The beloved character actor who became best known for playing Cato in the Pink Panther films has died. Bert Kwouk, who enjoyed a successful career inhabiting sidekicks, villains and eccentrics, was 85.
Born Herbert W. Kwouk in Warrington in 1930, Bert was brought up in Shanghai until he was 17, returning to England with his parents. He travelled again, this time to the US and studied at liberal arts college Bowdoin in Maine. According to Kwouk, a girlfriend convinced him to try acting and set him on his big career path.
Kwouk got his start in film and TV almost at the same time and racked up an impressive list of credits including Hancock's Half Hour, The Avengers, The Saint, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Tenko, Doctor Who, Lovejoy and Howard's Way. On the big screen, he appeared in three Bond movies, two in the official canon and the 1967 version of Casino Royale. He also popped up in The Inn Of The Sixth Happiness, Rollerball, Kiss Of The Dragon and Empire Of The Sun, among many others
Yet it was as Cato that he secured his place in the pantheon. Playing the spry, kung-fu capable butler to Peter Sellers' bumbling Inspector Clouseau starting with A Shot In The Dark (where his character's name is spelled Kato), he was always ready to keep his boss on his toes, leaping out of wardrobes or other surprise attacks. He's survived by his wife Caroline Tebbs and son Christopher.