Last Of The Summer Wine actor Tom Owen dies aged 73
- Tom Owen, who played Tom Simmonite in Last Of The Summer Wine, has died aged 73
- He starred in over 90 episodes of the sitcom between 2000 and 2010
Tom Owen, who starred in over 90 episodes of Last Of The Summer Wine, has died aged 73.
The actor played Tom Simmonite in the sitcom for over a decade, from 2000 up until the show's cancellation in 2010. Tom was portrayed as the long lost son of Compo - the character who was played by his real-life father, Bill Owen.
He was chosen to play Compo's son just days after the death of his father in 1999. In an interview in 2000 he recalled: "It was two or three days after dad had died. Obviously my mind was on other things, like organising the funeral, and it hadn't occurred to me at all that I would be approached to play Compo's long-lost son. Alan [producer/director Alan J. W. Bell] suggested the idea to me and I thought about it for two seconds before saying yes."
He added: "At first when I arrived on set it was very odd. It was emotional, but very early on I decided the only way I could tackle it was by being a professional."
His family confirmed in a statement today: "He passed away peacefully and is survived by his two children, James and William, and ex-wife, Mary."
Owen's other credits include playing Mr Bromley in 2018 film The Bromley Boys and roles in TV shows such as Hawkmoor, Tottering Towers and Freewheelers.