Andrew Ray

Andrew Ray (31 May 1939 – 20 August 2003) was an English actor who was best known as a child star. He was born Andrew Olden (Ray was his father's stage name), in North London, the son of the famous radio comic Ted Ray and his wife, showgirl Dorothy Sibil. Ray's life was transformed at the age of 10 when he was cast in the title part of The Mudlark, a 20th Century Fox film starring Alec Guinness and Irene Dunne. He played a street urchin who ends up meeting Queen Victoria. The film was chosen as the Royal Command Performance in 1950 and catapulted Ray to child stardom. He featured in numerous films during the next few years including The Yellow Balloon (with Kenneth More, 1953), Escapade (with John Mills, 1955), Woman in a Dressing Gown (with Sylvia Syms, 1957), Serious Charge (with Anthony Quayle and Cliff Richard, 1959), Twice Round the Daffodils (1962, with Juliet Mills and Kenneth Williams) and The System (with Oliver Reed and David Hemmings, 1964). Noteworthy theatre roles included Flowering Cherry (with Sir Ralph Richardson and Celia Johnson), and Taste of Honey on Broadway (with Angela Lansbury and Joan Plowright).

Actor