Born 19th December 1937
Passed away 15th September 2017
🎭 Albert Moses Biography
Albert Moses KStJ (19 December 1937 – 15 September 2017) was a Sri Lankan-born British actor and producer. He built an extensive career in British television and film, becoming particularly well known for playing Ranjeet Singh in the sitcom Mind Your Language. He also appeared in ** On the Buses **, James Bond films and An American Werewolf in London.
👶 Early life
- 🎂 Born: 19 December 1937
- 📍 Birthplace: Gampola, Kandy District, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
- 🇱🇰 Nationality: Sri Lankan-born British actor
- 🎭 Profession: Actor and producer
- 📅 Career: 1960s–2017
- ⚰️ Died: 15 September 2017
- 🕯️ Age: 79
Moses studied at the University of Ceylon at Peradeniya. After university he worked in Africa before eventually moving to London, where he studied drama and theatre.
🎭 Early acting career
Moses began acting in India during the 1960s, appearing in film productions before moving towards British television and cinema. He also worked on documentaries while living in Africa.
After establishing himself in Britain, he became a familiar character actor, regularly appearing in television dramas, comedies and adventure programmes.
His ability to speak several languages was also useful for the wide variety of international and ethnic characters he portrayed.
🗣️ He was reported to speak English, Arabic, Tamil and Sinhalese, as well as some German.
🚌 Albert Moses in On the Buses
For On the Buses fans, Moses has a particularly interesting credit.
📺 Programme: On the Buses
📅 Episode: Friends in High Places
📅 Broadcast: 13 May 1973
🎭 Character: Alf
In the episode, Mrs Webb leaves her job as the bus depot canteen cook, and Inspector Blakey recommends Mum Butler as her replacement. Albert Moses appears as Alf.
🚌 This was his only credited On the Buses appearance according to British Comedy Guide's full cast listing.
🌍 Mind Your Language Ranjeet Singh
Moses's most famous television role came in 1977, when he was cast as Ranjeet Singh in the ITV sitcom Mind Your Language.
📺 Programme: Mind Your Language
📅 Original run: 1977–1979, with a revival in 1986
🎭 Character: Ranjeet Singh
👨🏫 Setting: Jeremy Brown's English-language class
Ranjeet was one of the central students in the class and was one of the four students who appeared throughout all four series of the original programme.
Moses subsequently became involved in the production side of the programme as well, producing 13 episodes.
🎬 Major film career
Moses had an impressive list of film credits.
👑 The Man Who Would Be King — 1975
He appeared in John Huston's adventure film starring Sean Connery, Michael Caine and Christopher Plummer.
🎭 Role: Ghulam
This was one of his earliest major international film appearances.
🕵️ The Spy Who Loved Me — 1977
Moses appeared in the James Bond film starring Roger Moore.
🎭 Role: Barman
This was his first major connection with the Bond franchise.
🐺 An American Werewolf in London — 1981
Moses appeared in John Landis's famous horror-comedy.
🎬 Film: An American Werewolf in London
📅 Year: 1981
It became one of his best-known film credits.
🕵️♂️ Octopussy — 1983
Moses returned to the James Bond universe in ** Octopussy **.
🎭 Character: Sadruddin
🎬 Bond: Roger Moore
He played an important supporting role as Sadruddin, an undercover British agent.
🎬 Other notable films
His filmography included:
🎬 White Cargo (1973)
🎬 The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
🎬 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
🎬 Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers (1977)
🎬 What's Up Nurse (1977)
🎬 Carry On Emmannuelle (1978)
🎬 An American Werewolf in London (1981)
🎬 Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982)
🎬 Octopussy (1983)
🎬 Scandalous (1984)
🎬 Foreign Body (1986)
🎬 East Is East (1999)
🎬 The Snarling (2018)
His final film credit, The Snarling, was released after his death.
📺 Television career
Moses was an extremely busy television character actor.
His credits included:
📺 Doctor Who
📺 On the Buses
📺 Doctor in Charge
📺 The Two Ronnies
📺 Warship
📺 The Further Adventures of Lucky Jim
📺 Robin's Nest
📺 Mind Your Language
📺 The Little Drummer Girl
📺 Tenko
📺 Minder
📺 The Jewel in the Crown
📺 Juliet Bravo
📺 Don't Wait Up
📺 The Bill
📺 Casualty
📺 London's Burning
📺 Tandoori Nights
📺 Holby City
British Comedy Guide lists numerous comedy appearances, including Never the Twain, Little and Large, Tandoori Nights and Don't Wait Up.
🎭 Theatre
Moses also maintained a substantial stage career.
His theatre credits included:
🎭 Freeway — National Theatre
🎭 Phædra Britannica — National Theatre, alongside Diana Rigg
🎭 Long March to Jerusalem — Watford Palace Theatre
His stage work demonstrated that he was not simply a television comedian but a trained and experienced theatre performer.
🎬 Producer
Moses also worked behind the scenes.
📺 He became a producer on Mind Your Language and was credited with producing 13 episodes.
This gave him a second career within television beyond acting.
🏅 Later life and honours
Moses was a Knight of the Order of St John (KStJ). He was also known for a wide range of skills, including fencing, dancing, singing, martial arts and motorcycle stunts.
He continued working into his later years, appearing in productions including:
📺 The Bill
📺 Holby City
🎬 East Is East
🎬 The Snarling
His final screen work came shortly before his death.
🕯️ Death
Albert Moses died in London on 15 September 2017, aged 79. He was later buried at St Andrew's Church in Gampola, his birthplace in Sri Lanka.
🏆 Albert Moses — Career highlights
1937 Born in Gampola, Ceylon
🎓 1950s/60s University of Ceylon
🌍1960sBegins acting in India
🌍 1960s Works in Africa and documentaries
🌍1970s Moves to Britain and establishes television career
🚌 1973 Alf — On the Buses
👑 1975 The Man Who Would Be King
🕵️ 1977 The Spy Who Loved Me
📺 1977 Ranjeet Singh — Mind Your Language
🎬 1978 Carry On Emmannuelle
🐺 1981 An American Werewolf in London
🎸 1982 Pink Floyd – The Wall
🕵️ 1983 Octopussy
📺 1980s–2000s Extensive British TV career
🎬 1999East Is East
🕯️ 2017Dies aged 79
🎬 2018The Snarling released posthumously
⭐ Albert Moses's legacy
Albert Moses had a remarkably varied career:
Sri Lanka → India → 🌍 Africa → Britain → 🎭 Theatre → 🚌 On the Buses → 📺 Mind Your Language → 👑 The Man Who Would Be King → 🕵️ James Bond → 🐺 An American Werewolf in London → 🎬 East Is East → ⭐ respected character actor
For On the Buses fans, his place in the show's history is small but memorable: Albert Moses played Alf in “Friends in High Places,” broadcast on 13 May 1973, one of the final episodes of the original series.