Donald Hewlett


Donald Marland Hewlett was an English actor, born in Northenden, Manchester, Lancashire, and best known for his sitcom roles as Colonel Charles Reynolds in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Lord Meldrum in You Rang, M'Lord?, both written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. He also had a number of parts in British film and television productions.

Early life

Best known for his portrayals of upper-class military types, Donald Hewlett's father was Conservative MP for Manchester Exchange. He studied geography and meteorology at St. John's College, Cambridge. Early in World War II, he served at the Fleet Air Arm station of Kirkwall in Orkney, providing weather reports for Atlantic convoys. He was later assigned to the Royal Navy during North Atlantic action aboard the light cruisers Malaya and Galatea. He rose to the rank of lieutenant. He was subsequently posted to Singapore, in charge of Japanese POW's and as entertainments officer.
Hewlett was born into a wealthy family; his father Thomas Hewlett owned the Anchor Chemical Company which is based in Clayton, Manchester and is now a subsidiary of Air Products. He was the brother of Thomas Hewlett, Baron Hewlett.
Hewlett was educated at Clifton College in Bristol followed by St John's College, Cambridge where he was part of the Footlights Revue. During World War II he served in the Royal Navy as a lieutenant and meteorologist and was stationed for several years in Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands where he was a founder member of the Kirkwall Arts Club. He was later posted to Singapore.

Career

Following his demob, Hewlett trained at RADA and gained his first professional acting job in repertory theatre at the Oxford Playhouse where he worked alongside Ronnie Barker. His first film acting role was the part of Lincoln Green in Orders are Orders.
His television appearances included The Ronnie Corbett Show, The Ronnie Barker Playhouse, The Saint, The Avengers, The Dick Emery Show and the Doctor Who story The Claws of Axos. However, he gained his most prominent role in the Croft and Perry sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum as Colonel Charles Reynolds. He was cast with fellow actor Michael Knowles in another David Croft sitcom, the sci-fi parody Come Back Mrs. Noah, and later with the successful You Rang, M'Lord?, as George, Lord Meldrum.
Hewlett was cast with Knowles again for the BBC Radio series Anything Legal in 1984. Other roles included 'Winkworth' in Morris Minor's Marvellous Motors in 1989 and The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull. His last TV appearance was in The Upper Hand in 1995. He appeared in several episodes of The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket, playing the ship's captain when they embarked on a cruise.
Hewlett also appeared in the episode "Hello Sailor" from the classic sitcom Happy Ever After in 1977 which starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield.
Hewlett made a number of film appearances including Spike Milligan's , A Touch of Class, Carry On Behind and The First Great Train Robbery.
Hewlett's previous marriages, to Christine Pollon and Diana Greenwood, ended in divorce. He had two sons and a daughter by Greenwood. Having previously lived for several years in Whitstable, Kent, he lived in Fulham, SW London, with his third wife Therese McMurray-Hewlett, by whom he had a son and daughter.
His daughter, Siobhan Hewlett, is an actress, best known for her role in Irina Palm.

Death

Hewlett died on 4 June 2011 at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in West London aged 90.

Filmography

Film

Television