Kate Beckinsale is thrilled her late dad lives on thanks to TV repeats.
More than 40 years after comedy legend Richard passed away, fans still love watching him perform in classics Porridge and Rising Damp.
And for proud Kate, 48, it’s a wonderful reminder that his legacy continues to this day.
READ MORE: Kate Beckinsale reveals she’s ‘obsessed’ with ‘car crash Love Island’
She said: “I love that people still watch my dad’s shows. There are people from generations that you wouldn’t expect to know who he is, but they do.
“It’s really nice; it’s like he’s still current. Porridge was being shown on Father’s Day earlier this year, so I had loads of
people sending me clips of it. That was rather nice.”
(Image: Karwai Tang/Getty Images)
Richard played inmate Lennie Godber in Porridge between 1974 and 1977.
At the same time he was playing student Alan Moore in Rising Damp – and the roles earned him a place in TV history. Kate said: “Porridge and Rising Damp are still popular now because they are so good.
“The level of the writing is good and the relationships between the characters is iconic.
(Image: ITV)
“In Porridge, my dad and Ronnie Barker had this one-off relationship. And in Rising Damp, Leonard Rossiter was a genius.
“All of those actors played off each other so beautifully.”
Kate was just five when Richard died in 1979.
But the time they had together played a pivotal role in her wanting to pursue an acting career.
She said: “Seeing my dad’s career must have factored in to me wanting to be an actress.
“Seeing your parents enjoy what they do is pretty inspiring.”
(Image: Getty Images)
But Kate had to fight to become a success in her own right and not live in her dad’s shadow.
She added: “I moved to America just to make sure!”
Kate started acting in her late teens and by her mid-20s she was already making some major waves in Hollywood.
Since then she has starred in a string of box office hits including Pearl Harbor, The Aviator, Van Helsing and Total Recall.
Though she said: “Of all my films, men like romantic comedy Serendipity the most.
(Image: Getty Images)
“I find that strange because I’ve done quite a few big action movies, so you’d think men might like those the most. But it turns out men are a bit soppy.
“The film I’m most proud of is Nothing But The Truth. It’s my favourite film I’ve ever done.
“But I also did one called Love & Friendship, which is also up there.”
Kate is still at the top of her game and last week won the Best Actress title at the National Film Awards for her role in Jolt.
And she is still keen for a new challenge.
The star said: “I studied French and Russian at Oxford, so I’d like to do more films using languages I have learned.”
READ NEXT:
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
