Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as Porridge, The Two Ronnies, and Open All Hours.
Barker began acting in Oxford amateur dramatics whilst working as a bank clerk, having dropped out of higher education. He moved into repertory theatre with the Manchester Repertory Company at Aylesbury and decided he was best suited to comic roles. He had his first success at the Oxford Playhouse and in roles in the West End including Tom Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound. During this period, he was in the cast of BBC radio and television comedies such as The Navy Lark. He got his television break with the satirical sketch series The Frost Report in 1966, where he met future collaborator, Ronnie Corbett. He joined David Frost's production company and starred in ITV shows.
After rejoining the BBC, Barker achieved significant success with the sketch show The Two Ronnies (1971–87), with Ronnie Corbett. The duo maintained their careers as solo performers; Barker notably starred as inmate Norman Stanley Fletcher in the sitcom Porridge (1974–77) and its sequel Going Straight (1978) and as shopkeeper Arkwright in Open All Hours (1976–85). He wrote comedy under his own name, though for much of his written material after 1968 he adopted pseudonyms (including "Gerald Wiley") to avoid pre-judgments of his writing talent. He won a BAFTA for best light entertainment performance four times, among other awards, and received an OBE in 1978.
Later television sitcoms such as The Magnificent Evans and Clarence were less successful and he retired in December 1987. The following year, he opened an antiques shop with his wife, Joy. After 1999, he appeared in smaller, non-comic roles in films. He died of heart failure on 3 October 2005, aged 76.
Sol turns thousands of years of human wisdom from the world’s spiritual traditions into a totally unique personality profile. To get your own profile, check compatibility with friends and much more, download the Sol App today.
Some of their strengths
Ronnie Barker has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Energetic, Inquisitive, Practical, Diplomatic, Charming, Optimistic, and Insightful.
Intelligent and Inquisitive
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Ronnie Barker is someone who is an intelligent, inquisitive, and imaginative person, who is practical, considerate, kind, and diplomatic in dealings with others. A person who defines themself by their friends and what groups they belong to.
Soulful and Intuitive
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Ronnie Barker well know them as someone who can be graceful, romantic, and reserved, like gentle rain.
Ambitious and Forceful
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Ronnie Barker as someone who is ambitious, hard-working, determined, and intelligent.
A person who has a knack for identifying opportunities, has amazing concentration and focus, who can work independently, who likes starting new things, and who is somewhat of an intellectual.
Inquisitive and Progressive
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Ronnie Barker is someone who is an eternal student who is always interested in learning new things, and who has a desire to shake things up and change things.
They are also someone who is balanced, organized, and in-charge, and who loves traveling, working hard, and figuring out the patterns of things.
Justice-seeking and Peaceful
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Ronnie Barker tends to be someone who loves peace and is ready to go to any costs to achieve it. Who has a taste for the good things in life, tends to be a good organizer, has a thirst for knowledge, and who tends to have the respect of friends and acquaintances.
Some of Ronnie Barker's challenges
While Ronnie Barker has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Ronnie Barker can be Hesitant, Narcissistic, Hypocritical, Self-centered, Impulsive, Careless, and Relentless.
Hesitant and Narcissistic
One of Ronnie Barker's key challenges is that they are someone who can be hesitant and narcissistic.
Ronnie Barker must also exercise caution as they can have a hard time reconciling wants and needs, and can have difficulty dealing with responsibility, authority, or criticism.
Relentless and Inflexible
Ronnie Barker is someone who can be relentless, obsessive, and inflexible, who can be confrontational with work colleagues, can have difficulty communicating feelings and be somewhat reclusive, and who can be self-destructive, overindulgent, and extravagant.
Pleasure-seeking and Indecisive
Finally, Ronnie Barker also can put others first too much, and hem-and-haw too much when making a decision.
