The Scottish actor John Dair was born in Dundee on March 3rd 1933.
Jonh has one big role that defined him, in the classic BBC sitcom Porridge as Harry Grout’s bodyguard Crusher
John was the youngest of four children; two boys and two girls, he spent much of his life in London where in between gigs he worked on building sites as a plant operator.
John was a singer for many years and was performing in The Lyceum Theatre in the Strand in London topping the bill. A BBC producer, Cliff Castle, came backstage after the show to see him and asked him if he had ever thought about doing television work. John thought he was speaking about his voice but it was actually his size! A few weeks later John was in Torquay and when he returned there was a message asking him to get in touch with Cliff, and when he did he asked would he be interested in a part in Porridge, first appearing in the episode The Harder They Fall. He went on to appear in two more episodes most notably in one of the most memorable scenes in the sitcom in which his character displays a "sense of humour failure" when a joke is repeated to him.
In the movie of Porridge John played the same character whose name was inexplicably changed to Samson. Since appearing in Porridge John can be seen popping up in some of the most memorable moments in Film and TV history such as The Hitch Hikers' Guide to the Galaxy, Yellowbeard, he also appeared in one of the finest TV Series ever shown Our Friends in the North.
Perhaps John's biggest biggest "small role" in a film was in Batman as crime boss Vinnie Ricorso, who is fatally stabbed in the throat with a quill pen by the Joker.
Jonh's work over the years has been nothing if not varied. For instance, he appeared in Frankie Goes to Hollywood's video of Relax wearing nothing but a leather thong! He also appeared in arguably the most famous advert of the 1980s. In the levi Jeans advert where Nick Camen famously takes off his jeans in the laundrette, the man sitting next to him and .giving him a stare is also played by "Big John".
John was married to Gina on 2nd March 1957 and they had four children and seven grandchildren.
Sadly, John Dair passed away on 25 November 2005 after a two year battle with lung cancer.
