Jim Dale

Biography: Jim first started training for his career at the young age of nine. For six years he studied tap dancing, judo, ballet and tumbling. During these years he performed in many amateur shows and started to also include comedy in his act. He joined the Royal Air Force at the age of eighteen and spent the next two years entertaining troops in England and Germany. At the age of 22, he became a successful pop singer. He also hosted the top pop music show on BBC television, 6-5 Special. He later became the first recording artist of the now legendary George Martin, who produced many hit records for him over the next two years. He was asked by the BBC to become a disc jockey, and hosted their top Saturday morning two hour record show for over a year. Jim is probally best known in the UK for his roles in the successful Carry On series of films first appearing in a small roll in Carry On Cabby before becoming one of the lead actors in Carry On Cowboy. Jim returned to the Carry On films in 1992 when the film series was revived with Carry On Columbus. Jim appeared in 11 Carry On films in total.

Jim has appeared in several films including Digby The Biggest Dog In The World and Adolph Hitler My Part In His Downfall.

In 1966 he was asked to play the clown Autolycus in Shakespeare's, The Winter's Tale at the Edinburgh Festival.
The next year he played Bottom in A Midsummer Nights Dream. In 1970, at the request of Laurence Olivier, he joined The British National Theatre as a leading actor.

Jim became a huge Broadway star in 1981 when he created the flamboyant title role in the now world famous Cy Coleman musical Barnum, winning him the Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award. Jim was also in the Broadway hit, Scapino.

Other credits on and Off-Broadway include, Joe Egg, Travels With My Aunt, Candide, The Comedians, The Invisible Man, Privates On Parade, The Taming of the Shrew, Me And My Girl , A Christmas Carol - The Musical, The Music Man and Address Unknown. He also narrated the Harry Potter books on audio CDs/tapes.… Expand