Yes Minister star John Nettleton was married to actress Deirdre Doone and had three children before his death. Let’s meet his family; wife and kids.
The actor was best known for portraying Sir Arnold Robinson in the hit political satire sitcom and in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, in the 1980s.
The series was filled with all the same rivalries, scheming and conspiracies that were prevalent in shows such as The Thick of It, which followed decades after.
During the series, the character of Robinson was portrayed as a master manipulator and Sir Humphrey Appleby’s mentor. Over the years he was promoted from cabinet secretary to president of the campaign for freedom of information.
John Nettleton has died on July 12, 2023 aged 94, his representatives have confirmed. The theatrical agency Scott Marshall Partners shortly released a statement about the actor’s passing.
Nettleton leaves behind his wife of decades, three children and grandkids. But what is known about his family? Read on for more about his wife and kids below.
Who was John Nettleton married to?
Away from being an actor, John Nettleton was a husband.
He was married to actress Deirdre Doone. The pair tied the knot in 1954. Not much is known about their wedding but they were still together until his passing on July 2023.
His wife, Deirdre Doone was born on December 1, 1930 in Kensington, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Esther Kahn (2000), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Degrees of Error (1995).
However, owing to the fact that the late actor hardly opened up about his private life and for that matter, his family, not much is known about her wife. Her date of birth, age, and educational background are unknown.
Did John Nettleton have any children?
Yes, the late actor was a father. He had three children and shared them with his bereaved wife, Doone. All his kids hold a British nationality.
There are no information about his children; including their genders, ages, and what they do for a living.
His kids gave him five grandchildren when he was alive – and that alone was a blessing to him.
Who was John Nettleton’s parents and did he have any siblings?
Though he’s famous, there’s no relevant information regarding his parents as their name, date of birth, age, educational background, and occupation are unknown at the time of writing.
Nettleton never shared any information regarding his siblings hence we can’t state whether or not he’s the only child of his parents. There are no records about that.
John Nettleton had an impressive career
Born in London on 5 February 1929, Nettleton had numerous television credits in a career spanning seven decades, including another political role as a Conservative MP in the British sitcom The New Statesman opposite the comedian Rik Mayall.
He also appeared in police procedurals Z Cars and Walk a Crooked Mile, Midsomer Murders, Foyle’s War, the Brideshead Revisited miniseries, the long-running medical series Casualty, the spoof soap opera Brass, the court room drama Rumpole of the Bailey and long-running sci-fi show Doctor Who, among others. Young viewers recognised his voice thanks to his reading of historical stories on Blue Peter.
Nettleton’s film work included 1966’s A Man for All Seasons, 1987’s East of Ipswich, written by Monty Python star Sir Michael Palin, and a 2005 adaptation of Oliver Twist.
His final TV credit was in 2008, in comedy drama Kingdom, opposite the actor and comedian Stephen Fry.
Away from the screen, Nettleton also featured in numerous stage productions. These included Harley Granville-Barker’s The Voysey Inheritance and the National Theatre’s first production of Alan Bennett’s stage adaptation of The Wind in the Willows.
Nettleton was one of the earliest members of the Royal Shakespeare Company during its Aldwych theatre heyday under Peter Hall, and belonged to the first group of players to be put under long-term contract.
He followed Hall to the National Theatre when the RSC founder took over from Laurence Olivier as artistic director; and was also a member of the Prospect Theatre Company when it was at the Old Vic.