Norman Bird

John George Norman Bird (30 October 1924 – 22 April 2005) was an English character actor.

Bird was born in Coalville, Leicestershire, England. A RADA graduate, he made his West End debut in Peter Brook's production of The Winter's Tale at the Phoenix Theatre in 1951. He was also a member of the BBC's Radio Drama Company. His first film appearance was as the foreman in An Inspector Calls (1954).

He was a familiar face to British cinema audiences of the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in nearly 50 films such as The Angry Silence (1960), The League of Gentlemen (1960), Whistle Down the Wind (1961), Victim (1961) and Term of Trial (1962) with Laurence Olivier and The Hill with Sean Connery (1965).

He had over 200 television appearances, notably as Mr Braithwaite in Worzel Gummidge (1979–81) and Mr Arrad in the Fawlty Towers episode "Waldorf Salad" (1979). His long list of credits include Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, Rising Damp, Ever Decreasing Circles, Yes Minister, To Serve Them All My Days, All Creatures Great and Small, Z-Cars, Public Eye, The Saint, Department S, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Boon. In 1990 he appeared in Stay Lucky, with Dennis Waterman, which marked his 200th television appearance. One of his last film appearances was as a taxi driver in Richard Attenborough's Shadowlands (1993).

Norman Bird is known for work in acting across film and television. New Release currently presents 30 verified screen credits connected to this profile.

Selected work includes Worzel Gummidge (1979), The Lord of the Rings (1978), Baby Sitters (1976), The Hill (1965), The Bargee (1964), Maniac (1963), Coronation Street (1960), Crown Court (1972). The recorded credits span 1959 to 1985, including 5 movies and 25 TV shows.

The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.