British actor David Daker, who was best known for starring in the hit ITV comedy-drama Boon as well as Coronation Street, has died at the age of 90.
The actor, who played Ken Boon’s best friend Harry Crawford in the drama from 1986 to 1992, passed away on 30 April, his family has confirmed.
A cause of death has not been revealed.
Daker was born in Bilston, in the Black Country, and was the youngest of five children.
He showed off his acting prowess from an early age, and previously recalled of a part he played at infant school: “I clearly remember playing a cow and falling so that its legs splayed about – and enjoying it when the others laughed and applauded.”
He took to the stage again in secondary school, playing the part of Long John Silver in a production of Treasure Island.
After encouragement from his parents, Daker initially trained as a draughtsman with a firm making water softeners, but threw in the towel after two years and signed up to the Oxford Playhouse Theatre School.
He began his career on stage, bagging leading parts with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Salisbury Playhouse in the 1970s.
His small screen career then began when he landed the role of PC Owen Culshaw in BBC drama Z Cars.
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The actor went on to star in a host of TV shows including Only Fools and Horses, Porridge and Doctor Who, in which he played a robber baron and, later, a spacecraft commanding officer.
He also had two roles in Coronation Street, appearing first as Basil Griffin between 1968 and 1969, and then as Gordon Lewis between 1981 and 1985.
Over the course of his career, the actor also appeared in BBC adaptations of Shakespeare, King Henry VI and Richard III.
In 1957, he married Stella Newton; they later divorced. They had a son, Tim, and a daughter, Pippa, who later died from multiple sclerosis.
He is survived by Tim, his second wife Hilary, their daughter Rebecca and his sister Hazel.
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
