Michael Medwin dead aged 96 – Actor who starred in BBC detective drama Shoestring dies
ACTOR Michael Medwin who was best known for his role as radio boss Don Satchley in the BBC detective drama series Shoestring has died at the age of 96.
Medwin, who also appeared in movies alongside stars such as Michael Caine, Sean Connery and Albert Finney, died yesterday while in hospital in Bournemouth.
Born in London in 1923 and schooled in Dorset and Switzerland, the actor was made an OBE for his services to drama in 2005.
Medwin was best known for his role as Don Satchley in the BBC series Shoestring which ran from 1979 to 1980.
He made his film debut in 1946 in wartime drama Piccadilly Incident.
He went to appear in movies such as A Hill in Korea, Doctor at Large, Carry On Nurse and The Longest Day. The actor was cast as the doctor who treated Connery’s James Bond in 1983’s Never Say Never Again.
Alongside Finney, he also produced such films as Lindsay Anderson’s If…., O Lucky Man! and Charlie Bubbles.
Medwin also played the nephew of Finney’s title character in Scrooge, despite being 12 years Finney’s senior.
Widely praised by critics, the 1970 adaptation of A Christmas Carol was nominated for numerous Baftas, four Oscars and five Golden Globes.
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The tributes were led by theatre producer David Pugh, who had produced plays alongside Medwin for three decades.
He tweeted: “To Michael thank you for everything I’m going to miss you so much x”
His agent Lou Coulson said: “It’s really sad. He had a successful and enjoyable life.”
Medwin married Sunny Sheila Black in 1960. The pair divorced 11 years later in 1971.
In an interview in 2009, Medwin said: “Acting was something I wanted to do and by good fortune I found I could do it quite well…a help in a high risk business.”