Francis Matthews(1927-2014)

Francis Joseph Matthews was born in York to Kathleen (nee Empson) and Henry Ernest Matthews. He was educated at St Georges School in York and St Michaels Jesuit College in Leeds. He did some work at Leeds Repertory Theatre, prior to his National Service in the Royal Navy. Afterwards, he acted in repertory at various theatres, including two years at the Oxford Playhouse. In 1962, he went to the Hebrides to film Shark Island, a six-part series for the BBC and was picked up from the airport by the actress Angela Browne, whom he married the following year. They had three sons: Paul, Dominic and Damien. Gerry Anderson was planning a television puppet television series when he heard Francis on the radio doing a Cary Grant imitation. He liked the transatlantic sound of his voice and asked him to provide the voice of Captain Scarlett in the television puppet series he was preparing. He has an actor brother, Paul Shelley, and a sister, Maura. Another brother, Anthony, predeceased them.