Only Fools and Horses

The Only Fools and Horses extra from Eltham who went on to star in huge Hollywood films

From DIrty Barry in Only Fools to starring alongside Kevin Cosner, Walter Sparrow had a glittering acting career in TV shows and movies

The classic Danger UXD episode of Only Fools and Horses aired in 1989 and sees Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter trying to keep up with his yuppie image and make some cringe investments in an attempt to make some quick cash.

Denzil gets lumbered with a load of dolls from a factory that has gone up in flames, and Del takes them off his hands.

Unbeknown to the Trotter’s, Del Boy has stupidly bought a consignment of blow-up sex dolls that are laced with explosive gas.

Del suggests they take the dolls down to a man named Dirty Barry, who owns a sex shop.

The wheeler-dealers go down the Walworth Road to pay Dirty Barry a visit but unfortunately he’d just had his license revoked and was only selling his stock as the council had closed him down.

Tv star Walter Sparrow in Only Fools and Horses (Image: BBC)

Barry also tells Del Boy and Uncle Albert that he hopes they aren’t the dodgy blow-up dolls the police are looking for, of course, they were but the Trotters lie.

The part of Dirty Barry was played wonderfully by the late actor Walter Sparrow.

Born in ElthamSouth London, Walter’s career started as a stand-up comic before moving to acting with a period with the Royal Shakespeare Company, his big break came in 1964 when he starred alongside Christopher Lee in Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors.

Before he starred in Only Fools, Water had also played parts in The Famous Five, Young Sherlock Holmes, and had minor roles in Young Sherlock Holmes and The Accidental Tourist.

However, one of his most famous roles came two years after Dirty Barry when he played Duncan in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

The Hollywood flick starred Kevin Costner in the lead role, Morgan Freeman as Azeem, Alan Rickman playing the part of the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Christian Slater as Will Scarlett.

Duncan was Robin Hood’s father’s servant and brutally had his eyes cut out leaving him blind but, as he noted: “there are some things I still see.”

Following his role in Robin Hood, Walter continued an exciting acting career with parts in many popular films including The Secret Graden (1993), Lord Eshton in Jane Eyre (1996), and Maurice in Ever After (1998).

Walter was no stranger to TV with roles in The Bill, Gone to the Dogs, Emmerdale, Paris, Birds of a Feather, Thin Blue Line, Heartbeat, and Honky Sausages.

Acting legend Walter’s last television appearance was in Doctors in 2000.

He passed away the same year at the age of 73 in Oxfordshire.

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