Kurt: /* Early life */

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Early life

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	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Lewis was born at All Saints Maternity Hospital in [[Poplar, London\|Poplar]], [[County of London\|London]], England.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=j%2FMJyIXsNjuxPEzzUjw74Q&scan=1\|title=Index entry\|accessdate=19 March 2015\|work=FreeBMD\|publisher=ONS}}</ref> He worked as a bricklayer, electrician's mate and carpenter, and also joined the [[Merchant shipping\|Merchant Navy]], before turning to acting.~~{{cn\|date=April 2020}}~~ He was persuaded to go to a performance by the [[Theatre Workshop]], under its director [[Joan Littlewood]]. It was common, after these performances, to invite members of the audience to meet the cast. He was invited to an audition, landed the part, and left the sea to become a member of the company.		Lewis was born at All Saints Maternity Hospital in [[Poplar, London\|Poplar]], [[County of London\|London]], England.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=j%2FMJyIXsNjuxPEzzUjw74Q&scan=1\|title=Index entry\|accessdate=19 March 2015\|work=FreeBMD\|publisher=ONS}}</ref> He worked as a bricklayer, electrician's mate and carpenter, and also joined the [[Merchant shipping\|Merchant Navy]], before turning to acting. He was persuaded to go to a performance by the [[Theatre Workshop]], under its director [[Joan Littlewood]]. It was common, after these performances, to invite members of the audience to meet the cast. He was invited to an audition, landed the part, and left the sea to become a member of the company.

	==Stage==		==Stage==

Kurt at 05:36, 14 January 2023

2023-01-14T05:36:06Z

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	{{short description\|English actor}}		{{short description\|English actor}}
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2022}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = Stephen Lewis		\| name = Stephen Lewis
	\| image = Stephen Lewis ~~1969~~.~~png~~		\| image = Stephen Lewis.jpg
	\| caption = As Inspector Cyril Blake in ''[[On the Buses]]''		\| caption = As Inspector Cyril Blake in ''[[On the Buses]]''
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1926\|12\|17\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1926\|12\|17\|df=y}}

Kurt: /* External links */

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External links

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	* {{IMDb name\|0507767\|Stephen Lewis}}		* {{IMDb name\|0507767\|Stephen Lewis}}
	* [http://www.onthebusesfanclub.com/id115.html Interview with Stephen Lewis]		* [http://www.onthebusesfanclub.com/id115.html Interview with Stephen Lewis]

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Stephen}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Stephen}}

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-08-18T03:23:17Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 22:23, 17 August 2022
(No difference)

en>5 albert square: Cleaned up using AutoEd, date formats per MOS:DATEFORMAT by script, date formats per MOS:DATEFORMAT by script, resolved slash dates

2022-02-24T17:13:24Z

Cleaned up using AutoEd, date formats per MOS:DATEFORMAT by script, date formats per MOS:DATEFORMAT by script, resolved slash dates

New page

{{short description|English actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Stephen Lewis
| image = Stephen Lewis 1969.png
| caption = As Inspector Cyril Blake in ''[[On the Buses]]''
| birth_date = {{birth date|1926|12|17|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|8|12|1926|12|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[London]], England
| resting_place = [[St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cemetery]], [[Leytonstone]], London, England
| death_place = London, England
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|director|screenwriter|playwright}}
| years_active = {{circa}} 1958–2007
}}

'''Stephen Lewis''' (17 December 1926 – 12 August 2015), credited early in his career as '''Stephen Cato''', was an English actor, comedian, director, screenwriter and playwright. He is best known for his roles as Inspector Cyril "Blakey" Blake in ''[[On the Buses]]'', Clem "Smiler" Hemmingway in ''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]'' and Harry Lambert in ''[[Oh, Doctor Beeching!]]'', although he also appeared in numerous stage and film roles.

==Early life==
Lewis was born at All Saints Maternity Hospital in [[Poplar, London|Poplar]], [[County of London|London]], England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=j%2FMJyIXsNjuxPEzzUjw74Q&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=19 March 2015|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref> He worked as a bricklayer, electrician's mate and carpenter, and also joined the [[Merchant shipping|Merchant Navy]], before turning to acting.{{cn|date=April 2020}} He was persuaded to go to a performance by the [[Theatre Workshop]], under its director [[Joan Littlewood]]. It was common, after these performances, to invite members of the audience to meet the cast. He was invited to an audition, landed the part, and left the sea to become a member of the company.

==Stage==
Lewis made his [[West End theatre]] debut with the transfer of [[Brendan Behan]]'s ''[[The Hostage (play)|The Hostage]]'' in 1958.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11801816/Stephen-Lewis-actor-obituary.html|title=Stephen Lewis, actor - obituary|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=13 August 2015|accessdate=13 August 2015}}</ref> In 1960 he wrote ''Sparrers Can't Sing'' with the Theatre Workshop, which was made into the film ''[[Sparrows Can't Sing]]'' in 1963, starring [[Barbara Windsor]], [[Roy Kinnear]] and Lewis himself, as well as his future ''On the Buses'' co-star [[Bob Grant (actor)|Bob Grant]]. He used the surname "Cato" in his early stage career, but after writing ''Sparrows Can't Sing'' he was urged by his agent to use his real name.

==Television==
From 1969 Lewis starred in his best-remembered role as the gruff inspector Blakey in the British sitcom ''On the Buses'', which ran for 74 episodes and spawned three films: ''[[On the Buses (film)|On the Buses]]'' (1971), ''[[Mutiny on the Buses]]'' (1972), and ''[[Holiday on the Buses]]'' (1973). He co-wrote 12 episodes with fellow star [[Bob Grant (actor)|Bob Grant]]. Lewis was made up to look much older than his actual age with heavy make-up; he was only 42 when the programme began. A spin-off series, ''[[Don't Drink the Water (TV series)|Don't Drink the Water]]'' (1974–1975), ran for two series. This featured Blakey retiring to Spain with his sister Dorothy (played by [[Pat Coombs]]). In the 1990s, Blakey appeared regularly on [[Jim Davidson]]'s version of ''[[The Generation Game]]'' on [[BBC One]]. In addition, Lewis played a coach driver with very similar characteristics to Blakey in a 2000 edition of ITV's 1970s-set sitcom ''[[The Grimleys]]''. He also appeared in ''[[Manhunt (1969 TV series)|Manhunt]]'' in a rare villainous role. He and [[Bob Grant (actor)|Bob Grant]] starred in a TV show called ''Jugg Brothers'' (1970), but this never got past the pilot episode.

==Film==
The films in which Lewis acted included ''[[A Prize of Arms]]'' (1962), ''[[Sparrows Can't Sing]]'' (1963) (which he also wrote), ''[[Negatives (1968 film)|Negatives]]'' (1968), ''[[Staircase (film)|Staircase]]'' (1969, with [[Richard Burton]] and [[Rex Harrison]]), ''[[Some Will, Some Won't]]'' (1969), ''[[The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins]]'' (1971), ''[[The Last Remake of Beau Geste]]'' (1977), ''[[Personal Services]]'', ''[[Out of Order (1987 film)|Out of Order]]'' (both 1987), and ''[[The Krays (film)|The Krays]]'' (1990). He also appeared in two British sex comedies, ''[[Adventures of a Taxi Driver]]'' (1975) and ''[[Adventures of a Plumber's Mate]]'' (1978).<ref name="Telegraph" />

==Later television roles==
In 1988, he took on one of his longest-running roles, playing [[List of Last of the Summer Wine characters#Clem "Smiler" Hemingway|Clem "Smiler" Hemingway]] in the BBC sitcom ''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]''. The character appeared in many episodes for 17 years, until ill health forced Lewis to leave the series in 2007. In 1995, Lewis played Harry Lambert, the signalman, in the BBC pilot of sitcom ''[[Oh, Doctor Beeching!]]'', which ran to two further series. He appeared as a guest in sitcoms such as ''[[One Foot in the Grave]]'', ''[[2point4 Children]]'', ''[[Father, Dear Father]]'' and ''[[The Grimleys]]''. He also played the character of Alf, a comedy writer, in the second series of ''[[The All New Alexei Sayle Show]]'' (1995).

==Death==
Lewis died at the age of 88 on 12 August 2015, in a nursing home in [[Wanstead]], London, where his sister Connie also resided.<ref>{{cite web |title=On The Buses actor Stephen Lewis dies aged 88 |url=http://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/on-the-buses-actor-stephen-lewis-dies-aged-88-31449703.html |work=[[Irish Independent]] |date=13 August 2015 |accessdate=13 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="BBC">{{cite web |title=Stephen Lewis, On the Buses' 'Blakey', dies aged 88 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33914037 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=13 August 2015 |accessdate=13 August 2015}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
|1961 || ''[[The Frightened City]]'' || Alf's First Thug ||
|-
|1962 || ''[[A Prize of Arms]]'' || Military Police Corporal ||
|-
|1963 || ''[[Sparrows Can't Sing]]'' || Caretaker ||
|-
|1966 || ''[[Kaleidoscope (1966 film)|Kaleidoscope]]'' || Truck Driver || Uncredited
|-
|1968 || ''[[Negatives (1968 film)|Negatives]]'' || The Dealer ||
|-
|1969–1973 || ''[[On the Buses]]'' || Cyril "Blakey" Blake ||
|-
|1969 || ''[[Staircase (film)|Staircase]]'' || Jack ||
|-
|1970 || ''[[Some Will, Some Won't]]'' || Police Constable Arthur ||
|-
|1971 || ''[[The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins]]'' || Jarvis || (segment "Wrath")
|-
|1971 || ''[[On the Buses (film)|On the Buses]]'' || rowspan="4"|Cyril "Blakey" Blake ||
|-
|1972 || ''[[Mutiny on the Buses]]'' ||
|-
|1973 || ''[[Holiday on the Buses]]'' ||
|-
|1974–1975 || ''[[Don't Drink the Water (TV series)|Don't Drink the Water]]'' ||
|-
|1976 || ''[[Adventures of a Taxi Driver]]'' || Doorman ||
|-
|1977 || ''[[The Fosters (1976 TV series)|The Fosters]]'' || Mr Wilberforce ||
|-
|1977 || ''[[The Last Remake of Beau Geste]]'' || Henshaw ||
|-
|1978 || ''Questo si che è amore'' || Policeman ||
|-
|1978 || ''[[Adventures of a Plumber's Mate]]'' || Crapper ||
|-
|1982 || ''[[Rep (television series)|Rep]]'' || Royston Flagg ||
|-
|1987 || ''[[Personal Services]]'' || Mr. Dunkley ||
|-
|1987 || ''[[Out of Order (1987 film)|Out of Order]]'' || Bus Driver ||
|-
|1988–2007 || ''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]'' || Clem "Smiler" Hemmingway ||
|-
|1990 || ''[[One Foot in the Grave]]'' || Vince Bluett ||
|-
|1990 || ''[[The Krays (film)|The Krays]]'' || Policeman ||
|-
|1991 ||''[[2point4 Children]]'' || Driving Instructor ||
|-
|1993 ||''[[Inside Victor Lewis-Smith]]'' || Man in Lift ||
|-
|1995 || ''[[The All New Alexei Sayle Show]]'' || Alf ||
|-
|1995–1997 || ''[[Oh, Doctor Beeching!]]'' || Harry Lambert ||
|-
|2004 || ''Revolver'' || Various characters ||
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|0507767|Stephen Lewis}}
* [http://www.onthebusesfanclub.com/id115.html Interview with Stephen Lewis]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Stephen}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from London]]
[[Category:English male comedians]]
[[Category:People from Poplar, London]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:British male comedy actors]]

Stephen Lewis (actor) - Revision history

Kurt: /* Early life */

Kurt at 05:36, 14 January 2023

Kurt: /* External links */

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>5 albert square: Cleaned up using AutoEd, date formats per MOS:DATEFORMAT by script, date formats per MOS:DATEFORMAT by script, resolved slash dates