British actor Ray Brooks (The Knack …and How to Get It, EastEnders) died on Aug. 9. He was 86. Brooks started his career in regional theater, and by the 1960s was appearing in films and TV. He had recurring roles in The Secret Kingdom, Taxi!, Coronation Street (as talent scout Norman Phillips), Jackanory (as the Storyteller), Big Deal, Growing Pains (not the US sitcom), and EastEnders. His best showcase was in Richard Lester’s 1965 hit The Knack …and How to Get It, as the womanizing Tolen. As his career slowed down in the ’80s and ‘90s, Brooks also did a good deal of voice-over work, on TV, commercials and even on London’s Tramlink system (“. . next stop . . .”). “I don't think I was ever that good an actor,” Brooks told Sussex Life. “I was more an image of a young man. I was never as good looking as, say, my contemporary, David Hemmings. And don't forget this was the period of Terence Stamp. So there was a lot of competition."
