Victor Spinetti

An accomplished actor of stage, screen and television, Victor Spinetti's lengthy, celebrated résumé was bolstered by small but showy supporting roles in two films: "A Hard Day's Night" (1964) and "Help!" (1965). The enduring status of those two appearances was due to his co-stars, the Beatles, but Spinetti's lively turns in these pictures made him both an audience favorite as well as a friend and collaborator with the band - John Lennon in particular. He burst onto the theater scene with a Tony-winning turn in the Broadway production of "Oh! What a Lovely War!" in 1964, which coincided with his appearances in the Beatles pictures. Spinetti soon became friendly with Lennon, and later collaborated on a stage play based on the musician's 1964 book In His Own Write. Though his Beatles credits remained his best known, Spinetti worked steadily in U.K. films and on television from the 1960s through the 2000s, primarily in comedies that showcased his knack for madcap characterizations. His passing in 2012 from prostate cancer brought to a close a long, celebrated performing career, as well as another element in the sprawling pop culture tapestry that was the Beatles' legacy.