Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker (25 September 1929 -
3 October 2005) was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic,
broadcaster and businessman. He was known for his roles in
various British comedy television series, such as, Porridge,
The Two Ronnies and Open All Hours.

He began his acting career in repertory theatre and decided he was
best suited to performing comic roles. Barker gained his first acting
successes at the Oxford Playhouse and later in various roles in the
West End including Tom Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound.
During this period, he became a cast member on BBC radio and
television comedy programmes such as The Navy Lark. Barker got
his television break with the satirical sketch series The Frost Report
in 1966 where he met future collaborator Ronnie Corbett. He joined
David Frost's production company and was to star in a number of
shows including a short film during this period.