Richard Beckinsale was an English actor, primarily known for his roles in sitcoms, with his best known characters being prison inmate Leonard Arthur "Lennie" Godber in "Porridge" and medical student Alan Moore in "Rising Damp".
He was born in Carlton, Nottinghamshire, to Anglo-Burmese father Arthur John Beckinsale and English mother Maggie Barlow, claiming to be a distant cousin of actor Charles Laughton.
Beckinsale attended College House Junior School in Chilwell, where he performed in many school plays, including a notable role as Dopey the Dwarf in a school play adaptation of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".
After dropping out of school at age 15, he financially supported himself through odd jobs before enrolling at Nottingham College, Clarendon, pursuing a drama teacher's training programme.
He applied to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1965 and was accepted after his second audition, graduating in 1968.
Following his graduation, Beckinsale started appearing in repertory theatre, touring the United Kingdom with various roles, and made his television debut in 1969 in the soap opera "Coronation Street".
He gained a minor role in the drama series "A Family at War" (1970-1972) and his first major television role was that of leading Geoffrey Scrimshaw in the sitcom "The Lovers" (1970-1971).
His career reached new heights with the hit sitcoms "Porridge", "Rising Damp", and "Going Straight", and he appeared in the sitcom "Bloomers" before his death.
In December 1978, Beckinsale suffered from dizzy spells and sought medical help, but his doctor reassured him that his only health problems were "an overactive stomach lining, and slightly high cholesterol".
He died on March 18, 1979, at the age of 31, due to a heart attack, and was cremated in Bracknell, Berkshire, with a memorial service attended by 300 people.
