Lionel Blair Biography: Net Worth, Age, Wife, Real Name, Tv Shows, Children, Movies, Ethnicity, Death

Lionel Blair was a Canadian-born British actor, choreographer, tap dancer and television presenter who rose to prominence in British entertainment during the mid-20th century.

Through his appearances in television game shows, variety programmes and pantomime, he became widely recognised for his energetic stage presence and dance skills.

Profile

• Full name: Henry Lionel Ogus
• Date of birth: 12 December 1928
• Age: Deceased
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Nationality: Canadian/British
• Profession: Actor, choreographer, tap dancer, television presenter
• Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
• Parents: Father – Myer Ogus; Mother – Debora (“Della”) Greenbaum
• Siblings: Sister – Joyce Blair (born 1932, died 2006)
• Spouse(s): Wife – Susan Blair (married 21 March 1967)
• Children: Three children (names: Lucy Blair, Matt Blair, and one other)
• Relationship status: Married (until his death)
• Religion: Jewish (non-orthodox background)
• Ethnicity: Jewish, of Russian/Polish immigrant heritage via parents
• Net worth: US$4 million at time of estimate of death

Early Life and Education

Lionel Blair was born on 12 December 1928 in Montreal, Quebec, to Myer Ogus and Debora (Della) Greenbaum, Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland. When he was about two years old, the family relocated to Britain and settled in the Stamford Hill area of north London.

During the Second World War, Blair and his sister Joyce entertained audiences in the air-raid shelters at Manor House Underground station and on London Underground trains. His father died when Blair was thirteen, an event that forced Lionel to take on greater responsibility for the family.

Personal Life

In March 1967 Lionel Blair married Susan Davis (later known as Susan Blair) at the Kensington Register Office. The couple remained married until his death. They had three children together. In 2006, Lionel Blair and comedian Alan Carr helped to save a man about to fall from a pier in Blackpool while filming, marking one of the notable non-entertainment incidents in his personal life.

Although his sexuality was often the subject of jokes in entertainment programmes, Blair denied such rumours, and maintained a public image of cheerful professionalism.

Career

Lionel Blair’s career spanned more than seven decades and encompassed theatre, dance, choreography, television and film. His early performances included acting in plays with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and a touring company called the Savoy Players in the 1940s. In the 1950s he moved into variety theatre and dancing, adopting the stage name Lionel Blair. He choreographed West End shows and performed in pantomimes.

He appeared in films such as A Hard Day’s Night (1964) as a choreographer and in the musical Absolute Beginners (1986). On television he became known as a team captain on the charades-based quiz game show Give Us a Clue (1979-1992) and later as presenter of the British version of Name That Tune in the 1980s.

In later years he took part in reality television including Celebrity Big Brother (2014) and The Real Marigold Hotel (2017).

Net Worth

Lionel Blair’s net worth was placed around US$4 million. He accumulated this through decades of work in theatre, film, television, pantomime, choreography and appearance fees.

Death

Lionel Blair died on 4 November 2021 at the age of 92.

Social Media

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Filmography

• The Limping Man
• The World of Suzie Wong
• The Cool Mikado
• A Hard Day’s Night
• The Beauty Jungle
• Maroc 7
• Absolute Beginners
• Run for Your Wife
• Evil’s Evil Cousin (short)

Books

• Stagestruck (1985) – autobiography