Ernest Clark was a renowned stage actor, particularly recognized by British television audiences for his iconic portrayal of the gruff "Sir Geoffrey Loftus" in the long-running "Doctor" comedy series throughout the 1970s.
Born in Maida Vale, Clark was the son of a master builder and received his education at Marylebone Grammar School. His initial career path involved working as a reporter for a local newspaper, concurrently pursuing his passion for amateur acting.
Clark made his professional debut at the Festival Theatre, Cambridge in 1937, and throughout the 1930s and 1940s, he was rarely absent from the West End stage. His performance in T.S. Eliot's "The Cocktail Party" in New York in 1950 garnered rave reviews.
As a prolific screen character actor, Clark was typically cast in stern, tight-lipped roles in British war films.
He served as vice-president of Equity, the British actor's union, from 1964 to 1969 and as president from 1970 to 1973. As an articulate, outspoken, and often witty commentator on the acting profession, Clark consistently advocated for regulated entry into what he regarded as an overcrowded industry.
Clark's first two marriages ended in divorce, and his third wife was Julia Lockwood, the daughter of the renowned British film star Margaret Lockwood.
