Royce Mills

Royce Mills
Born
Anthony Royce Mills[1]

(1942-05-12)12 May 1942
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England
Died21 May 2019(2019-05-21) (aged 77)
OccupationActor
Spouse
Una Mills
​
(divorced)​
[2] [unreliable source?]
PartnerEmma Taylor
Children4

Anthony Royce Mills (12 May 1942 – 21 May 2019) was an English television, stage and film actor.[3]

Life and career

[edit]

Born in Tetbury, Gloucestershire to Herbert Mills and concert pianist Winifred, Royce did not feel the need to look into the disappearance of his father. He and his mother moved to Eastbourne,[1] and he made his television debut aged 13 on the BBC’s Children's Hour[1] in 1956.[4] He attended Eastbourne College working in their kitchens to pay for his education.[1][4] He then became an assistant to comedian Sandy Powell, getting him hung over when he filled pint glasses with beer instead of tinted water, and was fired. Sandy’s wife Kay, however, let him announce her husband’s stage entrance, for which he wore the long aprons Royce used in the kitchens in order to cover his damaged feet.[4] He then began his longtime hobby of painting[1] and was offered the Carleton Hobbs Bursary, but declined.[4] In 1969 he made his acting debut in Oh, Brother!.

In later years he proved himself to be among the finest pantomime dames in the country, notably in his appearances at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford.[5] He considered Morecambe and Wise to be the most generous people he had worked with, allowing him to perform Bring Me Sunshine on his own to give him a chance to shine.[4] He also rehearsed Frankie Howerd’s lines for Up Pompeii,[6] and improvised a sketch for The Les Dawson Show when time ran over during filming and it couldn’t be rehearsed.[6]

In 1984 Royce began voicing the Daleks in Doctor Who, after being asked by director of Resurrection of the Daleks, Matthew Robinson.[4] He would hold his nose to perform the role,[4] for which he maintained it was his best-known,[1] and voiced them in Resurrection of the Daleks, 1985’s Revelation of the Daleks and 1988’s Remembrance of the Daleks, although he only had the one voice that he used.[6] He died shortly after his 77th birthday on 21 May 2019.

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1971 Up Pompeii Nausius
Sunday Bloody Sunday Bob's Partner
1972 Up the Chastity Belt Knotweed
1979 The Knowledge Taxi Driver
1981 History of the World, Part I Duke D'Honnefleur (The French Revolution)
1984 Real Life Andrew Bazzard
2012 Run for Your Wife Man in Church Hall (final film role)
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1969 Oh Brother! 1 episode
Play of the Month Phillip Drummond Episode “Charlie’s Aunt”
1969–1970 Fraud Squad Various 2 episodes
1970 Doctor in the House Dr. Dave Peters 1 epísode
Hark at Barker Trouserless Man Episode “Rustless on Law”
1970 Comedy Playhouse Grahame Toms Episode “Weren’t You Marcia Honeywell?”
1973 Armchair Theatre Usher 1 episode
1974–1981 The Dick Emery Show Various 6 episodes
1975 Look, Mike Yarwood! Various 1975 Christmas Special
1977 The Tomorrow People Dr. Taylor 1 episode
Rainbow Cross Man Episode “Cross”
1977–1979 Mike Yarwood in Persons Various 3 episodes
1978–1980 Rings on Their Fingers Ken / Graham 2 episodes
1978 The Les Dawson Show Various Episode 2
1979 Sykes Dr. Pinto 1 episode
1981 Crossroads Gilbert Latham 25 episodes
1982 Kelly Monteith Various 2 episodes
1982–1986 The Kenny Everett Television Show Various 4 episodes
1984–1988 Doctor Who Dalek Voice, 7 episodes
1984–1989 Minder Andrew 4 episodes
1985 Alice in Wonderland Dormouse Voice, 2 episodes
1986 The Bob Monkhouse Show Hooray Henry 1 episode
1987 Edward and Friends Voices 28 episodes
1990 Never the Twain First Man Episode “X Marks the Spot”
1991 The Bill Mahon Episode “Machines”
1992 Keeping Up Appearances Dorian 1 episode
1999 Polterguests Mr. Diprose Episode 2 “Hee Haw Hotel”
2001 Bernard's Watch Mr. Arnold Episode “Running on Time”
2002 Spooks Toby McInnes Uncredited, 1 episode
Radio
1969 After All, We Have Got the Money with Michael Deacon Radio play
A Day Among Many Unknown
1979 My Sainted Aunt Episode 2 “Not Now, Voyager!”
Tony’s Guest 1 episode
1981 Give or Take Unknown 1 episode
Out of My Head Resident of Chris Allen’s mind Radio play
1984 The Demon Cakestand of Beestly Chase Unknown
1985 Brogue Male Hubert Carstairs 4 episodes
1986–1987 The Phenomenon Squad Sigaloff 6 episodes
1987 Tales from the Mausoleum Club Clarence Green 6 episodes
1987–1989 Blandings Various 14 episodes
1987 Starring Leslie WilleyDudley Millington Episode 1 “The Play Music”
1990 Gorby: The Man and his Music Unknown 2 episodes
1991 A Glass of Blessings Gerald Beamish 2 episodes
1992 Robbing Hood Pettigrew Episode 2 “Norman Delivers the Goods”
1993 A Perfect Spy Nigel 6 episodes
1998 Ben Sees it Through Unknown Radio play
1999 Bristow Unknown Episode 1 “When Melancholy Autumn Comes to Chester-Perry”
2000 Each Way Yankee Peter and George Radio play
2010 The Diabolical Gourmet Chavette Radio play

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "The Times obituary". Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Royce Mills". IMDb.
  3. ^ "Royce Mills". BFI. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Royce Mills (Part One) - Stage Panel @Turlough Tales". Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Mills Royce – Artist Information and Profile". therichardstonepartnership.co.uk.
  6. ^ a b c "Royce Mills (Part Two) - Stage Panel @Turlough Tales". Retrieved 1 July 2023.
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