Norman Wisdom

Sir Norman Wisdom OBE (4 February 1915 - 4 October 2010) was an English comedian who rose to fame largely through a series of slapstick style films in the 1950s and 1960s where he played the charcter of Norman Pitkin, known as The Gump. Charlie Chaplin named him as his favourite comedian. In later years he had a recurring role in the long running BBC Comedy Last of the Summer Wine. Among his other TV work was his 1981 critcially aclaimed role as a dying cancer patient in the television play Going Gently, as well as guest roles in Bergerac, Casualty and Dalziel and Pascoe. In 2004, Norman had a cameo role in Coronation Street where he played the character of Ernie Crabbe.

Wisdom, a cult icon in Albania, also had a recording career and was famous for his theme song Don't Laugh at Me (Cos I'm a Fool). In later years, Norman suffered from dementia, and was last seen in a 2008 documentary which looked at how his family coped with his declining health. His death at the age of 95 followed a series of strokes over the previous six months. He was knighted in 2000.