RIP Alf Garnet

Alf Garnett Actor Warren Mitchell Dies Aged 89

Tributes are paid to the London actor, with Ricky Gervais calling him one of the "most important characters" in comedy history.



Actor Warren Mitchell, famous for playing outspoken Alf Garnett in TV series Till Death Us Do Part, has died aged 89.

His family said: "Sadly we can confirm Warren Mitchell died in the early hours of Saturday, November 14, surrounded by his family.

"He has been in poor health for some time, but was cracking jokes to the last."

In contrast to his best-known role as a racist, homophobic, chauvinistic bigot, Mitchell was in reality a socialist.

Nevertheless, he was still being stopped in the street 40 years on by fans who thought he really was like Garnett.

He once admitted some similarities, saying: "Opinionated male chauvinistic pig at times, I suppose.

"As my wife Connie once said to me, 'You are like that awful Alf Garnett, only he's funny and you're not'."

Comedian Ricky Gervais was one of the first to pay tribute to the London-born star.

"Alf Garnett was one of the most influential and important characters and performances in comedy history. RIP Warren Mitchell," he tweeted.

Mitchell - born Warren Misell - served in the Royal Air Force and then went on to read physics at University College, Oxford.

He left the course early and took up acting in 1951 at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

His role as Alf Garnett was his big break, and the character became much-loved by the British public.

Mitchell - an ardent Tottenham Hotspur fan, unlike West Ham-supporting Garnett - also appeared in Lovejoy, Waking The Dead, Kavanagh QC and Gormenghast.

He received critical acclaim for performances in Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman and Harold Pinter's The Caretaker.


From http://news.sky.com/story/1587660/alf-garnett-actor-warren-mitchell-dies-aged-89

RIP Great actor, funny person.

even in those days old alf was beyond un-PC...

just totally outrageous.....

Oh he certainly was.  Warren Mitchell actually said at one point I seem to remember, that if he knew an Alf Garnett he'd probably flatten him lol

God how I laughed at that. The classic RW v the classic LW. Sign of the times though and would be banned today.

Alf accused him of being a geordie and he said I'm a scouse and Alf said they're the worst kind of Geordies you can get

his favourite comment

yer scouse git

Lord Foul wrote:his favourite comment

yer scouse git

So it was

yer randy scouse git.