[with Astrology notes by Sy Scholfield]:

Frederick John Inman (28 June 1935 – 8 March 2007) was an English actor who was best known for his role as Mr. Humphries in the British sitcom Are You Being Served? in the 1970s and 1980s. Inman was also well known in the United Kingdom as a pantomime dame [unaspected Venus in Leo].

Born in 1935, Inman made his stage debut aged 13. He worked in retail in London as a young adult and after four years left to earn his Equity Card. He made his West End debut in the 1960s, and his television debut in an episode of Two In Clover in 1970. After a successful pilot, Inman played the camp Mr. Humphries in the sitcom Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1985. This role made his a household name and won him awards, including BBC TV Personality of the Year [unaspected Leo VENUS quincunx MC; semi-sextile Ascendant]. The character was, however, unpopular with some gay rights groups who disliked what they saw as a stereotypical portrayal [Uranus (gay rights groups) semi-sextile Moon, ruler of Sun in 12th House (copycat, stereotype) which, in turn, rules unaspected Venus]. In his later years, John Inman became a well known pantomime dame. He died in 2007 aged 71.

Early life

Inman was born in 1935 in Preston, Lancashire, and was a cousin of actress Josephine Tewson. At the age of 12, Inman moved with his parents to Blackpool where his mother ran a boarding house [Chiron at 12° Gemini conjunct Moon (mother, boarding house)], while his father owned a hairdressing business [Sun (father) in Cancer (feminine business)]. As a child, he enjoyed dressmaking [Venus sextile Part of Fortune]. He was educated at Claridge House in Preston, and then a secondary modern. Inman always wanted to be an actor, and his parents paid for him to have elocution lessons at the local church hall. At the age of 13 he made his stage debut in the Pavilion on Blackpool's South Pier, in a melodrama entitled Freda.[1] Aged 15, he took a job at the pier, making tea, clearing up, and playing parts in plays. [Mars at 15° Libra].

After leaving school, Inman worked for two years at Fox's, a gentlemen's outfitters in Blackpool, specialising in window dressing. Aged 17, he moved to London to join Austin Reed in Regent Street. Four years later, he left Austin Reed to become a scenic artist with Kenneth Kendall's touring company at a theatre in Crewe, so that he could earn his Equity Card. Inman made his West End debut in the 1960s when he appeared in Ann Veronica at the Cambridge Theatre. He also played in Salad Days at the Windmill Theatre in 1975, and as Lord Fancourt Babberley in Charley's Aunt at the Adelphi Theatre in 1979. He also played in many summer shows, and established himself as a dame in pantomime, appearing regularly as one of the two ugly sisters alongside comedian Barry Howard. [Moon (one's feminine side) in Gemini (siblings) in semi-sextile with Uranus (attraction/repulsion)].

Television fame [Uranus (TV) in 10th House (celebrity)]

Inman made his television debut in the sitcom Two In Clover in 1970. In 1972, he was asked by David Croft to play a part in a Comedy Playhouse pilot called Are You Being Served?.[1] This was a sitcom set in a department store, written by scriptwriters David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd, and based on the latter's experiences working at Simpson's in Piccadilly Circus.[2] Playing a minor role with only a few lines, he was soon asked to "camp it up".[2][4], despite initial reluctance from the BBC to include such a camp character. The pilot was broadcast in September 1972. The broadcast was followed by the five episodes of the first series in early 1973. The first series showing opposite Coronation Street on ITV attracted little attention, but repeats later that year were very successful.[2]

Inman played the camp Mr. Wilberforce Claybourne Humphries and his earlier career in the clothes retail business was good preparation for this role in a menswear department [Venus in Leo (menswear)]. Inman developed a characteristic limp-wristed mincing walk,[3] and a high-pitched catch phrase, "I'm free!" [unaspected (high-pitched) Mercury (voice) as final significator (catchphrase) conjunct Uranus (freedom) discovery degree], which soon entered popular culture.[5] Pluto (sexuality) rising in Cancer (mother's boy)], and that his sexual orientation was never explicitly stated. [Pluto (sexuality) semi-sextile unaspected Mercury ("never explicitly stated")], Inman continued to play in live shows after his success as Mr. Humphries, and began to incorporate camp mannerisms to those performances too, once saying "Even when I'm not playing Mr Humphries, say at a summer season, I camp it up a bit. If I don't the audience are disappointed."[7]

Are You Being Served? ran for 10 series until it finished in 1985. At its height, in the late 1970s, it regularly attracted British audiences of up to 20 million viewers.[3] Inman's portrayal of Mr Humphries won him the BBC TV Personality of the Year in 1976 and he was voted the funniest man on television by TV Times readers.[8]

The series also became popular in the United States, where Inman became a gay cultural icon.[4] Once, in San Francisco, a passing cyclist spotted Inman and fell off his bicycle in surprise, crying "Mr Humphries, I love you!"[4] From 1980 to 1981, Inman also played Mr Humphries in the Australian version of Are You Being Served?.

Later years

After the end of Are You Being Served?, Inman became one of the nation's best known pantomime dames and appeared in over 40 pantomime productions across the United Kingdom.[8] He also toured to Australia to star in a number of productions including Bedside Manners (2003) and a revival of Are You Being Served? (2001) as a stage show at Twelfth Night Theatre, Brisbane. In 2004, Inman made additional television appearances in Doctors and Revolver.

He lived in a mews house in Little Venice for 30 years.[2] On 23 December 2005, Inman entered into a civil partnership at Westminster Register Office with his partner of 35 years, Ron Lynch.[4][9][10]

Inman suffered from poor health in his later years. He was hospitalised with bronchitis [unaspected Mercury in 12th House], in 1993, and collapsed on the stage in 1995.[11] He was admitted to Paddington's St Mary's Hospital in 2001 after suffering breathing difficulties and spent three days in intensive care.[9]

In December 2004, Inman was forced to cancel an appearance in a pantomime as he was suffering from a hepatitis A infection, which he had contracted from contaminated food [Jupiter (liver) in 4th House (food, stomach) ruling 6th House (health)]. Following this, he never worked again and he suffered complications from the infection for the rest of his life. Inman died early in the morning of 8 March 2007, aged 71, in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London. He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium after a funeral on the 23 March 2007.

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