctor In Charge", and that of Bombardier Solomons in early episodes of "It Ain't Half Hot Mum".

Television

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", 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 boisterous 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 of 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".

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 every episode of the very popular 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 tremendously 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" and "Holby City". 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, George Layton was the subject of "This is Your Life".George's less well-known voiceover work includes TV commercials for various financial products, and narration of promotional videos for property speculators Inside Track, considered by some to have contributed to the overheated market with unrealistic valuations.George is an avid Bradford City fan.

Filmography

*"Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush" (1967)
*"Mosquito Squadron" (1969)
*"Carry On Behind"(1975)
*"Confessions Of A Driving Instructor" (1975)
*"Stand Up Virgin Soldiers" (1977)
*"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1999)

Selected Theatre

"As actor:"
*"Billy Liar" as Geoffrey Fisher (The King's Head, Islington)
*"The Caucasian Chalk Circle" as Lavrenti (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry)
*"Chicago" as Amos Hart (Adelphi Theatre, London)
*"Chips With Everything" as First Corporal (Royal Court and Broadway)
*"How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" as Ponty (New Theatre, Bromley)
*"More Lies About Jerzy" as Jerzy Lesnewski (New End Theatre, Hampstead)
*"The Odd Couple" as Felix (Theatre Royal, Windsor)
*"Oliver!" as Fagin (London Palladium)
*"Twelfth Night" as Feste (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry)

"As director:"
*"Barefoot in the Park" (Cambridge Theatre Company)
*"Dangerous Corner" (Cambridge Theatre Company)
*"Aladdin" (Theatre Royal, Bath)
*"Dick Whittington" Shaw Theatre)

Author

George 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-WWII era. The books have been part of the National Curriculum in British schools, and film versions are in the work.

External links

*imdb name|id=0493607|name=George Layton