Bernard Gallagher

Bernard Gallagher (26 September 1929 – 27 November 2016 ) was an English actor known for his stage work, including with the National Theatre and the Royal Court; and his many appearances in television soap operas and dramas. He was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire.

Theatre
Gallagher studied English at Sheffield University, and following National service in the RAF Educational Service (1952–54), made his stage debut in Lyme Regis in 1956. Working in regional rep for the next decade, in 1965 he joined London’s Royal Court for Bill Gaskill’s first season, with roles in (amongst others) the original stage productions of Edward Bond’s Saved, and Joe Orton's The Ruffian on the Stair and The Erpingham Camp (both 1967).

Later in 1967, Gallagher began a long association with the National Theatre (1967-1976), when he appeared in Clifford Williams’ all-male As You Like It. Other roles included in Howard Brenton’s Weapons of Happiness and Tom Stoppard’s Jumpers.

He also spent two seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and worked for many other theatre companies, such as Paines Plough and Max Stafford-Clark's Out of Joint. West End appearances included Michael Frayn’s Alphabetical Order (May Fair Theatre, 1975), Willy Russell’s Breezeblock Park (Whitehall Theatre, 1977) and Caryl Churchill’s Heart’s Desire (Duke of York's Theatre, 1997).

Television
Gallagher played the lead role of compassionate consultant Ewart Plimmer in the first three years of BBC TV's long-running medical drama series Casualty. In Granada Television’s daytime legal drama series Crown Court, he played Barrister Jonathan Fry QC.

Gallagher's numerous other TV credits include appearances in two of Britain's most hard-hitting police dramas of the 1970s, The Sweeney and The Professionals. He was cast in The Sweeney as a Desk Sergeant in the episode entitled "Jackpot", whilst in The Professionals Gallagher appeared as a Government Minister in the episode "Need to Know."

Gallagher also appeared in Heartbeat, (playing recurring character Graham Weston in series 6 and 7), and its sister programme The Royal (although he played different characters). Other credits include: Bergerac, Bad Girls, Wycliffe, Midsomer Murders and London's Burning.

In rare comedic roles he played Mervyn, the Holiday Camp manager in Selwyn, DS Lang in the "Photographs" episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and Mr. Glockenspiel in the "Alternative Culture" episode of The Thin Blue Line.

Gallagher also portrayed keen gardener Bill Molesley in ITV's Downton Abbey (2010-2013); and Enfield in The Duchess of Duke Street (series 2, episode 12).

Death
Bernard Gallagher died of pneumonia on 27 November 2016, aged 87.