David Kelly (11 July 1929 – 12 February 2012) was an Irish actor, entertainer, and dancer who had regular roles in several film and television works from the 1950s onwards. One of the most recognisable voices and faces of Irish stage and screen, he was known for his roles as Rashers Tierney in Strumpet City, Cousin Enda in Me Mammy, the builder Mr. O'Reilly in Fawlty Towers, Albert Riddle in Robin's Nest, and Grandpa Joe in the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Another notable role was as Michael O'Sullivan in Waking Ned.
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Early life and career
Kelly was born 11 July 1929 in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, and educated at Dublin's Synge Street CBS Christian Brothers school. He began acting at age eight at the city's Gaiety Theatre, encouraged by a teacher at school he also performed with the Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society and went on to train at the Abbey School of Acting.
As a backup career, Kelly additionally trained as a draughtsman and calligrapher, and also learned watercolour art. He appeared onstage in the original production of Brendan Behan's The Quare Fellow, and gained his first major career attention in Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape at the Dublin's Abbey Theatre in 1959. By then, Kelly had made his screen debut in a small part in director John Pomeroy's 1958 film noir Dublin Nightmare.
One of his first television appearances was on RTÉ in O'Dea's your Man (1964), in which Kelly played the part of Ignatius opposite Jimmy O'Dea. Kelly went on to become a familiar face on British television with the BBC comedy Me Mammy, opposite Milo O'Shea and Anna Manahan. He went on to often-memorable guest roles on such series as Oh Father! and Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width, and particularly during the 1970s with a long-running role as the one-armed dishwasher Albert Riddle in the Man About the House spin-off Robin's Nest. Kelly also had a regular long running role alongside Bruce Forsyth in both series of the comedy Slinger's Day from 1986 to 1987, and in 1991, he appeared in the first series of the BBC sitcom 2point4 Children as the cafe-owner Paddy.
