British comedian actor Eric Sykes dies aged 89

Comedy legend Eric Sykes has died at age 89 after short illness. His family were with him to the end.

Comedian star Eric Sykes will be remembered best for the long-running and fully acclaimed ‘ Sykes And A… ‘ TV series with an English comedy actress Hattie Jacques. Comic British actor Eric Sykes also starred in films including Monte Carlo or Bust, Absolute Beginners, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines and The Others. He became known to a new generation appearing in films such as ‘ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ‘ and, in 2007, British comedy ‘ Son of Rambow ‘.

Eric Sykes was much more than an actor. The British comedian legend was also a hugely successful comedy scriptwriter for radio, television and film of enormous talent, energy and imagination, a novelist, a film director and a producer.

Eric Sykes dead / the best known British comic actor of his generation died aged 89

During his collaboration with English comedian Hattie Jacques, which lasted until shortly before her death in 1980, British comedy icon Eric Sykes was involved in a number of other projects, including a controversial comedy show called ‘ Curry And Chips ‘, in which he has played opposite a blacked-up Milligan. He also wrote, directed and starred in the silent film ‘ The Plank ‘, which is very popular now and regarded as a movie classic.

Eric Sykes was born in Oldham in 1923 and served as a wireless operator in the Mobile Signals Unit, Royal Air Force, from 1941 until after the end of the First World War. Like many actors of his generation, he has been introduced to world’s show business during his wartime service.

‘ He died peacefully after a short illness ‘ / Eric Sykes dies at age 89

British comic actor Sykes was writing for the BBC radio show ’ Educating Archie and Variety Bandbox ‘. Then he became one of TV’s first scriptwriters and appeared in a number of television variety shows, including the ‘ Pantomania ‘, as well as starting to write scripts for ‘ The Goon Show ‘. He wrote more than twenty episodes with Spike Milligan.

Eric Sykes did not let age collide with his work. Even though he was forthcoming eighty he starred with Hollywood movie star Nicole Kidman in the acclaimed movie ‘ The Others ‘, and also starred in the hilarious West End farce Caught In The Net in which, though his years and his increasing eyes-disease, Sykes has played an greatly active role.

Legendary Eric Sykes married Eith Eleanore Milbrandt, with whom he had one son, David, and three daughters - Catherine, Julie, Susan. British icon Sykes was an honorary president of the Goon Show Preservation Society.