Terence Alexander


Terence Joseph Alexander was an English film and television actor, best known for his role as Charlie Hungerford in the British TV drama Bergerac, the original iteration of which ran for nine series on BBC1 from 1981 to 1991.

Early life and career

Alexander was born in London, the son of a doctor, and grew up in Yorkshire. He was educated at Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire, and Norwood College, Harrogate, and started acting in the theatre at the age of 16. During the Second World War he served in the British Army as a lieutenant with the 27th Lancers, and was seriously wounded when his armoured car was hit by artillery fire in Italy.
In 1956, Alexander appeared on stage in Ring For Catty at the Lyric Theatre in London. He is probably best remembered as Charlie Hungerford from the detective series Bergerac, though he was also very prominent in the 1967 BBC adaptation of The Forsyte Saga. One of his early roles was in the children's series Garry Halliday. In 1970, he appeared in an episode of Please, Sir! in 1970 as the headmaster of a rival school, and as Lord Uxbridge in Sergei Bondarchuk's war epic Waterloo.
Alexander appeared in many other film and television roles, including three appearances in different roles in The Champions, The Avengers, The Persuaders!,, Moody and Pegg, Terry and June, Behind the Screen, the 1985 Doctor Who serial The Mark of the Rani, and The New Statesman. On radio he starred as The Toff in the BBC radio adaptation of the John Creasey novels. He appeared in all but two episodes of Bergerac from 1981 to 1991. He also played Commander Duffield in the 1985 pilot episode of Dempsey and Makepeace, Armed and Extremely Dangerous.
Alexander appeared on the West End in comedies and farces, and his credits included Move Over, Mrs Markham, Two and Two Make Sex, There Goes The Bride and Fringe Benefits.

Personal life

By the time of Bergerac Alexander was blind in one eye due to a condition of the retina, which seriously threatened his sight in the other eye. He retired from acting in 1999, suffering from Parkinson's disease. He lived in Fulham, London, with his second wife, the actress Jane Downs. He died on 28 May 2009 aged 86.

Filmography

Film

Comin' Thro the Rye as Robert Burns The Woman with No Name as 2nd Sapper OfficerThe Elusive Pimpernel as Duke of DorsetA Tale of Five Cities Death Is a Number as Alan RobertThe Gentle Gunman as Ship's Officer Top Secret as second M.V.D.Glad Tidings as First Lieutenant Spud CusackPark Plaza 605 as Hotel ManagerThe Runaway Bus as Peter JonesDangerous Cargo as Harry FraserThe Green Scarf as Wireless OperatorHands of Destiny as Ranald's Office ManagerOut of the Clouds as Bob Robins – Duty Room Radio Operator Portrait of Alison as FenbyWho Done It? as Radio Show Official The Green Man as Radio Announcer The Eternal Question The One That Got Away as R.A.F. Intelligence OfficerThe Square Peg as Captain WhartonThe Doctor's Dilemma as Mr. LanchesterDanger Within as Lt. GibbsBreakout as FarrowDon't Panic Chaps! as Lieutenant BabbingtonThe Price of Silence as John BraineThe League of Gentlemen as RupertThe Bulldog Breed as Defending CounselEdgar Wallace Mysteries, as Johnny TimeCarry On Regardless as Trevor TrelawneyThe Gentle Terror as DavidThe Fast Lady as Policeman on MotorcycleOn the Beat as Chief Supt. Bert BelcherShe Always Gets Their Man as Bob ConleyThe Mind Benders as Rowing Coach The V.I.P.s as CaptainBitter Harvest as AndyThe Intelligence Men as ReedJudith as CarstairsThe Long Duel as MajorThe Spare Tyres as Dennis ColvilleOnly When I Larf as Gee Gee GrayWhat's Good for the Goose as FrisbyRun a Crooked Mile as Peter MartinThe Magic Christian as Mad MajorWaterloo as Lord UxbridgeAll the Way Up as Bob ChickmanThe Vault of Horror as Breedley The Day of the Jackal as Lloyd Claudine as Teddy The Internecine Project as Business TycoonThe Seven Dials Mystery as George LomaxThat Englishwoman: An Account of the Life of Emily Hobhouse as Rev. Reginald Hobhouse

Television