30 Apr 2014

You need a drink: five Bob Hoskins films we know and love

Bob Hoskins dies following pneumonia at the age of 71. The much loved actor starred in films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Long Good Friday and Super Mario Bros.

Bob Hoskins (Getty)

Hoskins – who was known for playing cockneys and gangsters – died following pneumonia at the age of 71, his agent Clair Dobbs said on Wednesday.

The star, who landed a best actor Oscar nomination for Mona Lisa, retired from screen work in 2012 after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

His family released a statement saying he died last night in hospital. His wife Linda and children Alex, Sarah, Rosa and Jack said: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Bob.

“Bob died peacefully at hospital last night surrounded by family, following a bout of pneumonia. We ask that you respect our privacy during this time and thank you for your messages of love and support.”

We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Bob Hoskins family

The star, who was born in Suffolk after his mother was evacuated from the capital, grew up in north London. He left school aged 15 to work in a series of odd jobs while dreaming of getting into acting. He claimed that he got his big break by accident, after being mistakenly called for a theatre audition, but he proved a natural, and stage success soon lead to TV and small film parts.

Channel 4 News looks back at some films that Bob Hoskins starred in:

Pennies From Heaven

His breakthrough role came in Dennis Potter’s 1978 series Pennies From Heaven in which he played the lovelorn sheet music salesman Arthur Parker.


Roger Rabbit

Hoskins appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988, for which he received a second Golden Globe nomination.


The Long Good Friday

His portrayal of doomed London gangster Harold Shand in The Long Good Friday made him a film star, and was one of his most popular roles.


Enemy at the Gates

Hoskins played Nikita Khrushchev as a political commissar in the film Enemy at the Gates in 2001.


Made in Dagenham

In 2010, Hoskins starred as Albert in Made in Dagenham – a union rep at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination and equal pay.