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Norman Wisdom

Acting 95 (deceased) years old Marylebone, London, England ★ 0.4
Born: February 4, 1915
Died: October 4, 2010

Biography

Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom,  OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin. These films initially made more money than the James Bond film series,  and secured Wisdom a celebrity status in lands as far apart as South America, Iran and many Eastern Bloc countries, particularly in Albania where his films were permitted by Enver Hoxha – Wisdom was the only Western actor to enjoy this privilege.  Charlie Chaplin famously referred to Wisdom as his "favourite clown". 

Wisdom later forged a career on Broadway and as a television actor, winning critical acclaim for his dramatic role of a dying cancer patient in the television play Going Gently in 1981. It was broadcast on 5 June that year. He toured Australia and South Africa.  After the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, a hospice was named in his honour.  In 1995 he was given the Freedom of the City of London and of Tirana.  The same year he received an OBE.  Wisdom was knighted in 2000 and spent much of his later life on the Isle of Man. Some of his later appearances included roles in Last of the Summer Wine and Coronation Street,  and he retired from acting at the age of 90 after his health declined.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

Casualty
Casualty Mr. Cole 1986
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine Billy Ingleton 1973
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Self - Nominee / Performer 1956
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life 1955
The Last Detective
The Last Detective Lofty Brock 2003

Filmography

Acting Credits (54)

Innes Lloyd: The Producer
Innes Lloyd: The Producer Self (archive footage) 2025
The Unforgettable Norman Wisdom
The Unforgettable Norman Wisdom Himself (archive footage) 2011
Norman Wisdom: His Story
Norman Wisdom: His Story Himself : Archive footage 2010
Norman Wisdom: Trouble On Tour
Norman Wisdom: Trouble On Tour Self 2008
The Legend of Harrow Woods
The Legend of Harrow Woods Winston 2008
The Secret Life of Norman Wisdom Aged 92¾
The Secret Life of Norman Wisdom Aged 92¾ Self 2008
Expresso
Expresso The Vicar (as Sir Norman Wisdom) 2007
Between The Sheets
Between The Sheets Maurice Hardy 2003
Thora Hird Tribute
Thora Hird Tribute Self 2003
The Last Detective
The Last Detective Lofty Brock 2003
It's Only TV But I Like It
It's Only TV But I Like It Self 1999
Where on Earth Is Katy Manning?
Where on Earth Is Katy Manning? 1998
An Audience with Bruce Forsyth
An Audience with Bruce Forsyth 1997
Style Challenge
Style Challenge 1996
Cue Here for Laughs with John Virgo
Cue Here for Laughs with John Virgo Self 1994
Double X: The Name of the Game
Double X: The Name of the Game Arthur Clutton/Maurice Rigby 1992
Casualty
Casualty Mr. Cole 1986
The Golden Gong: The Story of Rank Films - British Cinema's Legendary Studio
The Golden Gong: The Story of Rank Films - British Cinema's Legendary Studio Self 1985
Wogan
Wogan Self 1982
Bergerac
Bergerac Vincent 1981
Going Gently
Going Gently Bernard Flood 1981
An Audience with...
An Audience with... Self 1978
To See Such Fun
To See Such Fun 1977
A Little Bit Of Wisdom
A Little Bit Of Wisdom Norman 1974
Playhouse
Playhouse Bernard Flood 1974
Nobody Is Norman Wisdom
Nobody Is Norman Wisdom Nobody 1973
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine Man Carrying Gnome (uncredited) 1973
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine Billy Ingleton 1973
Norman
Norman 1970
What's Good for the Goose
What's Good for the Goose Timothy Bartlett 1969
The Night They Raided Minsky's
The Night They Raided Minsky's Chick Williams 1968
Androcles and the Lion
Androcles and the Lion Androcles 1967
Press for Time
Press for Time Norman Shields / Emily Shields / Wilfred, the Prime Minister 1966
The Sandwich Man
The Sandwich Man Boxing Vicar 1966
The Early Bird
The Early Bird Norman Pitkin 1965
A Stitch in Time
A Stitch in Time Norman Pitkin 1963
On the Beat
On the Beat Norman Pitkin / Giulio Napolitani 1962
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show Self 1962
The Girl on the Boat
The Girl on the Boat Sam Marlowe 1962
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show Self 1961
The Bulldog Breed
The Bulldog Breed Ordinary Seaman Norman Puckle 1960
There Was a Crooked Man
There Was a Crooked Man Davy Cooper 1960
Follow a Star
Follow a Star Norman Truscott 1959
Look at Life: A Dog's Life
Look at Life: A Dog's Life Self 1959
The Square Peg
The Square Peg Private Norman Pitkin / General Otto Schreiber 1958
Just My Luck
Just My Luck Norman Hackett / Mr. Hackett 1957
Up in the World
Up in the World Norman 1956
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Self - Nominee / Performer 1956
Man of the Moment
Man of the Moment Norman 1955
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life 1955
As Long as They're Happy
As Long as They're Happy Norman 1955
One Good Turn
One Good Turn Norman 1955
Trouble in Store
Trouble in Store Norman 1953
Date with a Dream
Date with a Dream Shadow Boxer 1948

Writing Credits (6)

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