Roy Kinnear

Roy Kinnear had the look of a man who just missed the last bus of the night and the mental agility of someone who knows he won't make it on time anywhere. He was no poster boy. He was that British supporting actor who improved any shot just by walking into it, sweating a little, with his tie slightly crooked.

His charm came from a very British vulnerability that connected instantly with viewers. Roy didn't need brilliant dialogue to steal a scene from the biggest stars of his time. His gaze of contained panic and a physicality that always seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown were enough.

His body was his best working tool.

In 1965 he appeared in Help! alongside the Beatles. Richard Lester understood before anyone else that Kinnear worked as the perfect counterpoint to the pop chaos of the decade. That partnership lasted for years and defined much of the physical comedy of 1960s British film. But his big moment of global popularity came in 1971 with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. He played Henry Salt, the desperate father of the spoiled Veruca Salt, in a performance that still gets laughs today for its pathos.

The Accident That Silenced the Laughter

Filming of The Return of the Musketeers in 1988 ended in tragedy on the streets of Toledo, Spain. Kinnear fell from a horse during an action scene and fractured his pelvis in an accident that seemed avoidable. He died the next day in a Madrid hospital from a heart attack caused by complications from his injuries.

He was 54 years old.

That incident led Richard Lester to leave film directing for good, out of guilt. It was a harsh blow to the industry that ended up in court. Kinnear's family sued the production company and won compensation of £650,000 after proving serious safety negligence on the Spanish set.

A Face for the Working Class

Kinnear never tried to hide his origins or his Lancashire accent. He worked in theater with Joan Littlewood at the Theatre Workshop, and that gave him a political grounding that he brought to his most humble characters. His roles were often troubled men or bureaucrats with a ridiculous touch who tried to keep their dignity in absurd situations.

And he always came across as human.

His son Rory Kinnear followed in his footsteps as an actor years later. In 2013, the young actor recalled in an interview that his father used to say that the secret of comedy is panic. That philosophy shows in every one of his television appearances, where he became an essential BBC face for three consecutive decades.

The Return of the Musketeers was finally released in 1989, dedicated to his memory. The production had to use a body double and voice dubbing to complete the remaining scenes of his character, Planchet.