Anthony George Booth (9 October 1931 – 25 September 2017) was an English actor, often known for his role as Mike Rawlins in the BBC series Till Death Us Do Part. He was the father-in-law of former prime minister Tony Blair and the widower of Coronation Street star Pat Phoenix, having married her a few days before her death in 1986.

Early life

Booth was born into a working-class family in Jubilee Road, Liverpool, in 1931 and raised Catholic. His mother was a Roman Catholic of Irish descent; his father, who worked as a merchant seaman during the Second World War, was a Catholic convert. Tony Booth attended St Edmund's Infants School and spent a year in hospital as a child with diphtheria. He then passed the Eleven-plus examination and attended St Mary's College, Crosby, where he was awarded a bursary to cover the cost of his books.

Acting

Booth developed a taste for acting when posted in the Army to SHAPE in Paris. He spent five years in repertory theatre, before appearing in films and television during the 1960s. These were Confessions of a Window Cleaner, Confessions of a Pop Performer, Confessions of a Driving Instructor and Confessions from a Holiday Camp. Cherie, a King's Counsel, is married to the former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair. While Booth was a long-standing supporter of the Labour Party, his politics differed from those of his daughter and her husband.

With his third wife, Nancy Jaeger, he had a daughter, Joanna. His relationship with Pamela Smith, which began in the 1960s, lasted 13 years; the couple had Booth's other two daughters, Emma and Lauren Booth, a broadcaster and journalist. In 2006 he said he was the victim of anti-English bias while living in Ireland.

Booth was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2004. He suffered a stroke in 2010. He also had chronic heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Booth died on 25 September 2017 at home, aged 85.

In March 2019, Booth's widow Steph published the book Married to Alzheimer's: A Life Less Ordinary with Tony Booth, a memoir about her time caring for her husband.

Filmography

  • Suspect (1960) – Parkin
  • Pit of Darkness (1961) – Ted
  • The Valiant (1962)
  • Mix Me a Person (1962) – at 'La Paloma' / Gravy
  • The L-Shaped Room (1962) – Youth in Street
  • The Partner (1963) – Buddy Forrester
  • The Hi-Jackers (1963) – Terry McKinley
  • Of Human Bondage (1964) – Martin (uncredited)
  • The Saint (1965) - Hans
  • The Return of Mr. Moto (1965) – Hovath
  • The Saint (1966) - Pyotr
  • The Girl with the Pistol (1968) – John
  • Corruption (1968) – Mike Orme
  • Till Death Us Do Part (1969) – Mike Rawlins (the boyfriend)
  • Neither the Sea Nor the Sand (1972) – Delamare
  • Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1973) – Tommy Brettell
  • Montreal Main (1974)
  • Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974) – Sidney Noggett
  • Brannigan (1975) – Freddy
  • Confessions of a Pop Performer (1975) – Sidney Noggett
  • Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976) – Sidney Noggett
  • Confessions from a Holiday Camp (1977) – Sidney Noggett
  • Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair (1979) – Steve
  • Priest (1994) – Tommy
  • Owd Bob (1998) – Tammas
  • The Duke (1998)
  • Treasure Island (1999) – Chief Revenue Officer
  • Revengers Tragedy (2002) – Lord Antonio
  • Upstaged (2005) – Candidate – Leggings
  • Gone to the Dogs (2006) – Jack

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