Tony Selby: 1938-2021

Tony Selby: 1938-2021

Adventures in Time and Space: BFI Southbank: Colin Baker
Actor, Tony Selby in Doctor Who: The Trial of a Timelord (1986)

Tributes have been coming in following the very sad announced by LCM_limited that actor Tony Selby passed away yesterday (September 5th 2021) at the age of 83

Selby was born in Lambeth, London, in February 1938, the son of Annie Elizabeth (Weaver), a waitress, and Samuel Joseph Selby, a cab driver. After training at the Italia Conti Stage School, he made his adult stage debut in 1956. His theatre work includes the original production of Edward Bond’s controversial play Saved at the Royal Court Theatre in 1965. He has appeared in many television programmes including a starring role in RAF National Service comedy Get Some In!, and a recurring role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who as the intergalactic conman Sabalom Glitz.

In 1965 he appeared as a convict under sentence of death in the BBC television drama Three Clear Sundays, directed by Ken Loach.

He had one of his earliest film acting roles in The Early Bird (1965), Alfie (1966), starring Academy award-winner Michael Caine, and his other film appearances include Press for Time (1966), Poor Cow (1967), Witchfinder General (1968), Before Winter Comes (1969), In Search of Gregory (1969), Villain (1971), Nobody Ordered Love (1972), and Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall (1973).  In 1971-2 he played magician’s assistant Sam Maxstead in children’s supernatural TV series Ace of Wands and had a brief 1972 appearance as a jealous fiancé in Public Eye.

He appeared in the 1970s series Callan. Other notable television appearances included The Avengers as a villainous car mechanic, Bless This House as a depressed burglar, and as Boozy in the all-star Eric Sykes comedy If You Go Down in the Woods Today (1981).  He appeared in three episodes of the critically acclaimed drama series Minder, twice playing Jack, the minder of gangster’s wife Rose Mellors. In the early 1990s he played chauffeur to Adam Faith’s character in the drama series Love Hurts; he also played Clive Mitchell in BBC’s soap opera EastEnders in 2002.

Selby appeared in the third episode of The Good Life (known as Good Neighbors in the US), as a rag-and-bone man who sold the Goods an old wood stove and brought them a cat.

In the United States, Selby had an uncredited role as a hood in the first Superman motion picture.

Selby played Susan Harper’s long-lost father Arthur in the BBC comedy My Family, in the episode “A Decent Proposal”, first broadcast on 12 August 2011.

In 2012 he appeared in the film Cockneys vs Zombies.

He appeared in the television series New Tricks as Danny Paye, an East End loan shark in the 2009 episode Meat is Murder.

Selby died in London on 5 September 2021, at the age of 83.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1965 The Wednesday Play | Up the Junction Dave
1966 Alfie Lacey
1968 The Avengers Stanley Episode: The Curious Case of the Countless Clues
Witchfinder General Salter
1970-1971 Ace of Wands Sam Maxstead
1971 Catweazle Sergeant Jones Episode: The Walking Trees
Villain Duncan
1972 The Adventures of Black Beauty Moss Episode: Day of Reckoning
1974 Thriller Mark Episode: I’m the Girl He Wants to Kill
1974-1976 Bless This House Fingers/Intruder 2 episodes
1975 The Good Life Sam Episode: The Weaker Sex?
1975-1978 Get Some In! Corporal Marsh
1978 Superman 5th Hood Uncredited
1984 Cockles Bunter Episode: Mermaids
1986-1987 Doctor Who Sabalom Glitz 9 episodes
1987 The Secret Garden Sergeant Barney TV Movie
1991 Lovejoy Sgt. Hartley Episode: Raise the Hispanic
1992-1993 Mulberry Bert 13 episodes
1997-2004 The Bill Vinnie Rogers/Norman Klein/Barry Jackson 4 episodes
1999 Holby City Jim Horton Episode: Puppy Love
2002 EastEnders Uncle Clive 2 episodes

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