Roger Tonge (30 January 1946 â€" 26 February 1981) was a British
actor.He was born Anthony Roger Tonge in Birmingham where he attended
Lordswood Technical Grammar School. He was working as an £8-a-week
post office clerk and performing in amateur dramatics in the evenings
when he landed the role of Sandy Richardson, the motel owner's son in
the ATV soap opera, Crossroads, a role he would play for 17 years. He
played the disabled son of Meg Richardson, played by the actress Noele
Gordon.In 1964, when Tonge dropped in at ATV during his lunch break to
enquire about acting parts, a cleaner, presuming he had an audition
for Crossroads, sent him to a production meeting. He arrived just as
Production Manager Margaret French was leaving. She handed him a
script and invited him to return for an audition. Reg Watson, the
Producer, had already interviewed hundreds of young hopefuls for the
part of Sandy, but without finding what the show was looking for.
Eventually when Tonge and another hopeful were shortlisted for the
part, both interviewees were asked to act out their reaction to their
pet dog being run over. Tonge produced the best woeful response and
the part became his.The show was criticised heavily by TV critics and
Tonge along with many other members of the cast were part of their
target. He was reported as having laughed off their jibes, by saying
"I'm allergic to criticism".
actor.He was born Anthony Roger Tonge in Birmingham where he attended
Lordswood Technical Grammar School. He was working as an £8-a-week
post office clerk and performing in amateur dramatics in the evenings
when he landed the role of Sandy Richardson, the motel owner's son in
the ATV soap opera, Crossroads, a role he would play for 17 years. He
played the disabled son of Meg Richardson, played by the actress Noele
Gordon.In 1964, when Tonge dropped in at ATV during his lunch break to
enquire about acting parts, a cleaner, presuming he had an audition
for Crossroads, sent him to a production meeting. He arrived just as
Production Manager Margaret French was leaving. She handed him a
script and invited him to return for an audition. Reg Watson, the
Producer, had already interviewed hundreds of young hopefuls for the
part of Sandy, but without finding what the show was looking for.
Eventually when Tonge and another hopeful were shortlisted for the
part, both interviewees were asked to act out their reaction to their
pet dog being run over. Tonge produced the best woeful response and
the part became his.The show was criticised heavily by TV critics and
Tonge along with many other members of the cast were part of their
target. He was reported as having laughed off their jibes, by saying
"I'm allergic to criticism".
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