Billy Boyle
{{Infobox person | occupation = Actor, singer
Billy Boyle (24 February 1945 - 25 February 2022) was an Irish actor and singer on British film, television and stage.[1][2] His recording career included five 45rpm singles for the Decca and Columbia labels, including the novelty song "My Baby's Crazy 'Bout Elvis" (Decca F 11503) in 1962. He was also a veteran of the West End stage, having played leading roles in over 16 hit shows.[3] In his first West End musical, Maggie May, he was nominated as best newcomer.[4] Gower Champion then chose him to play Barnaby in Hello Dolly at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane.[3] He appeared in Canterbury Tales at the Phoenix Theatre as The Clerk of Oxford. Harold Hobson, The Times critic said, "He was a breath of fresh air in the West-End".[citation needed] He went on to play leading roles in No Sex Please, We're British, Billy, What's a Nice Country, The Rivals, Love, Lust, & Marriage, Some Like it Hot, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and in the original cast of Dirty Dancing.[5] He also appeared as Grandpa George and Grandpa Joe in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory at Drury Lane.[6] In 2016 he was Major Bouvier and Norman Vincent Peale in the smash hit Grey Gardens.[7] He followed this playing Arvide in Guys and Dolls at the Phoenix Theatre in the West End. Follies at the National Theatre followed for the 2017/2019 season. He has had his own very successful television series in Ireland, It's Billy Boyle, as well as leading roles in Trail of Guilt, the award-winning The Grass Arena and The Bretts, as well as many guest appearances in EastEnders, The Professionals, Coronation Street, Father Ted, etc.[8][9] In the late 1970s, Boyle was cast as Ronald McDonald in the European TV commercials and in all print media for the fast-food chain McDonald's. He was the last 'straight man' to Basil Brush on BBC1's The Basil Brush Show and later presented Dance Crazy for ITV, on the history of dance, with Lesley Judd.[10][11] Lately he has been seen in Dirk Gently, for BBC Four and Lead Balloon.[12] He appeared in three of the BBC Radio Pantos alongside Kenneth Connor. His many films included Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, Groupie Girl, Side by Side, Shergar, Wild Geese II, The Scarlet and the Black, Round Ireland with a Fridge and A United Kingdom.[1]
Theatrical Performances
| Year | Title |
| Maggie May | |
| Hello Dolly | |
| The Canterbury Tales | |
| The Clerk of Oxford | |
| No Sex Please We're British | |
| Billy | |
| Whats a Nice Country | |
| The Rivals | |
| Love, Lust, & Marriage | |
| Some Like it Hot | |
| Beauty and The Beast | |
| Dirty Dancing | |
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | |
| Grey Gardens | |
| Guys and Dolls |
" Follies "
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Groupie Girl | Wesley | |
| 1975 | Barry Lyndon | Nora's brother #2 | |
| 1975 | Side by Side | Gary | |
| 1985 | Wild Geese II | Devenish | |
| 1987-1989 | The Bretts | Hegarty | 16 episodes |
| 1989 | Dead Bang | Priest | |
| 1990 | It's Billy Boyle | ||
| 1992 | Screen Two | Mr. Healy | Episode: "The Grass Arena" |
| 1993 | EastEnders | Danny Taurus | 12 episodes |
| 1996 | Father Ted | Chatback Priest | Episode: "A Christmassy Ted" |
| 1999 | Shergar | Carrigan | |
| 1999 | Trail of Guilt | TV Series | |
| 2002 | The Basil Brush Show | TV Series | |
| 2008 | Coronation Street | Priest | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Dance Crazy | ||
| 2010 | Dirk Gently | Harry Jordan | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2010 | Round Ireland with a Fridge | Donal | |
| 2011 | Into the Woods | Mysterious Man | |
| 2011 | Lead Balloon | Priest | Episode: "Shoddy" |
| 2016 | A United Kingdom | Reverend James Manners | |
| 2017 | National Theatre Live: Follies | Theodore Whitman |
References
- ^ a b "Billy Boyle". BFI.
- ^ "Billy Boyle - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
- ^ a b "Casting Announced For European Premiere Of Grey Gardens". 20 November 2015.
- ^ "Production of Maggie May - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
- ^ "Billy Boyle Theatre Credits, News, Bio and Photos". www.broadwayworld.com.
- ^ Cavendish, Dominic (22 May 2013). "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Is the West End a boom-town or battle-zone?" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ Billington, Michael (8 January 2016). "Grey Gardens review – show tunes and squalor in a Long Island mansion" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ Archives, RTÉ (5 July 2012). "RTÉ Archives". stillslibrary.rte.ie.
- ^ "Billy Boyle". www.aveleyman.com.
- ^ "The Basil Brush Show[18/10/80] (1980)". BFI.
- ^ "Dance Crazy (1982)". BFI.
- ^ "BBC Four - Dirk Gently, 16/12/2010". BBC.
External links
- Billy Boyle at IMDb
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
 | This article about a British television actor is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |