A British actor, known for roles in Coronation Street and a TV adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, has died, and is survived by his famous BBC and Netflix star son
David Burke has died(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
An actor, known for his portrayal as Dr Watson in a television adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, has died and is survived by his famous son. David Burke, the father of Netflix and BBC star Tom Burke, was 92 when he died.
On Friday, May 15, Burke’s agent Scott Marshall Partners said the actor had died on 10 May and was survived by his wife Anna Calder-Marshall and son Tom Burke. David Burke trained at drama school RADA and went on to have a career across stage, television and radio.
He starred in a stage production of King Lear at the National Theatre with Lord Of The Rings actor Ian Holm. He also appeared on the television series Midsomer Murders and with Felicity Kendal in The Woodlanders.
Jeremy Brett (left) and David Burke (right) in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
But one of his most famous roles came from the 1980s television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, where he starred as the detective’s sidekick Dr Watson opposite Jeremy Brett in the title role.
According to The Times, David declined to appear in a second series of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes as he felt “terribly guilty” about leaving his wife and son when filming in Manchester.
His son Tom told the paper he felt “guilty” when he got older, thinking his father had “given up this brilliant opportunity” for him. When he asked his father about it, David said: “It was my decision. I didn’t just want to work; I also wanted to be your dad. On top of that, I was getting bored of saying, ‘Good heavens, Holmes.’”
David with his wife Anna Calder-Marshall(Image: Family Handout/PA Wire)
David’s wife, actor Anna Calder-Marshall, has appeared in television series Grantchester, This England, and Netflix show Bodies. Tom is also an actor, known for roles in the BBC show The Musketeers, where he played Athos, and for his portrayal of Cormoran Strike in the series Strike.
Recently, Tom starred alongside Steve Coogan in the Netflix show Legends, which premiered on the streaming service earlier this month. He has also been in big films such as Mad Max prequel Furiosa, with Anya Taylor-Joy, and The Wonder, alongside Florence Pugh.
Holliday Grainger and Tom Burke in Strike(Image: BBC/Bronte Film & TV/Justin Downing)
The Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes podcast paid tribute to Burke. They said: “His performance and transformation of the character from a bumbling fool to a humble and intelligent man of action, loyal to the end and the best friend anyone could ask for, is one of the main reasons this show is the success it was, is, and will always be….
“This one hits hard on us. It was our honour and privilege to spend some time with him a few years ago, and to keep in touch with him since – memories that will live with us forever.
“We say thank you a lot here, but in this case we couldn’t mean it anymore when we say: Dear David, thank you. Thank you for all you gave us.”
If you have been affected by this story, Cruse Bereavement Support offers free help to make sense of how you are feeling. Click here for their website or call 0808 808 1677.
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