Dudley Moore

Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 1935 – 27 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician, and composer who rose to prominence in the 1960s. He was a leading fixture of the British satire boom and one of the four writer-performers in the comedy revue Beyond the Fringe. His collaboration with Peter Cook on the BBC television series Not Only... But Also showcased Moore's comedic talents. Known for his buffoonery, which was a perfect contrast to Cook's deadpan monologues, they received the 1966 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance. Moore achieved great success as a film actor, with hits such as Bedazzled (1967), Foul Play (1978), 10 (1979), and Arthur (1981). For Arthur, Moore was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe. He had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was made a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001.\n\nMoore was born in Charing Cross Hospital in central London, to Ada Francis (née Hughes), a secretary, and John Moore, a railway electrician from Glasgow. He had to overcome physical adversities, including club feet that required extensive hospital treatment. Moore developed a love of jazz music early in life and became an accomplished jazz pianist and composer. He worked with musicians such as John Dankworth and Cleo Laine. Towards the end of his life, he suffered from a degenerative brain disorder, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), which led to his death in 2002.