Don Warrington is best known for his work on Death In Paradise, as well as appearances in Red Dwarf, Doctor Who and Casualty. However, long before he shot to fame, he landed a breakthrough role on the ITV sitcom Rising Damp.
Joining the cast as Philip Smith, the actor was in his early 20s and fresh out of London’s Drama Centre when he first took on the role in 1974,
He looked handsome in a resurfaced snap from 1975, where the TV star can be seen showing off his toned abs during an episode from series two of the show.
Titled A Body Like Mine, the episode sees Don’s character preparing for a boxing match against his roommate Rupert Rigsby, portrayed by Leonard Rossiter.
Don has often spoken about his groundbreaking role in the iconic sitcom, explaining that people still stop him in the street for his portrayal of Philip.
“This always surprises me, because physically I’m very different now to that slim, handsome boy who played Philip,” he told The Telegraph.
“But I’ve always known the show was important,” he continued.
“A lot of black people still say to me that their parents would call them down from their bedrooms whenever it was on, because of the way it showed a black man on TV who was not being put down or abused.”
Reflecting on his early career, the 71-year-old added: “I was never meant to be in a sitcom. I was meant to be a very serious actor.
“I’d studied method acting at drama school, I’d studied ancient Greek tragedy and French classical drama.”
Nonetheless, Don remains extremely proud of the show, which still holds a strong fanbase.
When asked if Rising Damp should be edited for modern audiences, he replied: “No, because the show’s intentions were good.
“Sometimes you have to be generous in that way in order to get a proper view of how things were. And to understand that sometimes people were naïve in what they did.
“For me, the show was never cynical. And because you had such fine actors involved, the standard of work was just so great.” The sitcom also starred Frances de la Tour and Richard Beckinsale.
Off-screen, he has two grown-up sons, Jacob and Archie, with the latter also being an actor.
Death in Paradise’s Commissioner Selwyn Patterson star shares his sons with his wife Mary Maddocks, an actress and director.
Mary has been in the West End production of The Rocky Horror Show, following a successful career in the entertainment industry.
She has also landed guest roles in some big TV shows, including Coronation Street, Midsomer Murders and Doctor Who.
As a director, she has led several stage productions, from plays to musicals.
She and Don have both been supportive of their son Archie’s acting career.
The actor, comedian and writer has starred in Miracle Workers and was a writer on the series Intergalactic.
Don opened up about his career success and why Death in Paradise has been a huge hit.
He said: “If I were to take a stab at it: it has comedy, drama and characters who are essentially loveable and are relatable to the audience in different ways and have more to them than their professions.”
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