Character actor Melody dies aged 85

Published Wednesday 2 July 2008 at 15:00 by Patrick Newley

Tony Melody, one of Britain’s best known TV character actors, has died. He was 85.

He was best known for his appearances in Emmerdale, Heartbeat and Coronation Street, but he was also fondly remembered by viewers for comedy roles in Steptoe and Son and more recently Last of the Summer Wine.

Melody began his career in the fifties acting as a stooge to Hylda Baker in TV shows such as Be Soon. He had acting roles in drama series including Play for Today and ITV Playhouse and also had an equally successful career in variety, appearing in summer seasons and pantomime.

Other TV credits included playing Hughie Burridge in Where the Heart Is and Harold Lapping in Dalziel and Pasco.

One of his biggest breaks was appearing in the seventies film Yanks with Richard Gere.

Melody had been suffering from cancer and died at a nursing home in Bispham, Lancashire on June 30. A full obituary will appear in The Stage newspaper.