Michael Balfour's round, lived-in face exuded a perpetual air of puzzlement, as if he was constantly trying to make sense of the world around him. This ubiquitous character actor had a knack for popping up in almost every second British B-movie or television episode from the 1950s and 1960s, often typecast as a lovable but dim-witted cabbie, a wisecracking sidekick, or a bumbling thug.
As his screen career began to slow down in the late 1970s, Balfour surprisingly traded in his acting career for a life under the big top, touring with European circuses as a clown. Who would have thought that the man who had once brought laughter and joy to audiences as a lovable buffoon would eventually don a red nose and oversized shoes to entertain children of all ages?
Balfour's acting journey began on the repertory stage in 1936, but it wasn't until the mid-1940s that he decided to adopt a new persona. He started passing himself off as a former child actor from Detroit, which allowed him to join the cast of a London production of "Born Yesterday". From that moment on, his American accent and leather bomber jacket became an integral part of his screen persona, so convincing that some sources still mistakenly refer to him as an American (in reality, he was born in Kent).
But Balfour's talents didn't stop at acting. He was also a skilled painter and sculptor, showcasing his artistic side alongside his acting career.
