Барри Эванс: Өмір жолы мен актерлық мансабы

English actor (1943–1997)
the soap opera character

Born in Guildford, Surrey, Photoplay magazine called Evans a "bright and exciting new actor", and The Sunday Telegraph described his screen debut as "brilliant". Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush represented a breakthrough in a number of technical features: the script, the photography and the filming techniques. Jamie McGregor speaks his thoughts. The soundtrack mainly contained songs performed by The Spencer Davis Group and Traffic. The film was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the Festival was cancelled that year. The film saw the beginning of a long friendship between Barry Evans and the director, Clive Donner, whom Evans regarded as one of his best friends. He worked with Donner again in 1969 in the historical epic Alfred the Great. In 1969, Evans appeared alongside Roddy McDowall in an episode of the series Journey to the Unknown entitled "The Killing Bottle", as a man planning to murder his brother for the inheritance. His first significant television role was in the sitcom Doctor in the House (1969–1970), based on Richard Gordon's novels, which had already been turned into a feature film series. In 1971, Evans played the character of Eli Frome in Pete Walker's low budget thriller Die Screaming, Marianne, alongside Susan George. In 1976, he had the lead role in Stanley Long's sex comedy Adventures of a Taxi Driver. Unlike in Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, in which the viewer partakes in Jamie's thoughts, Evans's character breaks the fourth wall throughout the film. Although the film was successful, Evans decided not to appear in the sequels but he starred in the similarly themed Under the Doctor the same year. Evans also did some theatre work, but this did not prove financially worthwhile, and he spent several spells claiming benefits. He wrote to London Weekend Television, "and told them I was still alive". This led to what became his best known comedy role, as Jeremy Brown in the ITV sitcom Mind Your Language (1977–1979, 1986), The series was written by TV scriptwriter Vince Powell and was adapted for American TV as What a Country! in 1986. In the same year it was briefly revived in Britain for a further 13 episodes.

In 1982–1983, Evans played Dick Emery's trusted assistant Robin Bright in the comedy thriller series Legacy of Murder. By the latter half of the 1980s, Evans's youthful appearance was working against him and he found it difficult to obtain mature acting roles in keeping with his age. By the mid 1990s, Evans was working as a minicab driver in Leicestershire.

In February 1997, police discovered Evans's body in his living room after going to the house to tell him that they had recovered his stolen car, which had been reported missing the day before. The cause of his death has never been confirmed. The coroner found a blow to Evans's head and also found high levels of alcohol in his system. Evans was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium.

A blue plaque commemorating Evans, erected by The Heritage Foundation, is situated at 8 Buckland Crescent in Belsize Park, north west London. He lived at this address from 1960 until the early 1980s. A memorial charity lunch in aid of Barnardo's was held in honour of Evans and Mind Your Language writer Vince Powell at the Marriot Hotel near Marble Arch in central London.