John Bird, British Satirist,Actor, Writer, and Director | 22 November 1936-24 December 2022(aged 86)

John Bird (1936–2022) was a highly influential English satirist, actor, writer, and director who became a cornerstone of British political comedy for over 50 years.
John Bird, satirist and actor who with John Fortune became ...
John Bird Dies: Satirist & Star of 'Bremner, Bird And ...
British actor and comedian John Bird dies aged 86
Career Highlights & Satirical Legacy
The Satire Boom: Bird was a key figure in the 1960s British satire movement, notably contributing as a writer and performer for the groundbreaking BBC series That Was the Week That Was (1962–1963).
Collaborations with John Fortune: He is best remembered for his long-term creative partnership with John Fortune. As "The Long Johns," they performed largely improvised interview sketches where one would play a bumbling senior figure—often named George Parr—skewered by the other.
Bremner, Bird and Fortune: Alongside Rory Bremner, the duo starred in this long-running Channel 4 series (1999–2010), which earned multiple BAFTA nominations and cemented Bird's status as a master of political lampooning.
Notable Impersonations: He was famous for his bitingly accurate portrayals of political figures, including Prime Minister Harold Wilson and Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
Acting & Directorial Work
Television & Film: Bird appeared in numerous popular shows, including Yes, Prime Minister, Jonathan Creek, Inspector Morse, and Midsomer Murders. He starred as the bombastic barrister John Fuller-Carp in the sitcom Chambers and as a university vice-chancellor in A Very Peculiar Practice.
Stage & Directing: A graduate of King’s College, Cambridge, Bird was active in the Cambridge Footlights. He also worked as an assistant director at the Royal Court Theatre and co-founded The Establishment nightclub with Peter Cook in London and New York.
Awards: He won a BAFTA for Light Entertainment Personality of the Year in 1966 and shared another with John Fortune in 1997 for Best Comedy Performance.
Personal Life
Early Life: Born in Bulwell, Nottingham, he attended High Pavement Grammar School before studying English literature at Cambridge.
Marriages: He was married three times: to Ann Stockdale (daughter of the US ambassador to Ireland), television presenter Bridget Simpson, and finally to concert pianist Libby Crandon, who predeceased him in 2012.
Death: John Bird passed away peacefully on December 24, 2022, at the age of 86 in a care home in West Sussex. 22 November 1936


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