Derek Francis

Who was Derek Francis?

Derek Francis was an English comedy and character actor.

He was a regular in the Carry On film players, appearing in six of the films in the 1960s and 1970s. He appeared in Roger Corman's last film of his Edgar Allan Poe series The Tomb of Ligeia. He also took roles in several BBC adaptations of Charles Dickens novels. His last role was in the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol.

Other roles included parts in the most established television series of the period: Rising Damp, The Professionals, The Sweeney, Sherlock Holmes, The New Avengers, Danger Man, Jason King, Up Pompeii!, Wild, Wild Women, Coronation Street, and Z-Cars. He also appeared as the Emperor Nero, a comic turn in the early Doctor Who story entitled The Romans opposite William Hartnell. He was the first major actor to request a part on Doctor Who.

Among his stage roles was the title character in Cymbeline for the Old Vic in 1957.

He died of a heart attack in Wimbledon, London.