John Nettleton: Yes Minister star dies aged 94

Actor John Nettleton, who starred in Yes Minister, has died aged 94, his representatives have confirmed.

He was best known for portraying Sir Arnold Robinson in the political satire sitcom and in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, in the 1980s.

His agent, Scott Marshall Partners, said in a statement: "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved client and much-loved stage and screen actor John Nettleton at the age of 94.

"He is survived by his wife Deirdre, three children and five grandchildren."

A jobbing actor, he also found success in another political role, playing Conservative MP Sir Stephen Baxter in the British sitcom The New Statesman, opposite comedian Rik Mayall.

With numerous television credits in a career spanning seven decades, his TV appearances included police procedurals Z Cars and Walk A Crooked Mile, the Brideshead Revisited miniseries, spoof soap opera Brass, court room drama Rumpole Of The Bailey and long-running sci fi Doctor Who.

His film work included 1966 movie A Man For All Seasons, 1987's East Of Ipswich, written by Monty Python star Sir Michael Palin, and the 2005 adaptation of Oliver Twist.

Nettleton's one-off appearances across numerous popular TV shows included detective dramas Midsomer Murders and Foyle's War, Upstairs, Downstairs, The Bill, Tales Of The Unexpected and long-running medical series Casualty.

His final TV credit was in 2008, in comedy drama Kingdom, opposite actor and comedian Stephen Fry.

Click to subscribe to Backstage wherever you get your podcasts

Away from television and film, he performed in numerous productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Old Vic, as well as Harley Granville-Barker's The Voysey Inheritance and an adaptation of The Wind In The Willows at the National Theatre.

Nettleton was born in Lewisham in London on 5 February 1929. He went on to marry fellow actor Deirdre Doone in 1954, and the couple had three children together.

He leaves behind his wife, children, and five grandchildren.