Romeo Coates

Romeo Coates is a longtime actor, diarist and Cavalier. Friend and foe to the stars, he learnt the hard way years ago after "loaning" Richard Harris £25.

Dwarf uprisings, Daleks and disreputable handymen

From tumbles off the stage to the anxieties of age

Oompa Loompas and a newfound enthusiasm for association football

Showbiz vicars, lefty luvvies and a brush with death

Coates on Cleese, Collins and Cole

The burdens of being a national treasure, treacherous boy wizards and neglected English roses

Near death experiences, rising stars and cut-throat dopplegangers

Drunks, dames and Dahl

The travails of ageing actors

Boycotting the Crown and handbags at dusk