"I became a professional entertainer 63 years ago, but the past 26 have been occupied by a little man in a woolly hat."
Bill Owen, MBE, born William John Owen Rowbotham (14 March 1914 — 12 July 1999), was a British actor best known for starring in Last of the Summer Wine as Compo for 27 years.
He made his first appearance in The '40s and was a familiar face in The Rank Organisation's films. Peter Rogers had hoped for him to be a regular in the Carry On... Series, but Owen only appeared in four of the early films before dropping out to focus on theatre.
Alongside his acting work, he was also a songwriter during The '60s. In 1971, he played the lead in the short-lived Coppers End and in 1973, he was cast in his most famous role - the scruffy, working-class Compo Simmonite in Last of the Summer Wine - a role he would play until his death at the age of 85.
Works on TV Tropes he appeared in:
Film
- The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) — Will Stutely
- Carve Her Name with Pride (1958) — N.C.O. Instructor
- Carry On, Sergeant (1958) — Corporal Bill Copping
- Carry On Nurse (1959) — Perc Hickson
- Carry On Regardless (1961) — Mike Weston
- Carry On Cabby (1963) — Smiley Sims
- The Masque of the Red Death (1964) — Male Dancer (Uncredited Role)
- Georgy Girl (1966) — Ted
- The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1966) — Officer Powell
- O Lucky Man! (1973) — Superintendent Barlow/Inspector Carding
- The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (1979) — Voices
- The Adventures of Robin Hood, episode "The Hero" (1956) — Mark
- Playhouse 90, episode "Dark as the Night" (1959) — Peters
- Man in a Suitcase, episode "The Bridge" (1967) — Lord Gormond
- Coppers End, 13 episodes (1971) — Sergeant Sam Short
- Coronation Street, 1 episode (1971) — Charlie Dickinson
- The Challengers, 3 episodesshow list (1972) — Sir Joseph Conran
- Last of the Summer Wine, 184 episodes (1973-2000) — William "Compo" Simmonite
- Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, 4 episodesshow list (1973-74) — George Chambers
- Brideshead Revisited, episode "Et in Arcadia Ego" (1981) — Lunt
- Tales of the Unexpected, episode "The Moles" (1982) — Meakins
