Robert My Father

A Personal Biography of Robert Morley

‘If Robert had a mission, it was to emphasise that life was meant to be fun; he was one of the few men I knew who strode through life instead of circumnavigating it. He died without ever growing old.’ Michael Parkinson

‘Comic genius’ was the uncontested verdict of the International Herald Tribune. But Robert Morley was bigger even than that. While he is remembered for landmark performances such as the first portrayal of Oscar Wilde on stage and screen, and for many more as the epitome of the crusty but lovable English gentleman, Robert Morley is equally remembered for perhaps his finest role: playing himself. Through books, plays and countless radio and television performances, Robert Morley spread his own unique brand of irresistible humour and joie de vivre, generally resembling, to quote one memorable description, ‘an indignant elephant’. In this wonderfully entertaining account of a remarkable life, Sheridan Morley reveals the true Robert Morley – actor, playwright, bon viveur, and, not least, father.

‘Warm yet unsentimental … a first-rate portrait of a true original and star’ Evening Standard

‘Affectionate and moving, packed with anecdotes. Above all it is fun’ Sunday Express

‘Charming and affectionate … What his son’s biography sets out to do, and succeeds in admirably, is to celebrate the joyful pleasure that old-fashioned performers took in their art’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Hugely entertaining, and bulges with very good stories’ Mail on Sunday