• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Last Of The Summer Wine actor Tom Owen dies aged 73

Home> News

Updated 16:43 8 Nov 2022 GMTPublished 16:17 8 Nov 2022 GMT

breaking

Last Of The Summer Wine actor Tom Owen dies aged 73

Tom Owen, who played Tom Simmonite in hugely popular sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, has passed away aged 73.

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

Last of the Summer Wine star Tom Owen has died aged 73, his family have announced.

His appearance on the show continued a family tradition after his father, Bill Owen, portrayed his on-screen father, Compo Simmonite.

His other television credits included The Bill, The Onedin Line and Upstairs Downstairs.

They said: "He passed away peacefully and is survived by his two children, James and William, and ex-wife, Mary."

Owen began his career in acting after leaving school, and his father was instrumental in landing him his first job as an assistant stage manager at Leatherhead Theatre in Surrey.

After spending 12 months there he moved on to take up a similar job at the Westminster Theatre.

After four years working in television, Owen returned to repertory theatre in Sidmouth, Devon, and continued to work and direct in the theatre.

Tom Owen (centre) joined Last of the Summer Wine following the death of his dad Bill.
PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Owen was chosen to play Compo’s long-lost son just days after the death of his father in July 1999 from cancer.

Back in 2000 he explained that he'd been given the call to join Last of the Summer Wine and didn't have to think about it much before accepting the offer.

He said: "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 suggested the idea to me and I thought about it for two seconds before saying yes. 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."

Tom Owen joined Last of the Summer Wine as the long lost son of his father Bill Owen's (middle) character Compo.
Allstar Picture Library Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

The actor recounted that he'd been 'very aware of how wary the other cast members might be of me' because his father's death had been 'a traumatic shock' to them as well.

He said his dad had 'loved the show' and thought he would have been 'very happy' to have known that his son was going to take his place on it.

Tom had made his first appearance on the long-running sitcom in 1991 playing a bank customer, but between 2000 and 2010 he played the long lost son of his father's character Compo.

Owen said doing his part to keep the show going for his dad was 'continuing his memory'.

Last of the Summer Wine finally came to an end in 2010, having run since 1973.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: News, UK News, TV and Film

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@MrJoeHarker

Choose your content:

10 hours ago
11 hours ago
12 hours ago
  • 10 hours ago

    Major DB Cooper update as FBI releases 400 pages of classified documents on rogue skyjacker

    Almost 400 pages of DB Cooper documents show how the FBI just could not find this guy

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Garage owner unsure if penis still works after manhood was crushed by car in shocking footage

    Let's all take a moment to sympathise with his plight

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    Cans of ‘Pornography Beer’ raise awareness about new rule changes

    You’ve probably been there ... ordering that next pint at the pub, only to be asked to prove your age.

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    Pippa Middleton was turned away from Wimbledon's elite royal box after breaking major rule

    The sister of the future queen of England was reportedly turned away from the elite seating area

    News