Obituary: Frank Barrie, actor

English actor Frank Barrie made his name playing Shakespearean roles, but is best-remembered for his time on soap EastEnders, on which he played Dot Cotton’s love interest Edward Bishop.

From Yorkshire, he joined the Bristol Old Vic company in 1965 and became a leading male actor — the youngest in the company’s history.

His work on the Bard’s plays toured to the United States and caught the eye of Laurence Olivier, who recruited him to the National Theatre.

While theatre, as both an actor and director, remained his enduring love, Barrie also racked up more than 150 television credits. Frank Barrie died on June 30 aged 88. — Allied Media