Rodney Litchfield Explained

Rodney Litchfield
Birth Date:3 February 1939
Birth Place:Wigan, Lancashire, England
Death Place:England
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1983–2013
Known For:Coronation Street
Early Doors

Rodney Litchfield (3 February 1939 – 5 September 2020) was an actor known for Early Doors (2003), Sunshine (2008) and Grow Your Own (2007).

Career

Litchfield's first television appearances were in the 1980s, the first of which was the episode First Leg of the British drama Travelling Man.

He also made brief appearances in Juliet Bravo, A Touch of Frost, Cracker, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Heartbeat, and Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights.

Litchfield's best remembered television appearances were in Phil Mealey's and Craig Cash's dry-humoured sitcom Early Doors, which starred Litchfield as Tommy, a miserable pensioner who sits in the corner of the pub attempting to avoid social interaction with the rest of the pub's regulars, including avoiding accepting free drinks from anyone in case he is coerced into buying a 'round'.

After starring in the sitcom's only two series, he was seen driving a van onto the cobbles of Coronation Street as character Wilfred Morton with granddaughter Jodie (played by Samantha Seager) who were renovating the old Bakery owned by Diggory Compton into a takeaway. Michael Starke played Litchfield's son Jerry Morton. Coincidentally, both Litchfield and Starke had appeared on Channel 4 soap, Brookside.

Litchfield died on 5 September 2020, at the age of 81.[1]

Filmography

Year Title RoleNotes
1984BrooksideAndrew DunnEpisode #152
Travelling ManSecond WarderEpisode: "First Leg"
1985SeaviewJackEpisode: "Big Brother"
Juliet BravoArmourerEpisode: "Hostage to Fortune"
1986HelpPolicemanEpisode: "Missing Presumed"...
Knights & EmeraldsKevin's DadFilm
1987, 1996EmmerdaleSoldier / Scrapman3 episodes
1987Knights of GodChapel KnightSeason 1, episode 1
1988 Coronation StreetChaz FergusonEpisode #2859
TestimonySherlock HolmesFilm
1990 Dancin' Thru the DarkOld Customer
All Creatures Great and SmallTom RandallEpisode: "The Prodigal Returns"
1993 Stay LuckyBurrowsEpisode: "Flameproof and Free"
Last of the Summer Wine2nd PolicemanEpisode: "Have You Got a Light Mate?"
1994 A Touch of FrostNormanEpisode: "A Minority of One"
All Quiet on the Preston FrontHarry the ChipEpisode: "Ally's Husband"
SeaforthMarshall2 episodes
1995Moving StoryEcclesEpisode: "Norman Blood"
CrackerTaxi DriverEpisode: "Brotherly Love: Part 1"
HeartbeatJenkinsEpisode: "Saint Columba's Treasure"
1996Hetty Wainthropp InvestigatesTaxi DriverEpisode: "Widdershins"
2001 Peter Kay's Phoenix NightsWild BillEpisode: "Wild West Night"
Vacuuming Completely Nude in ParadiseThroatTV film
2002 ShipmanRemand Quiz Master
2003–2004 Early DoorsTommyMain role, All 12 episodes
2003 CasualtyBruceEpisode: "Christmas Spirit"
2004 No AngelsMr. LatchfordSeason 1, episode 1
Nits Mr. MoriettiShort story
The BillJoseph ClarkEpisode: "2211: Smoking Demons"
DoctorsJack BletchleyEpisode: "Sticks and Stones"
2005 Dead Man WedsHarrySeason 1, episode 3
2005, 2009ShamelessMagistrate / Algie3 episodes
2005PierrepointSellersFilm
2006 The StreetTonyEpisode: "Asylum"
2007 Coronation StreetRecurring role, 22 episodes
Grow Your OwnTerryFilm
2008 SunshineTommy ToddAll 3 episodes
2010LabratsMan with DogVideo
2011In with the FlynnsToy Shop OwnerEpisode: "The Hardest Cut"
My FamilyJunior2 episodes
2013The Last British ExecutionArthur HinchcliffeFilm

Notes and References

  1. News: Rodney Litchfield: Early Doors actor dies at 81 . BBC News. BBC. 8 September 2020.