Arthur Brough was an English actor, born Frederick Arthur Baker on February 26, 1905, in Petersfield, Hampshire, England. He is best known for his role as senior clothing salesman Mr. Grainger on the BBC-TV comedy series Are You Being Served? from the 1970s.
Brough began his acting career in amateur theatrics with future star Alistair Sim and later attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in the early 1920s. He joined a Shakespearean theatrical troupe, where he met his wife-to-be, actress Elizabeth Addeyman. After they married, they used their wedding dowry to rent the Leas Pavilion, a repertory theater in Folkestone.
Brough dedicated his life to the theater, establishing new repertory companies throughout the country. During World War II, he enlisted in the Royal Navy, where he served for the duration. After the war, he reopened the Folkestone rep and continued to act in shows.
In the 1950s, Brough began seeking roles in mass media, appearing in small roles in movies and television. He predicted the decline of repertory theater and diversified his career. According to his daughter, he found it hard adjusting from stage to screen at first, but he eventually adapted and appeared in a wide variety of small and bit parts.
Throughout his time on Are You Being Served?, Brough's personal life was beset with sadness, as his beloved wife was seriously ill. The show completed its fifth season in 1977, and a crisis hit when Brough's wife passed away in 1978. Devastated, Brough announced he was quitting acting, but unfortunately, he died six weeks later on May 28, 1978, in Folkestone.
His co-workers fondly remember working with Arthur, who was a highly respected actor with a long and distinguished career.
