Jeremy Lloyd - Career

Career

The gangly Lloyd began his career as a writer in 1958 before making his film debut two years later in 1960 in School for Scoundrels, and appeared in numerous film and television comedies during the 1960s and 1970s, notably Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In as a regular performer in 1969-70. He was lauded in America where they loved his patrician upper class depiction of an Englishman. Back in England after one particular series had been completed he met Joanna Lumley. A decision had to be taken as to whether he return to America for the start of the new series or remain in the United Kingdom and marry Miss Lumley (he never returned to America). His first major success as a comedy writer was with Are You Being Served? in 1972, on which he worked with David Croft. He had worked for a short time for Simpsons of Piccadilly and many of the characters depicted are drawn from his recollections of his time there. They subsequently produced 'Allo 'Allo!, which was equally popular in the UK, a spinoff of Are You Being Served?, Grace & Favour was aired in 1992. Jeremy also wrote the poem/lyrics for the popular Captain Beaky album and books in 1980. Jeremy played the eccentric chimney sweep, Berthram Fortesque Wynthrope-Smythe aka Bert Smith in 'The Avengers' episode, From Venus With Love in 1967.

Lloyd has been the subject of a persistent urban legend which claims that he had been invited to a dinner party at the home of Sharon Tate on the night that she was murdered by followers of Charles Manson. This was verified as true, not a myth, when the octogenarian was interviewed by Emma Freud on BBC Radio 4 Loose Ends on December 10, 2011.