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Roy Mitchell Kinnear (8 January 1934 – 20 September 1988) was a British character actor. He is best remembered for his role in The Beatles' Help! and later for playing Veruca Salt's father, Mr. Salt, in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Kinnear was born in Wigan, Lancashire, England, the son of Annie Smith (née Durie) and Roy Muir Kinnear. His father was a dual international both for rugby union and league - having played for Scotland and Great Britain national rugby league team international, making one Lions appearance and three for Other Nations, and scoring 81 tries in 184... MORE

Roy Mitchell Kinnear (8 January 1934 – 20 September 1988) was a British character actor. He is best remembered for his role in The Beatles' Help! and later for playing Veruca Salt's father, Mr. Salt, in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Kinnear was born in Wigan, Lancashire, England, the son of Annie Smith (née Durie) and Roy Muir Kinnear. His father was a dual international both for rugby union and league - having played for Scotland and Great Britain national rugby league team international, making one Lions appearance and three for Other Nations, and scoring 81 tries in 184 games for Wigan; he collapsed and died while playing rugby union with the RAF in 1942, at age 38. Scotland Rugby League have named their Student Player of the Year Award after him. Kinnear was educated at George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh. At the age of 17, he enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; however, National Service conscription brought an interruption to his studies. In the 1950s Kinnear began a career in repertory theatre, when he appeared in a show at Newquay; and in 1959 he joined Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, performing in both the 1960 LESS