Glyndwr Desmond Houston (23 October 1925 – 30 June 2019) was a Welsh actor, best known for his television work.
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Early life
Houston was born in Clydach Vale, near Tonypandy, Wales. He was the younger brother of film actor Donald Houston. He served in the British Army during the Second World War, and was briefly a stand-up comedian performing for soldiers during the war. He made his first film appearance in The Blue Lamp in 1950. In 1951 he appeared at the Duchess Theatre in London's West End in the comedy play The Happy Family by Michael Clayton Hutton.
Career
In the 1970s Houston played Lord Peter Wimsey's valet Bunter opposite Ian Carmichael in television adaptations of several of Dorothy Sayers tales. His performance was praised in The New York Times. Later, he had a role as a literary agent in the 1980s ITV sitcom Keep It in the Family. He appeared in a number of films including The Great Game.
Other credits included 'Peter Ridgway' in 'Colonel March of Scotland Yard' Episode 'The Stolen Crime' (1956), My Good Woman (1973–1974), A Horseman Riding By (1978), Inspector Morse, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Minder and Doomwatch, as well as the recurring character "Det Supt Jones" in Softly, Softly. He also appeared twice as different characters in Doctor Who — as "Professor Owen Watson" in The Hand of Fear (1976) and as "Colonel Ben Wolsey" in The Awakening (1984). He also played Brother Cadfael in a 1979 BBC Radio 4 adaptation of One Corpse Too Many. Houston had over two hundred television and film credits, dating back as early as 1950. Houston won a BAFTA Cymru special award in April 2008.
