Early Life
Beckinsale was born in Carlton, Nottinghamshire, to a half Burmese father, Arthur John Beckinsale, and an English mother, Margaret Barlow. He left Alderman White Secondary Modern School at 15 with ambitions to become an actor, so while working in numerous manual jobs he enrolled at a Nottingham adult drama class. As a consequence, he won a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, turning professional in 1968. He then moved to Crewe to begin in repertory theatre, like most newly-graduated actors at the time, and then made his television debut in 1969 as a police officer in Coronation Street, in which he had to arrest veteran character Ena Sharples.
Read more about this topic: Richard Beckinsale
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