Hello, I'm Krestey Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1999, and the presenter was Sue Lolly. My cast away this week is an actor. He thinks the character for which he's famous will go down in history as an icon and he's probably right.

In 58 episodes of one of the most popular comedies ever produced by BBC Television, he created a masterpiece of comic bigotry.

He decided to become an actor thanks to his teenage friendship with Richard Burton,

but despite his unquestioned gifts, had a harder time of it than his

starry mentor.

Nevertheless, as King Lear and as Willie Lohman in death of a salesman, he's demonstrated that

his talents go far beyond those on display in his most famous role.

When I've been successful in a part, he says, I've known the man immediately.

He is the man behind Alf Garnett, Warren Mitchell.

Obviously then, Warren, you recognised

Alf Garnett the minute you saw him on the page as written by Johnny Spade.

It's one of the virtues of great writing I suppose and certainly I had been a portrait

Houston station, worked on the night shift at the walls ice cream factory.

I was a window clear, and not.

There was always a barrack room lawyer laying down, knew it all, knew everything.

If you are injured in the pursuance of your duties for British Rail, they are liable for up to

50,000 pounds with the damages. So yes, I knew him. I'd met him. I'd worked with him and sat and had tea with him.

What about at home? I mean, was there any of him in your father or any of him in you?

Um, well they do, family do call me bully bottom at times. I do bully, I do shout a bit and, uh...

And you're quite opinionated?

...