Ronnie Corbett

[poliphilo]

Little chap, bouncy but not cocky, sweet-natured and naturally funny. Working with Ronnie Barker meant wigs and accents, but he didn't need them- and the most reliably funny section of their show was the bit where he sat- as himself- in a huge leather chair and told shaggy dog stories. Not everything he did was first rate but- in a career that stretched from the post-war comedy clubs to a self-subverting cameo in Ricky Gervais's Extras- he did movies, sitcoms, sketches and stand up- and the best of his clips are going to go on being recycled for as long anyone continues to take an interest in 20th century British comedy.