Acting · Beckenham, Kent, England, UK · Born December 4, 1933
James Cossins (4 December 1933 – 12 February 1997) was an English actor. Born in Beckenham, Kent, he became widely recognised as the abrupt, bewildered Mr Walt in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Hotel Inspectors" and as Mr Watson, the frustrated Public Relations training course instructor, in an episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Cossins was born in Beckenham and educated at the City of London School. After serving in the Royal Air Force, he trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he won the silver medal in 1952. Cossins first appeared in repertory theatre and at the Nottingham Playhouse. He played a wide range of characters throughout his colourful and extensive career on television and stage, often portraying blustering, pompous, crusty and cantankerous characters. Cossins appeared in Charley's Aunt at the Apollo Theatre in 1971 with Tom Courtenay, David Horovitch, Garth Forwood, Joanna McCallum, and Celia Bannerman. He appeared in more than forty films, including The Anniversary (recreating his West End stage role), and The Lost Continent (both 1968), Gandhi (1982), and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). On the small screen, Cossins appeared as a guest in a variety of shows, including The Likely Lads and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Minder, Bergerac, The Sweeney, Bless This House, Shadows, All Creatures Great and Small, Citizen Smith, Just William, The Good Life, L for Lester, Neville Dennis in Callan "Rules of the Game" (1972), Z-Cars, and as the regular character Bruce Westrop (in 1979) in Emmerdale Farm. He also played Major Bagstock in Dombey and Son (1983), and appeared in the first series of All in Good Faith in 1985. He played a magistrate in episodes of four different British sitcoms, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, The Good Life, Citizen Smith and Minder. Cossins's later appearances were limited by ill health and he lived in semi-retirement in Surrey. Cossins died from heart disease at the age of 63, in 1997
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
2005
as Mr. Walt (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieUnnatural Causes
1993
as Justin Bryce
MovieImmaculate Conception
1992
as Godfrey
TVMurder Most Horrid
1991
as Sir Hugh Lotterby
TVMiss Marple: At Bertram's Hotel
1987
as Colonel Luscombe
MovieGrand Larceny
1987
TVCall Me Mister
1986
Marjorie And Men
1985
as Henry Bartlett
MovieThe Masks of Death
1984
as Frederick Bains
MovieJames Bond: The First 21 Years
1983
as Colthorpe (archive footage)
Good Night And God Bless
1983
as Geoffrey
TVNumber 10
1983
as Sir William Harcourt
MovieGandhi
1982
as Brigadier
MovieAliens
1982
as Major Lucas
L For Lester
1982
as Chief Inspector Rodgers
TVBergerac
1981
as Tuchel
MovieTimon of Athens
1981
as Lucullus
MovieSphinx
1981
as Lord Carnarvon
MovieWhy Didn't They Ask Evans?
1980
as Henry Bassington-ffrench
TVMinder
1979
as Judge
MovieThe First Great Train Robbery
1978
as Harranby
TVAll Creatures Great and Small
1978
as Mr. Barge
TVDon't Forget to Write!
1977
as Phillip Mounter
TVCitizen Smith
1977
as Court Judge
One-Upmanship
1976
TVFawlty Towers
1975
as Mr. Walt
TVShadows
1975
as Custodian
TVThe Good Life
1975
as Magistrate
TVThe Sweeney
1975
as Colonel Rosier
TVChurchill's People
1974
as William
MovieThe Man with the Golden Gun
1974
as Colthorpe
Good Girl
1974
as Manager
TVFall of Eagles
1974
as Count Josi Hoyos
TVThe Pallisers
1974
as Sergeant Bunfit
What Next?
1974
That Sinking Feeling
1973
as Eric
TVCentre Play
1973
as Burret
MovieHitler: The Last Ten Days
1973
as German Officer
MovieBequest to the Nation
1973
as McKillop
TVThriller
1973
as Kellet
MoviePossession
1973
as Kellet
TVSome Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
1973
TVWhatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
1973
as Magistrate
MovieA Day Out
1972
as Mr. Shorter
The Breaking of Colonel Keyser
1972
as Partridge
MovieDeath Line
1972
as James Manfred O.BE.
TVCrown Court
1972
MovieThe Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night
1972
as Peter Elmstead
TVVan der Valk
1972
as Noordhoff
MovieYoung Winston
1972
as Barnsby
MovieFollow Me!
1972
as Party Guest (uncredited)
MovieFear in the Night
1972
as The Doctor
TVPretenders
1972
as Old Elam
MovieBlood from the Mummy's Tomb
1971
as Older Male Nurse
TVJustice
1971
as Mr. Ritson
TVThe Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
1971
as Dr. Jervis
MovieVillain
1971
as Brown
Bel Ami
1971
as Forestier
Bel Ami
1971
as Charles Forestier
The Ten Commandments
1971
as Tom
MovieMelody
1971
as Headmaster
MovieThe Rainbirds
1971
as Father - Mr. Rainbird
MovieThe Piano
1971
as Jeremy
MovieSay Hello to Yesterday
1971
as Policeman
MovieThe Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
1970
as Crodder
MovieThe Horror of Frankenstein
1970
as Dean
MovieScrooge
1970
as Party Guest (uncredited)
MovieWuthering Heights
1970
as Mr. Linton
MovieMad Jack
1970
MovieCarry On Camping
1969
as Man in Cinema (uncredited)
MovieOtley
1969
as Jeffcot
MovieThe Lost Continent
1968
as Nick, chief engineer
MovieA Dandy in Aspic
1968
MovieThe Anniversary
1968
as Henry Taggart
MovieHow I Won the War
1967
as Drogue
MoviePrivilege
1967
as Professor Tatham
TVCallan
1967
MovieThe Prophet
1967
as Interviewer
MovieThe Deadly Bees
1966
as Coroner
TVMystery and Imagination
1966
as Landlord
TVThirty-Minute Theatre
1965
as Tim Singleton
MovieStrife
1965
as William Scantlebury
MovieDarling
1965
as Mr. Basildon
Legend of Death
1965
as Irwin
TVLondoners
1965
as The Interviewer
MovieLove's Labour's Lost
1965
as Holofernes
TVThe Likely Lads
1964
as Vicar
TVTheatre 625
1964
as Henry
The Invasion
1963
as TV Commentator
TVThe Avengers
1961
as Henry
TVCoronation Street
1960
as Mr. Soames
TVNo Hiding Place
1959
TVArmchair Theatre
1956
as Uncle Eric
