John Barron (actor)

John Barron (24 December 1920 – 3 July 2004) was an English actor.

Born in Marylebone, London, Barron was interested in acting from an early age. For his 18th birthday his godfather paid his entry fee to RADA. After serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, he returned to stage acting. In the 1950s he moved into a directorial role, during which time he came to know Leonard Rossiter.

From the mid 1950s, he became more involved in television, and then film. Between 1978 and 1982 he served as the president of the Equity. During his long career, he appeared in such popular series as "The Avengers", "Emergency Ward 10", "All Gas and Gaiters", "The Saint", "Department S", "Doomwatch", "Timeslip", "Potter", "Whoops Apocalypse" and "Yes Minister". Although he had long-running roles in popular dramas like the police series "Softly, Softly" (where he played the assistant chief constable between 1967-9), almost certainly his best known role was in the situation comedy "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin", which began in 1976.

Barron's character, CJ (Charles Jefferson), was the overbearing boss of the title character (played by Leonard Rossiter). CJ was famous for the catchphrase "I didn't get where I am today ...". This invariably introduced a bland statement that was intended to emphasise CJ's status as a "self-made man", but in reality it always showed him to be pompous and shallow. For example: "I didn't get where I am today by shaking hands with the person on my right!" "I didn't get where I am today wondering what life's all about." "I didn't get where I am today by touching everybody!" "I didn't get where I am today by throwing money into the hands of overpaid lawyers."

Barron remained active in the acting profession for many years before his death at the age of 83. His one hobby was enjoying fine wine, a hobby he inspired his friend Leonard Rossiter to also take up.

External links

* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/07/07/db0702.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/07/07/ixportal.html Obituary of John Barron] "(Daily Telegraph)"
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