Norman Painting

Who was Norman Painting?

Norman George Painting OBE was a British actor, broadcaster and writer. He played Phil Archer in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers from the pilot episodes aired on the BBC Midlands Home Service in summer 1950, after the series went national on the Light Programme on 1 January 1951, until his death in 2009, when he was the longest-serving member of the cast. His last episode, recorded two days before he died, was broadcast on 22 November 2009. The character lived on until Phil was "found dead" in his armchair in March 2010. According to Guinness World Records, Painting held the world record for an actor playing a continuous role, a total of 59 years.