Fans of the iconic sketch show The Two Ronnies are in for a treat as the documentary The Two Ronnies: The Lost Sketches airs tonight (October 10) on Channel 5. The programme revisits material and musical numbers by Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, filmed for their 1986 series The Two Ronnies in Australia.
While relatives of the Barker and Corbett families reflect on how thoroughly the duo enjoyed their Australian adventure, viewers may want to learn more about the performers' private lives away from the spotlight. Ronnie Barker, who died aged 76 in 2005, rarely made public appearances, and when he did, it was almost never as himself.
A performer who hid behind his characters
"I've always known I haven't a personality of my own," he once said, according to The Independent. "I have to be someone else to be happy. That's why I became an actor, I suppose." Frequently concealing himself behind roles, he chose to keep his true character hidden beneath disguises or different voices.
He shunned public recognition by penning scripts under the pen name Gerald Wiley so his material would be assessed solely on quality rather than celebrity status. His biographer, Bob McCabe, told The Northern Echo of their encounters: "Eventually he relaxed and was very open, a very genial person to talk to."
"He is a very serious man on one level and he certainly took his work seriously. He is also quite a humble man and he is much more concerned about the work than the fame it would bring." For Barker, performing provided a form of escapism. While his partner Corbett would feature in their programmes as himself, Barker was invariably concealed in some manner, reports the Daily Star.
A career regret and early life
"He is a very shy person on one level, and a very private person, so he is very happy to hide in the characters," McCabe continued. "He disguised himself very well in the characters, to the point where the Ronnie Barker you see on television is almost a character."
Eager to transition his career to cinema, Barker once disclosed to McCabe his greatest disappointment in life. The 2004 article quoted McCabe as saying: "The one regret about his career is that he never really got into movies." "He always said he would have loved to have done that one great movie role and he is still quietly holding out for it."
Barker did not begin his professional life in acting, as upon leaving school, he trained as an architect. However, believing he lacked ability, he quit after six months. He subsequently took up a job as a bank clerk at the Westminster Bank, pursuing amateur dramatics as a hobby.
His final years
For 18 months, while remaining at the bank, he worked as an actor and stage manager. He would ultimately abandon his position to become a professional actor - a decision his father disapproved of.
The star died from heart failure after he declined to undergo heart valve replacement surgery, and his condition deteriorated rapidly following the recording of The Two Ronnies Christmas Sketchbook. He died at the Katherine House hospice in Adderbury, Oxfordshire. His wife Joy, a stage manager, was present at his side, and he is survived by three children, including actress Charlotte Barker.
The Two Ronnies: The Lost Sketches is on Channel 5 on Saturday at 5.30pm.
