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Tony Osoba (born 15 March 1947) is a Scottish actor best known for his role as Jim 'Jock' McLaren in the 1970s British sitcom Porridge alongside Ronnie Barker. He also guest starred in the first episode of the spin-off Going Straight. Osoba was the first mixed-race Scottish actor to appear on primetime television when he appeared in the series.

Since then, he has appeared twice in Coronation Street, first as Wesley McGregor in 1982, and secondly as Mike Baldwin's boss Peter Ingram for a few episodes in 1990, before the character was killed off. He also starred as Chas Jarvis in Dempsey and Makepeace.

Early life

Osoba was born in Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland, of Nigerian descent, and had an early ambition to design cars but when he realised that the employment opportunities in that field were limited, he decided to become an actor after his Highers, he trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Career

Osoba after graduating college joined a theatre company in Richmond, toured abroad and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

His television roles include Det. Sgt. Charles 'Chas' Jarvis in Dempsey and Makepeace (1984–1986) and both Wesley McGregor and Peter Ingram in Coronation Street (1982 and 1990). He has also appeared in Space: 1999 (1976), The Professionals (1978), Charles Endell Esq (1979), Minder (1980), The Flame Trees of Thika (1981), Tales of the Unexpected (1982), Bergerac (1983), Between the Lines (1994), Taggart (1999) and Dinotopia (2002) as well as three appearances in Doctor Who in the stories "Destiny of the Daleks" (1979), "Dragonfire" (1987) and "Kill the Moon" (2014). His film career includes roles in Pure as a Lily (1976), the film version of Porridge (US: Doing Time, 1979), Game for Vultures (1979), and Who Dares Wins (1982).

In 2005, Osoba starred as the Kralahome in a UK touring production of The King and I. Later credits include the 2007 film Tanner, as Superintendent Smith in Hollyoaks and Charlie Dokes in The Bill. In 2011 Osoba made a brief appearance in an episode of The Shadow Line.

Osoba has also appeared in one radio series, Space Force (1984–1985), as Loderick Sincere.

Filmography

References

1. Porridge star Tony is back home to play it straight on stage Glasgow Evening Times, 27 September 2005
2. Webster, Richard; Clement, Dick; la Frenais, Ian (2001). Porridge The Inside Story. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0-7472-3294-6.
3. ^ Tony's on right side of the law Glasgow Evening Times, 13 September 1986
4. BBC – Doctor Who Classic Series Episode Guide – Destiny of the Daleks
5. BBC – Doctor Who Classic Series Episode Guide – Dragonfire
6. Tony Osoba stars in lavish and sumptuous King and I Surrey Advertiser, 24 November 2005
7. BBC Two Programmes – The Shadow Line, Episode 2

External links

• Tony Osoba at IMDb 
• Tony Osoba at the British Film Institute
• Official website

• 1947 births
• Living people
• Black British male actors
• Scottish male television actors
• Scottish male soap opera actors
• Scottish male musical theatre actors
• Male actors from Glasgow
• People educated at Eastwood High School, Newton Mearns
• Alumni of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
• People from Maryhill
• Scottish people of Nigerian descent