Eddington, Paul Clark CBE

1927

1995

Paul Edington was born in London on 18 June 1927, the son of Albert Clark Eddington and his wife Frances Mary (née Roberts). He was educated at Oxford and trained at RADA. He joined the Birmingham Repertory in 1945 and made his first appearance in the West End as the Rabbi in “The Tenth Man” at the Comedy Theatre in 1961. Eddington was with the Bristol Old Vic for some eleven years, during which he acted such leading parts as the title role in “Brand”, Henry II in “Becket”, Brutus in “Julius Caesar” and Disraeli in “Portrait of a Queen”. With that company he played Palmer Anderson in “The Severed Head” at the Criterion Theatre in London in June 1963 and made his first appearance in New York in that role at the Royale in October 1964. In the spring of 1973 he acted James Tyrone in “Long Day’s Journey into Night” and Osborne in “Journey’s End”. But it was in television that he became widely known for his excellent performances in the BBC comedy series “The Good Life” (1975-1979) and notably, with Nigel Hawthorne, in “Yes, Minister” (1980-1985) and “Yes, Prime Minister” (1986-1990). Among his many services to the profession were Governor of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Trust, 1975-1978; International Committee for Artists’ Freedom, Equity 1985-1995; Hon Professor of Drama, Sheffield University; and Member of the Council of the Howard League for Penal Reform, 1993-1995. In 1987 he received an Honorary MA from Sheffield, and that year he was also awarded a CBE. His autobiography, “So Far So Good”, was published in 1995, the year in which he died, on 4 November. Eddington had been a member of the Garrick Club from 1982. In 1952 he had married Patricia Scott. They had three sons and a daughter.