John Laurie

Career overview

John Paton Laurie was a Scottish stage, film, and television actor born in Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, on March 25, 1897. The son of a mill worker, he initially studied and began a career in architecture before leaving his position with World War I. Following his World War I service, he trained at the Central School and began his stage career in 1921, where he was cast in Shakespearean roles.

Laurie made his film debut in Juno and the Paycock in 1930, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. He subsequently appeared in scores of feature films, generally playing memorable small or supporting character roles. Over his long career, he worked with notable directors including Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Michael Powell, and Laurence Olivier. He came to attention in his third film, Hitchcock's The 39 Steps, released in 1935, in which he played the role of the jealous crofter. Throughout his screen career, he appeared in nearly 120 screen roles.

On television, Laurie is probably best known for his performance as Private Frazer, a Scottish mortician, in the BBC television comedy series Dad’s Army, which ran from 1968. He passed away on June 23, 1980, in Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire, England, at the age of 83.