James Cossins
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- December 4, 1933
- Died
- February 12, 1997 (aged 63)
- Birthplace
- Beckenham, Kent, England, UK
Biography
James Cossins (4 December 1933 – 12 February 1997) was an English actor. Born in Beckenham, Kent, he became widely recognised as the abrupt, bewildered Mr Walt in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Hotel Inspectors" and as Mr Watson, the frustrated Public Relations training course instructor, in an episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Cossins was born in Beckenham and educated at the City of London School. After serving in the Royal Air Force, he trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he won the silver medal in 1952. Cossins first appeared in repertory theatre and at the Nottingham Playhouse. He played a wide range of characters throughout his colourful and extensive career on television and stage, often portraying blustering, pompous, crusty and cantankerous characters. Cossins appeared in Charley's Aunt at the Apollo Theatre in 1971 with Tom Courtenay, David Horovitch, Garth Forwood, Joanna McCallum, and Celia Bannerman. He appeared in more than forty films, including The Anniversary (recreating his West End stage role), and The Lost Continent (both 1968), Gandhi (1982), and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). On the small screen, Cossins appeared as a guest in a variety of shows, including The Likely Lads and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Minder, Bergerac, The Sweeney, Bless This House, Shadows, All Creatures Great and Small, Citizen Smith, Just William, The Good Life, L for Lester, Neville Dennis in Callan "Rules of the Game" (1972), Z-Cars, and as the regular character Bruce Westrop (in 1979) in Emmerdale Farm. He also played Major Bagstock in Dombey and Son (1983), and appeared in the first series of All in Good Faith in 1985. He played a magistrate in episodes of four different British sitcoms, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, The Good Life, Citizen Smith and Minder. Cossins's later appearances were limited by ill health and he lived in semi-retirement in Surrey. Cossins died from heart disease at the age of 63, in 1997
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
Movie · as Mr. Walt (archive footage) (uncredited)
Unnatural Causes
Movie · as Justin Bryce
Immaculate Conception
Movie · as Godfrey
Murder Most Horrid
TV · as Sir Hugh Lotterby · 1 ep
Grand Larceny
Movie
Miss Marple: At Bertram's Hotel
TV · as Colonel Luscombe · 2 eps
Call Me Mister
TV · 1 ep
Marjorie And Men
TV · as Henry Bartlett · 6 eps
All in Good Faith
TV · as Major Andrews · 5 eps
The Masks of Death
Movie · as Frederick Bains
James Bond: The First 21 Years
Movie · as Colthorpe (archive footage)
Number 10
TV · as Sir William Harcourt · 1 ep
Good Night And God Bless
TV · as Geoffrey · 6 eps
Gandhi
Movie · as Brigadier
Aliens
Movie · as Major Lucas
L For Lester
TV · as Chief Inspector Rodgers · 6 eps
Sphinx
Movie · as Lord Carnarvon
Timon of Athens
Movie · as Lucullus
Loophole
Movie · as 1st Interviewer
Bergerac
TV · as Tuchel, Calhoun · 1 ep
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
Movie · as Henry Bassington-ffrench
Minder
TV · as Judge · 1 ep
The First Great Train Robbery
Movie · as Harranby
All Creatures Great and Small
TV · as Mr. Barge, Aloysius Barge · 1 ep
Citizen Smith
TV · as Court Judge · 1 ep
Don't Forget to Write!
TV · as Phillip Mounter · 3 eps
One-Upmanship
TV · 1 ep
Fawlty Towers
TV · as Mr. Walt · 1 ep
The Sweeney
TV · as Colonel Rosier · 1 ep
The Good Life
TV · as Magistrate · 1 ep
Shadows
TV · as Custodian · 1 ep
The Man with the Golden Gun
Movie · as Colthorpe
What Next?
Movie
Fall of Eagles
TV · as Count Josi Hoyos · 1 ep
Churchill's People
TV · as William · 1 ep
Good Girl
TV · as Manager · 1 ep
The Pallisers
TV · as Sergeant Bunfit · 2 eps
Hitler: The Last Ten Days
Movie · as German Officer
That Sinking Feeling
Movie · as Eric
Bequest to the Nation
Movie · as McKillop
Possession
Movie · as Kellet
Thriller
TV · as Kellet · 1 ep
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
TV · as Magistrate · 1 ep
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
TV · as Watson · 1 ep
Centre Play
TV · as Burret · 1 ep
Death Line
Movie · as James Manfred O.BE.
Fear in the Night
Movie · as The Doctor
The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night
Movie · as Peter Elmstead
A Day Out
Movie · as Mr. Shorter
The Breaking of Colonel Keyser
Movie · as Partridge
Young Winston
Movie · as Barnsby
Follow Me!
Movie · as Party Guest (uncredited)
Crown Court
TV · as Graham Erringburn · 1 ep
Van der Valk
TV · as Noordhoff · 1 ep
Pretenders
TV · as Old Elam · 13 eps
Villain
Movie · as Brown
Say Hello to Yesterday
Movie · as Policeman
Melody
Movie · as Headmaster
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb
Movie · as Older Male Nurse
The Rainbirds
Movie · as Father - Mr. Rainbird
The Piano
Movie · as Jeremy
Bel Ami
Movie · as Forestier
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
TV · as Dr. Jervis · 1 ep
Justice
TV · as Mr. Ritson · 1 ep
The Ten Commandments
TV · as Tom · 1 ep
Bel Ami
TV · as Charles Forestier · 4 eps
Bless This House
TV · as Tom Williams · 1 ep
Wuthering Heights
Movie · as Mr. Linton
Mad Jack
Movie
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
Movie · as Crodder
The Horror of Frankenstein
Movie · as Dean
Scrooge
Movie · as Party Guest (uncredited)
Carry On Camping
Movie · as Man in Cinema (uncredited)
Otley
Movie · as Jeffcot
The Lost Continent
Movie · as Nick, chief engineer
The Anniversary
Movie · as Henry Taggart
A Dandy in Aspic
Movie
Privilege
Movie · as Professor Tatham
How I Won the War
Movie · as Drogue
The Prophet
Movie · as Interviewer
Callan
TV · 1 ep
The Deadly Bees
Movie · as Coroner
Mystery and Imagination
TV · as Landlord · 1 ep
Love's Labour's Lost
Movie · as Holofernes
Darling
Movie · as Mr. Basildon
Strife
Movie · as William Scantlebury
Londoners
TV · as The Interviewer · 1 ep
Thirty-Minute Theatre
TV · as Tim Singleton · 1 ep
Legend of Death
TV · as Irwin · 5 eps
The Likely Lads
TV · as Scoutmaster, Vicar · 1 ep
Theatre 625
TV · as Henry · 1 ep
The Invasion
Movie · as TV Commentator
The Avengers
TV · as Henry · 1 ep
Coronation Street
TV · as Mr. Soames · 1 ep
No Hiding Place
TV · 1 ep
Armchair Theatre
TV · as Uncle Eric · 1 ep