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Wikipedia / Rodney Litchfield

Rodney Litchfield (3 February 1939 – 5 September 2020) was an actor known for Early Doors (2003), Sunshine (2008) and Grow Your Own (2007).

Career

Litchfield's first television appearances were in the 1980s, the first of which was the episode First Leg of the British drama Travelling Man.

He also made brief appearances in Juliet Bravo, A Touch of Frost, Cracker, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Heartbeat, and Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights.

Litchfield's best remembered television appearances were in Phil Mealey's and Craig Cash's dry-humoured sitcom Early Doors, which starred Litchfield as Tommy, a miserable pensioner who sits in the corner of the pub attempting to avoid social interaction with the rest of the pub's regulars, including avoiding accepting free drinks from anyone in case he is coerced into buying a 'round'.

After starring in the sitcom's only two series, he was seen driving a van onto the cobbles of Coronation Street as character Wilfred Morton with granddaughter Jodie (played by Samantha Seager) who were renovating the old Bakery owned by Diggory Compton into a takeaway. Michael Starke played Litchfield's son Jerry Morton. Coincidentally, both Litchfield and Starke had appeared on Channel 4 soap, Brookside.

Litchfield died on 5 September 2020, at the age of 81.

Filmography

Year

Title

Role

Notes

1984

Brookside

Andrew Dunn

Episode #152

Travelling Man

Second Warder

Episode: "First Leg"

1985

Seaview

Jack

Episode: "Big Brother"

Juliet Bravo

Armourer

Episode: "Hostage to Fortune"

1986

Help

Policeman

Episode: "Missing Presumed"...

Knights & Emeralds

Kevin's Dad

Film

1987, 1996

Emmerdale

Soldier / Scrapman

3 episodes

1987

Knights of God

Chapel Knight

Season 1, episode 1

1988

Coronation Street

Chaz Ferguson

Episode #2859

Testimony

Sherlock Holmes

Film

1990

Dancin' Thru the Dark

Old Customer

All Creatures Great and Small

Tom Randall

Episode: "The Prodigal Returns"

1993

Stay Lucky

Burrows

Episode: "Flameproof and Free"

Last of the Summer Wine

2nd Policeman

Episode: "Have You Got a Light Mate?"

1994

A Touch of Frost

Norman

Episode: "A Minority of One"

All Quiet on the Preston Front

Harry the Chip

Episode: "Ally's Husband"

Seaforth

Marshall

2 episodes

1995

Moving Story

Eccles

Episode: "Norman Blood"

Cracker

Taxi Driver

Episode: "Brotherly Love: Part 1"

Heartbeat

Jenkins

Episode: "Saint Columba's Treasure"

1996

Hetty Wainthropp Investigates

Taxi Driver

Episode: "Widdershins"

2001

Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights

Wild Bill

Episode: "Wild West Night"

Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise

Throat

TV film

2002

Shipman

Remand Quiz Master

2003–2004

Early Doors

Tommy

Main role, All 12 episodes

2003

Casualty

Bruce

Episode: "Christmas Spirit"

2004

No Angels

Mr. Latchford

Season 1, episode 1

Nits

Mr. Morietti

Short story

The Bill

Joseph Clark

Episode: "2211: Smoking Demons"

Doctors

Jack Bletchley

Episode: "Sticks and Stones"

2005

Dead Man Weds

Harry

Season 1, episode 3

2005, 2009

Shameless

Magistrate / Algie

3 episodes

2005

Pierrepoint

Sellers

Film

2006

The Street

Tony

Episode: "Asylum"

2007

Coronation Street

Wilf Morton

Recurring role, 22 episodes

Grow Your Own

Terry

Film

2008

Sunshine

Tommy Todd

All 3 episodes

2010

Labrats

Man with Dog

Video

2011

In with the Flynns

Toy Shop Owner

Episode: "The Hardest Cut"

My Family

Junior

2 episodes

2013

The Last British Execution

Arthur Hinchcliffe

Film

References