29 Facts About Michael Elphick

Michael John Elphick was an English film and television actor.

Michael Elphick played the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders.

Michael Elphick was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1983 film Gorky Park.

Michael Elphick grew up in Chichester, Sussex, where his family had a butcher's shop.

Michael Elphick was educated at Lancastrian Secondary Modern Boys School in Chichester, where he took part in several school productions including Noah and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Michael Elphick initially considered joining the Merchant Navy and helped out in his local boatyard during school holidays.

Michael Elphick gained an interest in acting whilst watching stars such as Laurence Olivier, Michael Redgrave and Sybil Thorndike.

Olivier advised Michael Elphick to go to drama school and gave him two speeches to use at auditions.

Michael Elphick was offered a number of places but decided to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama, in Swiss Cottage, because Olivier had attended there.

Michael Elphick made his debut in Fraulein Doktor.

On stage, Michael Elphick played Marcellus and the Player King in Tony Richardson's stage version of Hamlet at the Roundhouse Theatre and on Broadway and he later played Claudius to Jonathan Pryce's Hamlet at the Royal Court Theatre, directed by Richard Eyre.

However, it was for his television roles that Michael Elphick became best known.

Michael Elphick briefly appeared in Coronation Street as Douglas Wormold, son of the landlord Edward, who for many years owned most of the properties in the road.

Michael Elphick played one of the main roles in the film Black Island in 1978 for the Children's Film Foundation, played a villain in The Sweeney episode "One of Your Own" and played a policeman in The Professionals episode "Backtrack" and had a minor role in Hazell, and appeared in the Dennis Potter play Blue Remembered Hills.

Michael Elphick took the title role in Jack Pulman's six part comedy-drama Private Schulz.

Michael Elphick appeared as the Irish labourer Magowan during the first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and starred as Sidney Mundy in the ITV sitcom Pull the Other One, before playing Sam Tyler in four series of Three Up, Two Down.

In 1986 Michael Elphick landed his biggest television success, Boon.

Michael Elphick played Ken Boon, a retired fireman who opened a motorbike despatch business and later became a private investigator.

In 1993 Michael Elphick took the role of a former Fleet Street journalist running a Darlington news agency in Harry.

Michael Elphick played the alcoholic and ruthless Harry Salter, who frequently used exploitation and underhand tactics to get a story.

Michael Elphick went on to play Billy Bones in Ken Russell's televised version of Treasure Island and Barkis in David Copperfield.

Michael Elphick's heavy drinking began to affect his performances, so the character promptly left the series and was killed off off-screen.

Michael Elphick met his long-term partner, schoolteacher Julia Alexander, in 1963 and remained with her until her death from cancer in 1996.

Michael Elphick made the first of many attempts to stop drinking in 1988.

Michael Elphick sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous in the early 1990s, although he admitted he was still drinking in 1993.

Michael Elphick was admitted to the Priory Hospital in Roehampton, in an attempt to beat his addictions.

On 7 September 2002, Michael Elphick died of a heart attack complicated by his drinking problem.

Michael Elphick had collapsed at his home in Willesden Green, London, after complaining of pains.

Michael Elphick was rushed to hospital where he died shortly before his 56th birthday.