Norman Rossington
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| Norman Rossington | |
| Birth name | Norman Rossington |
| Born | 24 December 1928 Liverpool, Merseyside, England |
| Died | 21 May 1999Manchester, Lancashire, England |
| Notable roles | Private 'Cupcake' Cook in The Army Game Various in the Carry On films |
Norman Rossington (24 December 1928 – 21 May 1999) was an English actor best remembered for his roles in The Army Game and the Carry On films.
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[edit] Early life
Rossington was born in Liverpool, the son of a publican, and left school at the age of 14. After that he had many jobs including an apprentice carpenter. Later, he went to night school and studied industrial design in order to become a draughtsman. His interest in acting led him to a local theare group, and by the mid 1950s was appearing on the stage in plays such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and Salad Days.
[edit] Early career
His first film role was in the 1956 film Three Men in a Boat. However, his big break through came in 1957, when he starred as Private 'Cupcake' Cook in the popular sitcom The Army Game. He left after three series in 1959, and in the meantime had appeared in I Only Arsked!, again as Cupcake, and Carry On Sergeant, the first Carry On film. In 1959, he appeared in Carry On Nurse, and Carry On Regardless in 1961. The following year he played the uncredited role of Corporal Jenkins in Lawrence of Arabia, and later appeared in the The Longest Day and The Charge of the Light Brigade.
Rossington is the only performer to work in both a Beatles film, in A Hard Day's Night, and a Elvis Presley film, Double Trouble.
[edit] Television career
From the 1970s onwards, Rossington mainly appeared on television, including roles in His and Hers, The Wednesday Play, Casanova, Carry On Christmas, Crown Court, I, Claudius, Z-Cars, The Bill and Last of the Summer Wine. In 1972, he starred in Young Winston. He final appearances before his death were Heartbeat in 1996, and What's a Carry On? in 1998.
[edit] Theatre
Rossington's made many appearances in the West End, with roles in Peter Pan, My Fair Lady (as Alfred Doolittle), Annie Get Your Gun (as Charlie Davenport), Pickwick: The Musical, Guys and Dolls (as Nathan Detroit), and in Beauty and the Beast.
[edit] Personal life
Norman Rossington married twice. His second marriage, on 19 January 1999 to Cindy Barnes, lasted until his death aged 70 a few months later. He died in Manchester after a six month battle with cancer.
