Ken Campbell
Biography
Kenneth Victor Campbell was an English writer, actor, director, and comedian born on December 10, 1941, in Ilford, Essex, England, United Kingdom, and known for his work in experimental theatre. He has been called a one-man dynamo of British theatre. Campbell achieved notoriety in the 1970s for his nine-hour adaptation of the science-fiction trilogy Illuminatus! and his 22-hour staging of Neil Oram's play cycle The Warp, which was listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the longest play in the world. According to The Independent, he became something approaching a grand old man of the fringe in the 1990s through a series of sprawling monologues packed with arcane information and freakish speculations on the nature of reality. He died on August 31, 2008, at the age of 66.
Career overview
Kenneth Victor Campbell was born on December 10, 1941, in Ilford, Essex, England, United Kingdom, and died on August 31, 2008, at the age of sixty-six. He was an English writer, actor, director, and comedian known for his work in experimental theatre, and he has been described as a one-man dynamo of British theatre. His known credits in acting span sixty-nine entries.
Campbell achieved notoriety during the 1970s for notable theatrical productions, which included a nine-hour adaptation of the science-fiction trilogy Illuminatus! and a twenty-two-hour staging of Neil Oram's play cycle titled The Warp. The latter production was listed by The Guinness Book of Records as the longest play in the world.
Later in his career, according to The Independent, Campbell became something approaching a grand old man of the fringe during the 1990s. This status was achieved through a series of sprawling monologues that were packed with arcane information and freakish speculations regarding the nature of reality.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
75 titles- Nina Conti: Her Master's Voice (2012) as Self
- Friends Reunited (2005) as Zero
- Agatha Christie's Marple (2004) as Crump
- Creep (2004) as Arthur
- Ken Campbell's Meaning of Life (2004) as Self
- Ken Campbell's Meaning of Life (2004) Writer
- Saving Grace (2000) as Sgt. Alfred Masely
- Alice in Wonderland (1999) as Mr. Duck
- Dooley Gardens (1999)
- Six Experiments that Changed the World (1999)
- The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (1998) as Wolf 1 (voice)
- Extraordinary Visitor (1998) as Rodney
- Local Heroes (1996)
- Hard Men (1996) as Mr Ross
- Reality on the Rocks (1995)
- Middlemarch (1994) as Mr Mawmsey
- Heartbeat (1992) as Hector Plumpton
- A Different Hand (1992) as The Doctor
- Secret Nation (1992) as Parkinson
- Wings of Fame (1990) as Head Waiter
- Crimestrike (1990) as Julius Caesar
- Scandal (1989) as Editor of Pictorial
- The Nineteenth Hole (1989) as Johnson
- A Fish Called Wanda (1988) as Bartlett
- Erasmus Microman (1988) as Erasmus Microman
- Darkest England (1988)
- Lovejoy (1986) as Ted Goat
- Smart Money (1986) as Mr. Sayles
- Screen Two (1985) as Tim Rickett
- Screen Two (1985) Writer
- In Sickness and in Health (1985) as The Irate Driver
- In Sickness and in Health (1985) as Fred Johnson
- Super Gran (1985) as Unlucky Luciano
- Home to Roost (1985) as Mr Prendergast
- The Bride (1985) as Pedlar
- Dreamchild (1985) as Radio Sound Effects Man/March Hare (voice)
- A Zed & Two Noughts (1985) as Stephen Pipe
- Joshua Then and Now (1985) as Sidney Murdoch
- Letter to Brezhnev (1985) as Newspaper Reporter
- Unfair Exchanges (1985) as Tim Rickett
- Unfair Exchanges (1985) Writer
- In the Secret State (1985) as Hoskins
- The Moon Over Soho (1985) as Geoffrey Hargreaves
- Ligmalion: Or How to Help Yourself in Self-Help Britain (1985) as Samuel Smiles
- Sherlock Holmes (1984) as James Ryder
- The Bill (1984)
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984) as James Ryder
- Private Schulz (1981) as Krauss
- Towers of Babel (1981) as Alfie
- The Gentle Touch (1980)
- Breaking Glass (1980) as Publican
- Minder (1979) as Seedy Customer
- The Tempest (1979) as Gonzalo, an honest councillor
- The Last Window Cleaner (1979) as DC Denis Deacey
- The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979) as Various Roles
- Phoelix (1979)
- An Audience with... (1978) as Self
- Law & Order (1978) as Alex Gladwell
- Dinner at the Sporting Club (1978) as Neville
- The Professionals (1977) as Parker
- Secret Service (1977) Producer
- The Story of Pantomime (1976) as Self
- Justine (1976) as Dubourg
- The Mound Builders (1976) Director
- Fawlty Towers (1975) as Roger
- The Rules of the Game (1975) Producer
- The Ken Campbell Roadshow (1971) as Self
- The Big Flame (1969) as Journalist
- Inspector Clouseau (1968) as Reporter
- Uncle Silas (1968) as Crabbe
- Poor Cow (1967) as Mr. Jacks
- The Heroism of Thomas Chadwick (1967) as Thomas Chadwick
- Mystery and Imagination (1966) as Crabbe
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Thomas Chadwick
- Armchair Theatre (1956) Writer
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Ken Campbell best known for?
Ken Campbell is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Nina Conti: Her Master's Voice (2012), Agatha Christie's Marple (2004), Creep (2004), Saving Grace (2000).
When and where was Ken Campbell born?
Ken Campbell was born on December 10, 1941 in Ilford, Essex, England, UK. They passed away on August 31, 2008.
How many credits does Ken Campbell have?
Ken Campbell has accumulated over 75 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1956 to 2012.
What is Ken Campbell's background in cinema and television?
Kenneth Victor Campbell was an English writer, actor, director, and comedian born on December 10, 1941, in Ilford, Essex, England, United Kingdom, and known for his work in experimental theatre. He has been called a one-man dynamo of British theatre. Campbell achieved notoriety in the 1970s for his nine-hour adaptation...
Ken Campbell by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Fawlty Towers (1975) as Roger — aged about 33
- Sherlock Holmes (1984) as James Ryder — aged about 42
- In Sickness and in Health (1985) as The Irate Driver — aged about 43
- In Sickness and in Health (1985) as Fred Johnson — aged about 43
- Middlemarch (1994) as Mr Mawmsey — aged about 52
- Agatha Christie's Marple (2004) as Crump — aged about 62
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