Edward Rigby

Edward Rigby, born Edward Coke on 5 February 1879 in Ashford, Kent, England, was a British character actor who performed on Broadway between 1924 and 1931. The second son of Dr. William Harriott Coke and his wife Mary Elizabeth, he adopted his mother's maiden name as his professional surname. He received his education at Haileybury and Wye Agricultural College before embarking on a career in the performing arts.

Rigby made his stage debut in 1900 at the Grand Theatre in Fulham and subsequently toured Australia, the United States, and Canada. His Broadway appearances included roles in He, Give Me Yesterday, The Inspector General, Dear Old England, and Scotland Yard, among other productions. His first film credit dates to 1910, when he appeared in the silent picture The Blue Bird, though his sustained screen career did not begin until 1933, after which he accumulated roles in more than 150 films through 1951.

Under his legal name, Edward Coke, Rigby served in the Artists' Rifles and the Royal Field Artillery during the First World War. He was awarded the Military Cross, with a citation dated 17 September 1917 recognizing his conduct as an artillery liaison officer. The citation noted that when all communication with his artillery group had been severed, he made repeated attempts to restore contact, personally crossing a river under heavy fire to repair and lay cables. He continued these efforts until ordered by his headquarters to stop.

In 1912, Rigby married Phyllis Muriel Mary Austin, a novelist who lived from 1888 to 1979. Their son, Cyril Edward Rigby Coke, worked as a television director and married Muriel Young, an ITV announcer and television presenter who lived from 1923 to 2001.

Rigby died on 5 April 1951 after suffering a heart attack in the street in Richmond upon Thames. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Richmond upon Thames Hospital and was cremated at Mortlake Crematorium on 11 April 1951.