Harry H. Corbett, OBE, (28 February 1925 — 21 March 1982), was a British actor best known for playing Harold Steptoe in Steptoe and Son.
After spending World War II enlisted in the Royal Marines and serving in the Home Fleet, Corbett became an actor and mostly appeared on stage until 1958, when he began to move toward more roles in films. His film career began with him taking roles that showed him as a serious, intense performer, while he also appeared in drama series on TV such as The Adventures of Robin Hood and Police Surgeon.
In 1962, he was cast as Harold Steptoe in the pilot for Steptoe and Son, which brought him great success until the final episode was aired in 1974. However, starring in Steptoe wasn't all good for Corbett. Critics couldn't take him seriously as an actor anymore, causing the only roles to be offered to Corbett become those in Awful British Sex Comedies or those that were parodies of Harold Steptoe.
He died of a heart attack at the age of 57.
Works on TV Tropes he appeared in:
Films- Carry On Screaming! (1966) — Detective Sergeant Sidney Bung
- Steptoe and Son (1972) — Harold Steptoe
- Steptoe and Son Ride Again (1973) — Harold Steptoe
- Jabberwocky (1977) — Squire
- The Adventures of Robin Hood, 4 episodes:
- "The Charter" (1957) — Sir Bascom
- "The Angry Village" (1957) — Jason
- "The Genius" (1958) — Nicodemus
- "A Bushel of Apples" (1960) — Sir Watkyn
- Steptoe and Son, 57 episodes (1962-74) — Harold Steptoe
- Jackanory, 4 episodesshow list (1966) — Storyteller
- The Goodies, episode "Hospital for Hire" (1973) — Minister for Health
- Shoestring, episode "Nine Tenths of the Law" (1979) — Tom
- Tales of the Unexpected, episode "The Moles" (1982) — George Balsam
