Barry Stanton (actor)

Growing up in Accrington, Stanton discovered he was a good dancer at the age of seven when he played an elf in a school play.^[3] He hoped to become a ballet dancer and for nine years studied classical ballet at the Carlotta Ballet School/Blackburn School of Dancing, winning a scholarship to Sadler's Wells Theatre.^[4][5] Unfortunately, while on holiday in France at the age of 15 to watch the Tour de France (he was a keen club cyclist), he was involved in a cycle accident where he caught his foot in a bicycle wheel, resulting in a permanently damaged ankle, ending any hopes of a dancing career.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11]}

Stanton then tried chemical engineering but realised this was not the job for him^[10][11] after breaking equipment and blowing up a laboratory.^[9] Persuaded by his sister to go to drama school, he went to London, aged 17^[3] and attended the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]} alongside Julie Christie and James Bolam. During this time, Stanton worked part-time as a washer-up at a nearby restaurant at nights^[12] with Bolam to earn an extra bit of money.^[4][5]

After completing his three-year course at drama school, winning an acting diploma for his performances,^[8] Stanton's first professional engagement was with summer repertory in Exmouth.^[6][7] This was followed by various theatre work in other repertories including Liverpool Playhouse Company,^[8] as well as going on worldwide tours such as playing Bottom in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1972–1973^[13] and various roles in The Wars of the Roses with the English Shakespeare Company in 1988^[14] in addition to appearances in film and television.

• Robbery (1967)
• King Lear (1971)
• Demons of the Mind (1972)
• Hamlet (1977)
• Sweeney 2 (1977)
• Lionheart (1987)
• King of the Wind (1990)
• Robin Hood (1991)
• Shanghai Knights (2003)

• The Plane Makers (1963)
• Front Page Story (1965)
• The Baron (1966)
• The Likely Lads (1966)
• Witch Hunt (1967)
• No Hiding Place (1967)
• George and the Dragon (1968)
• Spy Trap (1972)
• Budgie (1972)
• The Sweeney (1975)
• Upstairs, Downstairs (1975)
• The New Avengers (1977)
• Fallen Hero (1978-1979)
• Turtle's Progress (1979-1980)
• Hammer House of Horror (1980)
• The Search for Alexander the Great (1981)
• Something in Disguise (1982)
• Minder (1982)
• Now and Then (1983)
• Doctor Who (1984)
• Tucker's Luck (1984)
• The Young Ones (1984)
• Mann's Best Friends (1985)
• Yes, Prime Minister (1986)
• Ain't Misbehavin' (1995)
• Dalziel and Pascoe (1998)
• The Infinite Worlds of H. G. Wells (2001)