Norman Rossington
Norman Rossington was an English actor best remembered for his roles in The Army Game, the Carry On films and the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night.
Early life
Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, the son of a publican, Rossington was educated at Sefton Park Elementary School and Liverpool Technical College. He left education at the age of 14. After that he lived a rather aimless adolescent life as messenger, office boy at Liverpool Docks and apprentice joiner.He did his national service in the RAF. Later, he went to night school and studied industrial design at technical college to become a draughtsman. His interest in acting led him to the David Lewis Theatre, a local theatre group where he began his acting career. Here he played Shakespeare and in The Critic under the direction of Thomas G Reed. Rossington went on to train at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, by the mid-1950s appearing on the stage in plays such as a London Old Vic tour of the US in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Salad Days, being one of the original cast. However, his big breakthrough 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 its big screen spin-off I Only Arsked!, again as 'Cupcake'.
Film roles
His first film role was in the 1956 film Three Men in a Boat. Rossington went on to appear in Carry On Sergeant, the first Carry On film, as well as Carry On Nurse and Carry On Regardless. Rossington also played notable serious roles in Saint Joan and the classic 1960 British "New Wave" film Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, playing alongside Albert Finney in the latter's first starring role. In 1958 he acted in the first of two Titanic films, A Night to Remember, as a steward unable to communicate with non-English speaking passengers. Rossington would return in his second Titanic film playing the Sergeant-at-Arms in S.O.S. Titanic in 1979.In 1962 Rossington played the uncredited role of Corporal Jenkins in Lawrence of Arabia, and later appeared in The Longest Day, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Tobruk playing Alfie and The Charge of the Light Brigade. In 1972, he appeared in Young Winston and the cult horror film Death Line with Donald Pleasence.
Rossington is the only performer to work in both a Beatles film, in A Hard Day's Night, and an Elvis Presley film, Double Trouble. He remembered Presley during filming as a 'quiet man who sat by himself in a corner and who would often borrow my newspaper.'
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, Budgie, Big Jim and the Figaro Club, The Bill and Last of the Summer Wine. He also told the stories from The Adventures of Portland Bill. His final appearances before his death were Heartbeat in 1996, Sharpe's Regiment as Sergeant Horatio Havercamp, also in 1996, and What's a Carry On? in 1998.Theatre
His stage career included time spent with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Rossington also made many appearances in the West End, with roles in Peter Pan, My Fair Lady, Annie Get Your Gun, Tony Weller in Pickwick: The Musical, Guys and Dolls, and in Beauty and the Beast.Radio
Rossington did some radio, returning to the part of Big Jim in the BBC Radio 4 version of Big Jim and the Figaro Club. He made six half-hour episodes in 1987.Personal life and death
Rossington gave his hobbies as woodwork, skiing, golf and languages. Early in his life, Rossington was married to an actress for three years and then divorced. His second marriage, on 19 January 1999 to Cindy Barnes, lasted until his death from cancer aged 70 a few months later.Selected filmography
Keep It Clean as ArthurThree Men in a Boat as Boy LoverSaint Joan as 2nd Soldier at Burning The Long Haul as Young Liverpool Driver Strangers' Meeting as Barrow BoyThe One That Got Away as Sergeant - Swanick The Army Game Pte. 'Cupcake' CookA Night to Remember as James Kieran - Titanic Chief Steerage Steward Carry On Sergeant as Herbert BrownI Only Arsked! as Pte. 'Cupcake' CookCarry On Nurse as NormThe Running Jumping & Standing Still Film as Bearded Man The League of Gentlemen as Staff-Sergeant Hall Doctor in Love as Strip Club Doorman Saturday Night and Sunday Morning as BertNo Love for Johnnie as Sykes of the Herald Carry On Regardless as RefereeGo to Blazes as AlfieCrooks Anonymous as BertThe Longest Day as Pte. CloughLawrence of Arabia as Corporal Jenkins Nurse on Wheels as George JuddA Hard Day's Night as NormThe Comedy Man as Theodore LittletonDaylight Robbery Joey Boy as Royal Army Corporal Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines as Assistant Fire ChiefCup Fever as DriverThe Wrong Box as First RoughTobruk as Private Alfie BraithwaiteDouble Trouble as Arthur BabcockTo Chase a Million The Charge of the Light Brigade as S.M. CorbettNegatives as AuctioneerTwo Gentlemen Sharing as Phil CarterThe Adventures of Gerard as Sgt. Papilette The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer as Guide at Porton DownSimon, Simon as FiremanMan in the Wilderness as FerrisDeath Line as Detective Sergeant RogersYoung Winston as DewsnapGo for a Take as Jack FosterDigby, the Biggest Dog in the World as TomJoseph Andrews as Gaffer AndrewsThe Prisoner of Zenda as BrunoS.O.S. Titanic as Master-at-Arms: T. KingMasada as MaroHouse of the Long Shadows as Station MasterThe Krays as ShopkeeperLet Him Have It as PostmanSelected television roles
| Year | Title | Role |
| 1957 to 1959 | The Army Game | Private Cupcake Cook |
| 1960 to 1962 | Our House | Gordon Brent |
| 1967 | Hicks and Stokes | Billy Hicks |
| 1969 | Curry and Chips | Norman |
| 1970 | The Roads to Freedom | Pinette |
| 1971 | Casanova | Lorenzo |
| 1976 | I, Claudius | Sergeant of the Guard |
| 1996 | Sharpe | Sergeant Horatio Havercamp |