'The Royle Family wrote me into cultural history'
One of the stars of the classic BBC comedy series The Royle Family has described feeling "part of cultural history" and revealed people still approach him to talk about the much-loved show.
Ralf Little is well-known for playing the role of Anthony Royle, the youngest child and errand boy of the working-class family from Manchester.
Little was only 17 when the The Royle Family first aired on BBC Two on 14 September 1998, and said it was "a privilege" because "nobody could have possibly known" it would go on to become as popular as it was.
Apart from some Christmas specials, The Royle Family ran for three series until 2000, and Little, now 44, admits he still occasionally watches them back.
Little is preparing to star in John Le Carre's Spy Who Came In From The Cold at the Liverpool Playhouse from 12 to 16 May.
"I knew I was lucky to work with those guys," he told BBC Radio Merseyside, looking back at his big break in The Royle Family.
"I was 17 when I did the first series and nobody could have possibly known that it would go on to become what it did.
"But we felt it was something special whether or not anyone else did."
At the time the series was considered to be groundbreaking as it broke several conventions of traditional sitcoms.
Almost all of the action took place in the Royles' living room, with the cast of Little, Ricky Tomlinson, Sue Johnston, Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash all slumped in front of the television.
It was filmed without an audience or laughter track, which added to the naturalism and intimacy of the setting.
After the show grew in popularity it transferred to BBC One, and went on to win numerous awards including several BAFTAs.
Little said: "I hope it's not big-headed but I feel like I'm part of a piece of history, of cultural history.
"Sometimes people ask if I don't want to talk about it but it's a privilege to be able to talk about something I was a part of."
Little's character goes on quite the journey across the three series and five Christmas specials.
Anthony goes from being told to answer the door, make cups of tea, and mocked for not having a job, to being revealed as a successful businessman in the 2006 special, and proposing to his girlfriend in the 2010 show.
Little said he is thrilled by the reaction he still gets from viewers, old and new.
"I've been told by so many people that it has had an influence on a generation, even though it's 30-odd years later.
"I still have teenagers come up to me and say they get called Anthony, so in 2026 it's extraordinary to have that kind of legacy."
He added: "I feel incredibly humbled by it."
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