Clifford William Cumberbatch Simons (17 November 1940 â€" 21 June
2019) was a Welsh-born actor best known for his role as PC Alf
Ventress in Heartbeat, a role he played for 18 years, from 1992 to
2010.Simons died on 21 June 2019, at the age of 78.Simons was born in
Swansea where his father was stationed in the Second World War and he
grew up in South Wales until the family moved to North London. He
started acting as a child, appearing in the films No Place for
Jennifer (1950), Where No Vultures Fly (1951) and West of Zanzibar
(1954). He then suffered from severe acne, which caused him to prefer
working backstage as a stage manager for four years before deciding to
become an adult actor. Later in life, he would become a patron of the
charity Changing Faces, which supports people with facial
deformities.He played PC Ventress for the entire 18-year run of
Heartbeat. Although playing a heavy smoker, Simons was a non-smoker in
real life and was given herbal cigarettes to play the part. The
character is a policeman that lacks in the physical side but makes up
for that with his ‘local knowledge’. Ventress is the longest
serving officer for much of the drama and often in a role as acting
sergeant when Blaketon, Craddock and Merton are absent. In later
series of the drama, Ventress is forced to retire from the force but
continues as a civilian member of the team and also helps Oscar
Blaketon (Derek Fowlds) in a private investigatory role.
2019) was a Welsh-born actor best known for his role as PC Alf
Ventress in Heartbeat, a role he played for 18 years, from 1992 to
2010.Simons died on 21 June 2019, at the age of 78.Simons was born in
Swansea where his father was stationed in the Second World War and he
grew up in South Wales until the family moved to North London. He
started acting as a child, appearing in the films No Place for
Jennifer (1950), Where No Vultures Fly (1951) and West of Zanzibar
(1954). He then suffered from severe acne, which caused him to prefer
working backstage as a stage manager for four years before deciding to
become an adult actor. Later in life, he would become a patron of the
charity Changing Faces, which supports people with facial
deformities.He played PC Ventress for the entire 18-year run of
Heartbeat. Although playing a heavy smoker, Simons was a non-smoker in
real life and was given herbal cigarettes to play the part. The
character is a policeman that lacks in the physical side but makes up
for that with his ‘local knowledge’. Ventress is the longest
serving officer for much of the drama and often in a role as acting
sergeant when Blaketon, Craddock and Merton are absent. In later
series of the drama, Ventress is forced to retire from the force but
continues as a civilian member of the team and also helps Oscar
Blaketon (Derek Fowlds) in a private investigatory role.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.