Bill Maynard
A roguish character actor who found national fame late in life as the lovable rogue Greengrass in the hit TV series Heartbeat.
1928–2018 (age 90)·English comedian and actor·Birthday: October 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bill Maynard's career was a masterclass in persistence and character. Born Walter Williams, he adopted his stage name from a brand of sweets and cut his teeth in post-war variety halls and radio. A natural comic with a burly frame and twinkling eye, he became a staple of British light entertainment in the 1950s and 60s, partnering with Terry Scott and later starring in sitcoms like 'Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt,' where he played a hapless club secretary. He dipped into the 'Carry On' film series, but it was at age 64 that he landed the role that made him a household name: Claude Jeremiah Greengrass in 'Heartbeat.' As the scheming, dog-loving Yorkshire scrap dealer, Maynard's performance was so perfectly pitched between mischief and warmth that he became the show's breakout star, carrying it for eight years. His was a life in show business, finally crowned with beloved stardom in his later years.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bill was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 80
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Died at 90
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Portrayed the iconic character Claude Jeremiah Greengrass for eight years on the long-running ITV period drama 'Heartbeat'.
- Starred in and co-wrote the successful 1970s sitcom 'Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt', which ran for three series.
- Appeared in five films in the famous British 'Carry On' comedy franchise, including 'Carry On at Your Convenience' and 'Carry On Matron'.
- Had a early television hit with 'Great Scott – It's Maynard!', a comedy series with Terry Scott that aired on the BBC in the mid-1950s.
Did You Know?
He was a qualified chiropodist before committing to a full-time acting career.
He stood as a candidate for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party in the 1991 general election.
He was a passionate supporter of Leicester City Football Club and served as its vice-president.
His stage name 'Bill Maynard' was taken from a popular brand of toffees called 'William Maynard'.
“I'm not a comedian. I'm a comic actor. There's a difference.”
