Matthews was born in York on 2 September 1927, to Henry and Kathleen Matthews.[2][3] His father was a shop steward at the Rowntree's chocolate factory near York.[2][3] His parents took him often to the theatre, where he gained a love of acting.[2][3] He attended St George's RC Primary School,[4] then St Michael's Jesuit College in Leeds.[2]
He found work as a stagehand at the Theatre Royal in Leeds, and made his theatrical debut in 1945 in the play The Corn Is Green[3] before performing his national service in the Royal Navy.[2] After leaving the military he returned to the stage, appearing in a 1954 touring production of the play No Escape, which starred Flora Robson. He made his West End debut in 1956.[3]
Career
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Matthews starred opposite Morecambe and Wise in the films The Intelligence Men (1965) and That Riviera Touch (1966), which led to a close friendship with Eric Morecambe.[2] He also appeared throughout the 1960s and 1970s in a variety of television comedy roles, including Eric & Ernie's Christmas Show, 1977.[5] He appeared alongside George Cole in Charles Woods' sitcom Don't Forget To Write! (1977) as a successful writer.[3]
In the late 1970s, he served as narrator and host for Follow Me!, a BBC educational programme that offered a "crash course" in the English language to foreign viewers.[9]
In 1986, Matthews and his wife, Angela Browne, appeared together in the BBC adaptation of the Josephine Tey novel Brat Farrar.[6] In 2000, they starred in two Ray Cooney plays on the cruise ship MS Marco Polo, while she was sailing to the Antarctic: Run For Your Wife and Funny Money.
Personal life
Matthews was married to actress Angela Browne from 1963 until her death in 2001; the couple had three sons.[10] Two, Damien Matthews and Paul Rattigan, are actors; the other, Dominic, is an artist and musician. Matthews' younger brother, Paul Shelley, is also an actor; they had a sister, Maura.[3][2]
Death
Matthews died at the age of 86 on 14 June 2014, following a short illness. He was survived by his three sons, seven grandchildren, and his two siblings.[11][12]
Filmography
At Your Service, Ltd. (1951) - Roger Buckett
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1954–1957, TV Series) - Ken Wilson, Ensign Trefusis
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