Seventies sitcom icon Reg Varney dies, aged 92
17/11/2008 - 09:52
On The Buses actor Reg Varney has died, his daughter said.
The actor died following a short illness in a nursing home in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, at the age of 92.
His daughter, Jeanne Marley, 59, said he died peacefully.
Varney, who played main character Stan Butler in the 1970s sitcom, was born in London's East End, but had lived in Devon for the past 20 years.
After leaving school he took various menial jobs before becoming an actor after showing a flair for performance in working men's clubs.
During the Second World War he joined the Royal Electrical Engineers, but carried on being an entertainer in various music halls. He had a number of roles in different TV shows before achieving fame in his role in On The Buses, which began in 1969 and ran for seven series.
Afterwards Varney took on a number of film roles although it was On The Buses that he continued to be most recognised for. In later years he went abroad on tour with a cabaret show.
Mrs Marley said he had only recently been admitted to the nursing home after he had begun suffering from a chest infection.
She said: "He's always been very young for his age. When he was in On The Buses he was playing a 35-year-old, but he was actually 50."
- Bookmarks:
WHAT'S ON TV LATESTNews & Gossip
- Suranne Jones reveals her West End dreams (VIDEO)
- Cowell hires lawyers to sort Cheryl's US visa woes
- EastEnders boss hunting for a hunk
- Dancing on Ice: Hardman Ellery is pretty in pink
- Wild At Heart gets a sassy new vet
- Big Brother nominees to learn their fate tonight
- BBC denies knowledge of insider bets on new Doctor
- Alison Steadman: I wish I'd cracked the movies
- Countdown's Jeff: 'Rachel is drop-dead gorgeous'
- New year at Waterloo Road begins with a bang
