Michael Ripper, a renowned British character actor, was born in 1913 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. His father, a speech therapist, nurtured his interest in diction and public speaking by encouraging him to participate in competitions. This early exposure kindled a passion for acting, and Ripper's father's amateur dramatics company provided his first taste of the stage.
At the age of 16, Ripper won a scholarship to attend drama school, marking the beginning of his professional stage career. His extensive stage experience continued until 1952, when an operation for a thyroid condition left him unable to project his voice sufficiently for the stage. Subsequently, he focused on his film career.
Ripper's film career commenced in numerous quota quickies, with his debut in Twice Branded (1936). He also worked as an assistant director for a production company at Walton Studios at one point in his early career. In the late 1940s, Ripper formed a long-lasting association with Hammer Film Productions, which resulted in his face becoming well known not only in Britain but also worldwide.
Throughout his 25-year association with Hammer, which began with a role in There Is No Escape (1948) and ended with That's Your Funeral (1972),Ripper made a total of 35 appearances in Hammer films. He played a wide range of characters, including innkeepers, coachmen, gravediggers, poachers, and authority figures, often with a comic twist.
Although Ripper made few films after his stint with Hammer, he continued his career with memorable television appearances, such as the chauffeur in Butterflies (1978) and Drones Porter in Jeeves and Wooster (1990),until his retirement in the early 1990s.
