Ian Lavender

At 78 years old, Ian Lavender has this physical status:

Arthur Ian Lavender (born 16 February 1946) is an English stage, film, and television actor.

He is best known for his role as Private Pike in the BBC comedy series Dad's Army.

He and Frank Williams are the only remaining major cast members.

Early life

Lavender was born in Birmingham, England. He attended Bournville Boys Technical School (later Bournville Grammar-Technical School for Boys), where he appeared in several school dramatic performances. With the support of a grant from the City of Birmingham, he went to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He appeared on stage in Canterbury after his graduation in 1967.

Personal life

Lavender was first married to actress Suzanne Kerchiss. Miki Hardy, an American-born girl, was his second wife three years his senior, six days after his bladder cancer was diagnosed in 1993. "We've been living together for 16 years, and it was something I should have done a long time ago," Lavender said, "these activities make you think about what's important in life." The bladder cancer was treated with ease, and although Lavender does regular check-ups, doctors are confident that the disease will not return. In the summer of 2004, the lavender sustained a heart attack.

Lavender grew to love Aston Villa. When filming began on Dad's Army, he was able to select Pike's scarf from an array in the BBC wardrobe. To remind him of his hometown city, he wore a claret and blue scarf. He is a big cricket fan. Lavender was named a member of the Birmingham Walk of Stars on June 22, 2015.

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Career

In 1968, his first television appearance was as the lead in a Rediffusion play entitled Half Hour Story: Flowers at my Feet.

Private Frank Pike, the youngest member and "stupid boy" of the platoon in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army, was depicted as Private Frank Pike, aged 22. He became a household name and gave him the opportunity to work with a number of veteran actors in his formative years, assisting him in honing his acting skills. He appeared in the entire series and in the 1971 spinoff film. He appeared in 1974 on Man About the House (While the Cat Is Away) as Mark, an aspiring actor consumed by his own vanity. He recalled Pike from the BBC Radio sitcom It Sticks Out Half a Mile. The sitcom was a radio tribute to Dad's Army, but it was only on one series. Lavender has continued to be associated with Dad's Army and is also a member of occasional fan conventions and cast reunions. During 2008, he made a few appearances in connection with the 40th anniversary of the series. These included a reunion with original cast members in July, 2008, as well as an appearance on BBC1's Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad's Army in August.

In addition, Lavender produced a special introduction for Dad's Army's 'lost' colour episode titled "Room at the Bottom" that was broadcast on December 13, 2008. In 2014, Lavender performed in Edinburgh's Fringe in a show with Steven Mcnicoll titled Don't tell him, Pike!, where Lavender discussed his time in Dad's Army and the subsequent effect on his career.

In the 2016 Dad's Army film, he appears as Brigadier Pritchard, bringing a back to the original version.

After Dad's Army, Lavender returned to theatre, including a role in a Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, starring Dustin Hoffman. On the BBC radio comedy Parsley Sidings, Lavender worked with Dad's Army colleague Arthur Lowe from 1971 to 1973. He appeared on BBC radio comedy show It Sticks Out Half a Mile from 1982 to 1983, a spin-off from Dad's Army. Lavender has appeared in films and television series, one of which (Mr Big, 1977) featured him alongside Peter Jones and Prunella Scales. He appeared in a number of British 'low farce' films in the 1970s, including one named Carry On Wheels (1975).

He was reunited with producer David Croft for the television series Come Back Mrs. Noah (1977–78, co-written by Croft and Jeremy Lloyd), but it was unsuccessful. A revival of The Glums (1978–79), first as part of a Bruce Forsyth variety series, was much more enjoyable, being based on scripts for Frank Muir and Denis Norden's 1950s radio series Taking It From Here, which was originally written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden's 1959 radio series Taking It From Here.

During the 1980s, Lavender appeared in several other television comedy shows, including two episodes of Yes Minister as Richard Cartwright and a lead role in the short-lived The Hello Goodbye Man (1984), as the inept salesman Denis Ailing. Cluedo (1990), a board game, appeared on ITV's television game show Cluedo (1990), based on the board game. In the 1990s, Lavender appeared in television comedy roles, including a bit-part as a burglar alarm salesman in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances. Michael appeared in Goodnight Sweetheart as two distinct parallel universe interpretations of the time-travelling lead character's son Michael. In 1988, he was also the lead voice of BBC children's animation PC Pinkerton.

In 2001, Lavender performed Derek Harkinson, a gay friend of Pauline Fowler, in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He remained in EastEnders for four years, with main plotlines involving the Fowler family until he was dropped in 2005. It was announced on November 4, 2016, that Lavender would make a brief return to the show on November 4th.

The Lavender was a lamographer who appeared in The Rocky Horror Show musical, then playing Narrator. In the 5 May 2007 episode of Casualty on BBC, he appeared as a patient. He appeared in Donkey's Years in late 2007. Lavender appeared in the BBC documentary film Comedy Map of Britain in May 2008. On Thursday, he appeared on BBC One's The One Show, and then on Thursday, July 31, 2008.

On BBC One, Lavender appeared in Celebrity Mastermind over Christmas 2008. Rick Wakeman, a contestant, yelled, 'Don't tell him, Pike!' As host John Humphrys called his name, he yelled out 'Don't tell him, Pike!' A reference to Captain Mainwaring's most popular line from Dad's Army.' In an episode of the CBBC sitcom The Legend of Dick and Dom, Lavender appeared as a guest character at the start of 2009. 31 North 62 East (released September 2009), an independent psychological thriller starring John Rhys-Davies, Marina Sirtis, Heather Peace, and Craig Fairbrass, starred Lavender.

In Sister Act the Musical's West End stage performance, Lavender appeared as Monsignor Howard. On June 2nd, 2009, the musical debut at the London Palladium opened and continued into October 2010. In January 2011, Lavender appeared at the Slapstick Silent Comedy Festival in Bristol. Sherlock Jr., a 1924 silent film directed by and starring Buster Keaton, was introduced by Lavender.

In early 2013, Lavender appeared in three concert performances of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera in The Royal Festival Hall, Birmingham, the Symphony Hall, Birmingham, and Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. In August 2013, he made his Edinburgh Fringe debut in a stage version of The Shawshank Redemption.

In November 2014, Lavender made a cameo appearance in the film remake Dad's Army, directed by Oliver Parker, which was released in February 2016. In February 2015, he was a winner of one of The Oldie magazine's "Oldie of the Year Awards," specifically "Stupid Oldie Boy of the Year."

Lavender spoke at VE Day 70: A Party to Remember in Horse Guards Parade, London, which was streamed live on BBC1.

In the reality show A Celebrity Taste Of Italy Channel 5, Lavender appeared alongside Rula Lenska, Johnny Ball, Judith Chalmers, and Diana Moran in 2017. During filming, he became ill with sepsis and spent some time in an Italian hospital before returning to the United Kingdom to recuperate.

In the mental health radio monologue series Talking Taboos, produced by Vine, Lavender appeared alongside Mauen Beattie, Jonathan Harden, Helen Vine, and Rosin Rae in 2019. Portrait of a lavender was written by Anthony Cule, directed by Fiona McAlpine, and it explored a man who had lived with various alcoholics throughout his lifetime.

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