1. Arthur Ian Lavender was an English stage, film and television actor.
40 Facts About Ian Lavender
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Ian Lavender is best known for his role as Private Pike in Dad's Army, a BBC sitcom set during World War II, of which he was the last surviving main cast member.
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Arthur Ian Lavender was born to Edward and Kathleen Lavender in Birmingham, England on 16 February 1946.
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Ian Lavender attended Bournville Boys Technical School where he appeared in many school dramatic productions.
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In 1968, aged 22, Ian Lavender was cast as Private Frank Pike, the youngest member and "stupid boy" of the platoon in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.
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Ian Lavender appeared in the entire run of the series, and in the spinoff film released in 1971.
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Ian Lavender appeared in 1974 in one episode of Man About the House as Mark, an aspiring actor consumed by his own vanity.
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Ian Lavender reprised the part of Pike in the BBC Radio sitcom It Sticks Out Half a Mile.
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Ian Lavender continued to be associated with Dad's Army, and took part in occasional fan conventions and cast reunions.
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Ian Lavender made a variety of appearances during 2008 in connection with the 40th anniversary of the series.
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Ian Lavender recorded a special introduction for the 'lost' colour episode of Dad's Army entitled "Room at the Bottom", which was broadcast on 13 December 2008.
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Ian Lavender made a cameo appearance as Brigadier Pritchard in the 2016 Dad's Army film, providing a link with the original series.
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In 2022, after the death of Frank Williams, Ian Lavender became the last surviving member of the main cast.
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Between 1971 and 1973 Ian Lavender joined Dad's Army colleague Arthur Lowe on the BBC radio comedy Parsley Sidings.
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Ian Lavender was in a BBC radio comedy series, a spin-off from Dad's Army called It Sticks Out Half a Mile.
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Ian Lavender appeared in films and television series, one of which featured him starring alongside Peter Jones and Prunella Scales.
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Ian Lavender was reunited with producer David Croft for the television series Come Back Mrs Noah, though it was unsuccessful.
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Ian Lavender then appeared in several other television comedy shows during the 1980s, including two episodes of Yes Minister, and a lead role in the short-lived The Hello Goodbye Man.
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Ian Lavender appeared on ITV's television game show Cluedo, based on the board game.
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Ian Lavender made an appearance in Goodnight Sweetheart as two different parallel universe versions of the time-travelling lead character's son Michael.
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Ian Lavender provided the lead voice of BBC children's animation PC Pinkerton in 1988.
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In 2001 Ian Lavender joined the BBC soap opera EastEnders, playing the role of Derek Harkinson, a gay friend of Pauline Fowler.
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Ian Lavender continued in EastEnders for four years, with storylines mainly involving the Fowler family, before leaving the serial in 2005.
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On 4 November 2016, it was announced that Ian Lavender would make a brief return to the show.
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Ian Lavender then toured with The Rocky Horror Show musical, playing the Narrator.
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Ian Lavender played the part of a patient in the 5 May 2007 episode of Casualty on BBC.
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In May 2008, Ian Lavender appeared in the BBC documentary series Comedy Map of Britain.
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Ian Lavender starred in the film, 31 North 62 East, an independent psychological thriller starring John Rhys-Davies, Marina Sirtis, Heather Peace and Craig Fairbrass.
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Ian Lavender appeared as Monsignor Howard in the West End theatre production of Sister Act the Musical.
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In January 2011, Ian Lavender appeared at the Slapstick Silent Comedy Festival in Bristol.
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In early 2013, Ian Lavender appeared as The Mikado in three concert performances of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, taking place in The Royal Festival Hall, London, the Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.
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In November 2014, Ian Lavender made a cameo appearance in the film remake Dad's Army directed by Oliver Parker, released in February 2016.
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On 9 May 2015, Ian Lavender gave a reading at VE Day 70: A Party to Remember in Horse Guards Parade, London that was broadcast live on BBC1.
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In 2017, Lavender appeared alongside Rula Lenska, Johnny Ball, Judith Chalmers and Diana Moran in the reality show A Celebrity Taste Of Italy for Channel 5.
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In 2019, Ian Lavender appeared alongside Maureen Beattie, Jonathan Harden, Helen Vine and Rosin Rae in the mental health radio monologue series Talking Taboos, produced by Vine.
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Ian Lavender married his second wife, Michele Hardy, in 1993.
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Ian Lavender was a bladder cancer survivor, and survived a heart attack in the summer of 2004.
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Ian Lavender chose a claret and blue scarf to remind him of his home city.
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On 22 June 2015, Ian Lavender was awarded a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars.
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Ian Lavender died on 2 February 2024, at the age of 77.