James Cossins


James Cossins was an English actor. Born in Beckenham, Kent, he became widely recognised as the abrupt, bewildered Mr Walt in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Hotel Inspectors" and as Mr Watson, the frustrated Public Relations training course instructor, in an episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.

Early life

Cossins was born in Beckenham and educated at the City of London School. After serving in the Royal Air Force, he trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he won the silver medal in 1952.

Career

Cossins first appeared in repertory theatre and at the Nottingham Playhouse. He played a wide range of characters throughout his colourful and extensive career on television and stage, often portraying blustering, pompous, crusty and cantankerous characters. Cossins appeared in Charley's Aunt at the Apollo Theatre in 1971 with Tom Courtenay, David Horovitch, Garth Forwood, Joanna McCallum, and Celia Bannerman. He appeared in more than forty films, including The Anniversary, and The Lost Continent, Gandhi, and The Man with the Golden Gun.
On the small screen, Cossins appeared as a guest in a variety of shows, including The Likely Lads and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Minder, Bergerac, The Sweeney, Bless This House, Shadows, All Creatures Great and Small, Citizen Smith, Just William, The Good Life, L for Lester, Neville Dennis in Callan "Rules of the Game", Z-Cars, and as the regular character Bruce Westrop in Emmerdale Farm. He also played Major Bagstock in Dombey and Son, and appeared in the first series of All in Good Faith in 1985. He played a magistrate in episodes of four different British sitcoms, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, The Good Life, Citizen Smith and Minder.
Cossins's later appearances were limited by ill health and he lived in semi-retirement in Surrey. Cossins died from heart disease at the age of 63, in 1997.

Filmography

Film

  • Darling as Basildon
  • The Deadly Bees as Coroner
  • Privilege as Professor Tatham
  • How I Won the War as Drogue
  • The Anniversary as Henry Taggart
  • A Dandy in Aspic as Heston-Stevas
  • The Lost Continent as Nick, Chief Engineer
  • Otley as Geffcock
  • Scrooge as Party Guest
  • The Horror of Frankenstein as Dean
  • The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer as Crodder
  • Wuthering Heights as Mr. Linton
  • Say Hello to Yesterday as Policeman
  • Melody as Headmaster
  • Villain as Brown
  • Blood from the Mummy's Tomb as Older Male Nurse
  • Death Line as James Manfred, OBE
  • Fear in the Night as The Doctor
  • Follow Me! as Party Guest
  • Young Winston as Barnsby
  • Bequest to the Nation as McKillop - HMS Victory
  • Hitler: The Last Ten Days as German Officer
  • The Man with the Golden Gun as Colthorpe
  • The First Great Train Robbery as Harranby
  • Loophole as 1st Interviewer
  • Sphinx as Lord Carnarvon
  • Gandhi as Brigadier
  • Immaculate Conception as Godfrey

    Television

  • The Dangerous Game as Auctioneer
  • Saturday Playhouse as Frank Coppin
  • Theatre Night as Edgar Lucas, the bride's father
  • The Caucasian Chalk Circle as Schauwa
  • Z-Cars as Sergeant Michaelson
  • Compact as Newcastle Pope
  • Armchair Theatre as Partridge
  • ITV Television Playhouse as Hilliard
  • The Sullavan Brothers as Maurice Ashley
  • Londoners as The interviewer
  • No Hiding Place as 'Muddy' Waters
  • Coronation Street as Interviewer
  • The Man in Room 17 as Harry Morrison
  • Legend of Death as Irwin
  • The Likely Lads as Scoutmaster/Vicar
  • Mystery and Imagination as Landlord
  • The Power Game as Henry Outram/Candleford
  • Theatre 625 as Henry
  • The Fellows as Visitor
  • Out of the Unknown as Interviewer
  • The Contenders as Bloater
  • Strange Report as Churchill
  • Dr. Finlay's Casebook as Robbie Cannock
  • The ITV Play as Mr. Peachham
  • The Avengers as Henry
  • Paul Temple as Inspector Lescoe
  • The Wednesday Play as Colonel Jones-William
  • Thirty-Minute Theatre as Tim Singleton
  • Dear Mother...Love Albert as S.M.N. Beanstock/Col. Tomlinson
  • Special Branch as Det. Sgt. Davis
  • Menace as Controller
  • Bless This House as Tom Williams
  • The Ten Commandments as Tom
  • Bel Ami as Forestier
  • The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes as. Dr. Jervis
  • Play for Today as Jeremy
  • Callan as Neville Dennis
  • Pretenders as Old Elam
  • The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Nigh as Rev. Peter Elmstead
  • Man at the Top as Colonel Broadhurst
  • A Day Out as Shorter
  • Crown Court as Graham Erringburn
  • Thriller as Kellet
  • Harriet's Back in Town as Arthur
  • Marked Personal as J.C. Smart
  • Van der Valk as Noordhoff
  • Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em as Watson
  • Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? as a Magistrate
  • Fall of Eagles as Count Josi Hoyos
  • The Pallisers as Sergeant Bunfit
  • Justice as Mr. Ritson
  • The Double Dealers as Sir Julian
  • Good Girl as Manager
  • Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt as Chairman
  • Notorious Woman as Gustave Flaubert
  • Centre Play as Burret
  • Churchill's People as William
  • Fawlty Towers as Mr. Walt
  • Shadows as Custodian
  • The Good Life as Magistrate
  • Jackanory as Storyteller
  • Love Thy Neighbour as George Brittain
  • One-Upmanship
  • Shades of Greene as. Shop assistant
  • The Sweeney as Col. Rosier
  • Don't Forget to Write! as Phillip Mounter
  • Bernie as Various parts
  • The Devil's Crown as Hugues de Lusignan
  • Just William as Uncle Frederick
  • Prince Regent as Sir Robert Gifford
  • All Creatures Great and Small as Aloysius Barge
  • Citizen Smith as Judge
  • The Jim Davidson Show as Various parts
  • Jukes of Piccadilly as Geoffrey Martindale
  • Why Didn't They Ask Evans? as Henry Bassington-ffrench
  • Bergerac as Tuchel/Calhoun
  • Roger Doesn't Live Here Anymore as Baxter
  • Shelley as Bernard Nelson
  • Timon of Athens as Lucullus
  • Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years as Lord Lothian
  • The Confessions of Felix Krull as Lord Kilmarnock
  • L for Lester as Chief Insp. Rodgers
  • Minder as Judge
  • Dombey and Son as Major Bagstock
  • Goodnight and God Bless as Geoffrey
  • Nanny as Mr. Croome
  • Number 10 as Lord Harcourt
  • The Lady Is a Tramp as Man
  • The Masks of Death as Frederick Baines
  • Sharing Time as Arthur
  • Strangers and Brothers as Mr. Knight
  • All in Good Faith as Major Andrews
  • My Brother Jonathan as Reverend Perry
  • Marjorie and Men as Henry Bartlett
  • The Pickwick Papers as Nupkins
  • Up the Elephant and Round the Castle as The Major
  • Call Me Mister as Charlie Staples
  • Miss Marple as Colonel Luscombe
  • Grand Larceny
  • Rude Health as Col. Jardine
  • Chelworth as Mr. Kilbeck
  • Woof! as Mr. Hudson
  • Murder Most Horrid as Sir Hugh Lotterby
  • Adam Dalgliesh as Justin Bryce
  • Under the Hammer as Meredith Bland