Fulton Mackay is best remembered as Porridge's gruff prison officer Mr Mackay, who often came into conflict with habitual prisoner Norman 'Fletch' Fletcher, played by the late Ronnie Barker.
Porridge is still regarded as one of Britain's best sitcoms, with its stars achieving household fame across the nation during its run between 1974 and 1979. Re-runs of the classic BBC sitcom continue to be regularly broadcast on stations like Gold.
Recounting his time on the show, Fulton once joked: "The nice thing is, a lot of people playing roles like this get into bother in pubs and things, but everybody just laughs at me because they know Fletcher gets the better of me all the time."
Away from the show, Fulton, who sadly died of stomach cancer at the age of 64 in 1987, also starred in the likes of Doctor Who, The Avengers, Dad's Army and Fraggle Rock.
However, he was also happily married to fellow thespian Sheila Manahan, with the couple marrying in 1961 and remaining together until Fulton's death.
Here's all you need to know about Sheila, her career and marriage to Fulton…
Sheila Manahan
The pair married in 1961, shortly following the end of Sheila's marriage to James Northcote, who was a film technician.
Fulton and Sheila kept much of their love life out of the spotlight, and the couple didn't welcome any children during their 26 years of marriage.
© Getty ImagesDespite their privacy, actor Brian Cox, who was mentored by Fulton in his early career, described the couple "an incredible welcoming, inclusive couple". Writing in his book, Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, he added: "They were like my real family, my surrogate parents in many ways."
Like her husband, Sheila was also an actor, and she made her screen debut in 1948's Another Shore. She also starred in the likes of Saints and Sinners, Footsteps in the Fog and Only Two Can Play. However, she retired from acting following her marriage to Fulton, save for the occasional theatre show.
Sheila also sadly died young, with the actress passing away from colon cancer on 29 March 1988, less than a year after Fulton died.
