Yes Minister actor John Nettleton has died at the age of 94.
John was best known for playing cabinet minister Sir Arnold Robinson in the BBC political comedy, a role which he reprised in the follow-up Yes Prime Minister.
A statement from his agents released on Friday confirmed: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved client and much-loved stage and screen actor John Nettleton at the age of 94.
“He is survived by his wife, Deirdre, three children and five grandchildren.”
After graduating from the Royal Academy Of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1951, John began his on-screen career in the mid-60s, appearing in minor roles in shows like The Avengers, Softly Softly and Please Sir.
He also made appearances on the children’s show Blue Peter, during which he read numerous children’s stories.
John eventually went on to play Sir Arnold Robinson in all three seasons of Yes Minister, between 1980 and 1983.
He returned for a one-off Christmas special and both series of its sequel, Yes Prime Minister, which debuted in 1985 and came to an end in 1988.
Watch a clip of John in action as Sir Arnold Robinson in the clip below:
John’s additional credits included the period drama Upstairs Downstairs and another political satire, The New Statesman, in which he played a different MP, the fictional Conservative Sir Stephen Baxter, sharing the screen with comedian Rik Mayall.
Meanwhile, his film appearances included the historical drama A Man For All Seasons, Black Beauty, All Creatures Great And Small and a 2005 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist.
John’s final acting credit came in 2008, when he appeared in an episode of the Stephen Fry series Kingdom.
