Do you still recall the beloved TV series "Mind Your Language"? It's a British sitcom that first graced our screens on ITV back in 1977. This show beautifully portrayed a diverse group of individuals hailing from various countries, each with unique social backgrounds, religions, and languages. They all found themselves sharing a classroom with one common aim: mastering the English language.
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The cast of this sitcom, with their incredible talent and humor, had us captivated, providing us with endless laughter. Now, fast forward 46 years, it's natural to wonder where these talented stars have ventured.Allow me to take you on a journey to discover the whereabouts of your favorite TV stars from "Mind Your Language.
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"Ricardo Montez (Juan Cervantes): He was 54 years old when he started his role a Spanish Catholic bartender with an optimistic outlook. Juan is always laughing at himself, confident of his answers even when they are completely wrong. Early in the series, Juan speaks almost no English (apart from episode 2 where he describes Miss Courtney as “Plenty awesome, very good!”) and answers everything with “por favor” (please).
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He sadly passed away in 2010 at the age of 87 in Spain.<img alt="" class="wp-image-571643" />Barry Evans (Jeremy Brown): Barry Evans played the role of the English teacher, Jeremy Brown. He was 34 years old when he acted in the sitcom. Mr. Brown, the English teacher and central character of the series, was a good-natured and earnest single man in his thirties who lived alone. He held a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford University. Mr.
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Brown's introduction to the series occurred in the pilot episode when he was warned that the previous teacher had been driven insane by the students. Despite the challenges, Mr. Brown courageously accepted the role as their teacher.He sadly passed away on February 9, 1997 at the age of 53.<img alt="" class="wp-image-571646" />Unfortunately, Barry Evans passed away in 1997 at the age of 53.
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Zara Nutley (Miss Courtney): Zara Nutley, the remarkable actress who played the role of the stern Miss Courtney, was 53 years old when she delivered her memorable performance in the sitcom. Miss Courtney was characterized by her strong aversion to the male gender, firmly believing that women were superior to men and preferring female teachers. Her initial reluctance to hire Mr. Brown led to her reluctantly giving him a one-month trial.
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Miss Courtney had a habit of making unannounced visits to the English classroom to assess Mr. Brown's students' progress, often leaving disappointed. Unfortunately, Zara Nutley, the talented actress behind this iconic character, passed away on October 9, 2016, at the age of 92 in England, leaving behind a lasting legacy.
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<img alt="" class="wp-image-571644" />Françoise Pascal (Danielle Favre): Françoise Pascal, who played the French character Danielle Favre. She was an amorous young French Catholic au pair who instantly grabbed the attention of all the men, including Mr Brown. Her good looks often distracted Giovanni and Max from their answers, while Mr Brown was often found in seemingly incriminating positions with her, and she was strongly attracted to him.
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She was annoyed when an attractive young Swedish blonde, Ingrid Svenson, joined the class, instigating a rivalry for Mr Brown’s attention. She continued her acting career after the show. She appeared in various TV shows and films, including "The Professionals" and "The Iron Rose." She is currently 73 years old.<img alt="" class="wp-image-571652" />Anna Bergman (Ingrid Svenson): She was 30 years old when she acted in the series.
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She was a Swedish au pair who joined the class at the beginning of series 2. She was an attractive young woman who openly expressed her romantic interest in Mr. Brown, leading to a rivalry between her and Danielle. Ingrid's primary challenge with English is word order, frequently mixing up words in sentences, such as saying "you for I question answer." She is currently 75 years old.
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<img alt="" class="wp-image-571647" />Robert Lee (Tarō Nagazumi): He was at the age of 64 when he acted in the series. He portrayed a Japanese electronics executive representing the London branch of the fictional Japan-based electronic company, Bushido Electronics. While he spoke English fluently, he had a peculiar habit of adding "-o" to nearly every word he uttered (e.g., "thank-o," "England-o").
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Additionally, he often responded with a cheerful "Ah So!" while bowing whenever called upon. He also passed away at the age of 73 on December 1, 1986.<img alt="" class="wp-image-571648" />Gabor Vernon (Maximilian Papandrious): Gabor Vernon, the talented actor who portrayed the cheerful Greek student, Maximilian Papandrious, was a youthful 34 years old when he brought this character to life in the sitcom.
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Max's character was particularly drawn to Danielle and had a tendency to misinterpret metaphors and use large words in amusing ways. His distinctive heavy accent led him to add 'h' to nearly every word he uttered.Remarkably, Gabor Vernon is now 80 years old. Over the years, he continued to grace our screens with his presence, making appearances in other renowned series such as "Doctor Who" and "The Sweeney.
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"<img alt="" class="wp-image-571645" />Jamila Massey (Jamila Ranjha): Jamila Massey, the talented actress who brought the character Jamila Ranjha to life, was 43 years old when she graced the sitcom. Jamila Ranjha was portrayed as a stereotypical Indian housewife hailing from Shimla. Her initial struggles with the English language were evident, as she would often rant in Hindi. When asked for her name by Mr.
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Brown, she initially responded in Hindi, and when she finally understood the question, she opted to write her name on the blackboard in Urdu, as she couldn't write it in English.Following her role in the sitcom, Jamila Massey enjoyed a successful career in British television, making appearances in popular shows like "The Bill" and "Coronation Street.
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" Today, at the age of 89, she continues to be celebrated for her contributions to the world of entertainment.<img alt="" class="wp-image-571642" />Juan Cervantes (George Camiller): He was 35 years old when he first appeared in the sitcom.Typical Italian Catholic chef, loudest person in the class, and de facto class monitor.
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Giovanni’s main problem with English is understanding metaphors and large words, though he often answers wrongly on purpose to amuse the class. He often calls Mr Brown Professori. When shocked or surprised, he often remarks and he says the catchphrases like “Santa Maria”, “Santa Daisy”, “Okey Cokey”, “Buona Sera” or “Holy Ravioli”. When he doesn’t understand something he says scusi.
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George Camiller, the Maltese actor who portrayed Juan Cervantes, continued to act in various TV productions and theater after the show. He is currently 80 years old and is living a healthy life.
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<img alt="" class="wp-image-571650" />Albert Moses (Ranjeet Sing ):The talented actor who brought the character of Ranjeet Singh, a London Underground employee from Punjab, India, and a devout Sikh, to life was 40 years old during his time on the sitcom. Ranjeet Singh's character had a memorable encounter in the first episode when Mr.
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Brown mistakenly identified him as a Pakistani and asked him to sit next to his "fellow countryman," Ali Nadim, a Pakistani Muslim.Throughout the series, Ranjeet and Ali had frequent disagreements, and despite having a good vocabulary, Ranjeet often mixed up his general knowledge. Whenever corrected, he would humbly put his hands together and say, "a thousand apologies.
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"Unfortunately, on September 15, 2017, this talented actor passed away at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy of memorable performances for fans to cherish.<img alt="" class="wp-image-571641" />Dino Shafeek (Ali Nadim) :He was 47 years old when he took part in the sitcom.He was a Pakistani initially unemployed at the beginning of the first season, who later gets a job as a door to door salesman.
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and the first student to make an appearance. He is originally from Lahore, Pakistan, although he once stated he grew up in Delhi He often misinterprets the English for a comical sense, but has a very fair command of it. As a Pakistani Muslim, he has a vocal and occasionally physical rivalry with Ranjeet, who is an Indian Sikh.
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Ali’s typical catchphrases are “yes please” (in situations where he should say “yes, thank you” or “yes indeed”), “oh blimey!”, “Squeeze me please” (which is how he pronounces “Excuse me please”), and “jolly good“. On March 10, 1984, he passed away at the age of 53.
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<img alt="" class="wp-image-571649" />Pik-Sen Lim (Chung Su-Lee): She portrayed a stereotypical Chinese communist woman working as a secretary at the Chinese Embassy. She always carried her Little Red Book of Mao and frequently quoted from it. She had a habit of mixing up her "r" and "l" sounds.
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Initially, she had a strong ideological rivalry with Taro, her Japanese classmate, but as the series progressed, he often defended her when others insulted her or China. Whenever she quoted Chairman Mao, Mr. Brown typically responded with, "That's a matter of opinion.". According to the British Film Institute, Lim was "the most familiar Chinese actor on British television screens in the 1970s and 80s."She is currently 79 years old.
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<img alt="" class="wp-image-571651" />While some of the cast members are no longer with us, others continued to contribute to the world of entertainment. "Mind Your Language" remains a classic sitcom that brought laughter and cultural insights to viewers around the world.
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