Antony George Booth (9 October 1931 – 25 September 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned stage and screen. He worked across a variety of dramatic and comedic parts and is widely remembered for his appearances in television drama. Early public recognition came through regular television work and character parts that often drew on a convincing, everyday persona; he also performed in theatre and occasional film roles throughout his life. He was sometimes credited as Tony Booth or Antony Booth in credits and press.

Notable role and public profile

Booth achieved his greatest visibility playing the character Mike Rawlins in the BBC television series Till Death Us Do Part, a programme that became a prominent and controversial satire of British social and political life. The show placed him alongside a cast that portrayed sharply drawn domestic and political arguments, and it established Booth as a familiar face to British viewers. Much of his reputation rested on his ability to play plausible, working-class figures in domestic settings, a typecasting that brought both steady work and public recognition.

Career overview

  • Television performer and supporting actor in serials and one-off dramas (television).
  • Stage actor in touring and regional productions, bringing televised experience to live audiences.
  • Occasional film roles and guest appearances, contributing to a long, varied résumé.

Although Booth was not primarily a star of major feature films, his consistent presence in television drama and theatre made him a recognizable and respected character performer during the post-war decades in Britain.

Personal life and later years

Booth was the father of Cherie, who is known professionally as Cherie Booth. Through her marriage he became the father-in-law of Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. His family connections kept him intermittently in the public eye beyond his acting work.

In later life Booth's health declined. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the mid-2000s and suffered a stroke in 2010. He died in London on 25 September 2017 at the age of 85. His death prompted reflections in the British press on both his television work and his role within a high-profile family, and he is remembered as a steady character actor who helped define several popular programmes of his era.