My Memory Of The Late Michael Sheard

I currently live on the Isle of Wight, a small island that sits off of the south coast of the United Kingdom. In this short article I would like to tell you of the time that I met this man and the question that I asked him.

It was late in 1997 and Michael was touring the UK, promoting his autobiography “Confessions of a bum actor.” It was by pure chance that I happened to be walking past the store where he was signing books that day. I recognised him straight away. For those of you who know of him, he starred in many movies alongside such greats as Sir Roger Moore in Escape to Athena and Admiral Ozzell in The Empire Strikes Back. But for us British folks, his most famous, iconic role was that of Maurice Bronson, an acerbic teacher in the long running television series “Grange Hill.”

Feeling quite excited at the prospect of getting to meet; in my eyes a superstar, I rushed in and grabbed a copy of the book and joined the queue to get it signed. Finally it was my turn and I approached the desk and sat down; this great man less than two feet from me. He asked me what I wanted him to write in the book and gave me a choice of sayings. I opted for the one “Now Pay Attention” and asked it to be dedicated to my daughter, who was born the same year. He smiled broadly and duly carried out my request.

During this session, he also told me how he had a holiday home on the Isle of Wight and how much he loved being here. It was at this point I asked him the question that I had been itching to ask. That question was “How did it feel to be walking the red carpet at a premiere?”

He sat and thought about this and his reply to me was “It was surreal.”

Now there are famous people out there in the world, who wouldn’t give you the time of day, but this kind, wonderful man was the exception to the rule and I am forever grateful to him for being so courteous to me.

Michael sadly died on the 31st of August 2005 here on the Isle of Wight from cancer, but I shall never ever forget that day in the bookstore.

R.I.P Michael, your brilliance and charm live on in all of us.