Rusty Goffe holds a monopoly when it comes to being a part of beloved children’s classics, for he has starred in enduring favourites like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Harry Potter.
CommunityAd caught up with Rusty Goffe to chat about his career and his childhood in Herne Bay.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born in Herne Bay seventy-three years ago. I joined the Boy Scouts, and I went to primary school in Herne Bay. I passed the Eleven Plus but they wouldn’t let me go to grammar school because they said I wouldn’t know how to play rugby; would you believe it. But it turned out that one of the governors of the school was a lady who didn’t like people of restricted growth, and her son attended the school, so I was out. But that was a hundred years ago – we can’t do anything more about that!
Anyway, I ended up going to a wonderful secondary school – Sturry Secondary School near Canterbury – I had a wonderful time there and I left when I was fifteen.
What is your fondest memory of growing up in Herne Bay?
I loved everything about Herne Bay, I loved going on the beach, I loved the sea front, I loved Makcaris ice cream. I used to love going to the roller-skating rink – and being a dwarf, I used to skate under people’s legs. It was quite dangerous, and I did once get banned for a week!
I would enter the talent competitions that were held on the bandstand. Unfortunately – I can admit this now – I did play the disability card. The talent competition was judged by applause, and the old dears who judged it would say “Oh bless him!” and I came away with first prize every week. Until my mother found out – she arrived to see what I was up to, dragged me out, boxed my ears, and took me home. But that was what I wanted, to go into show business. At Sturry the careers master wanted me to go into printing – don’t ask me why! – but I wanted to entertain people.
The creative industries are trying to welcome more diversity in entertainment now but it must have been really different when you were starting out?
When I started in the 60s, it was very difficult. “Flip-flop, flip-flop, land on your bum” is what they said when I went to auditions. I replied once, “Sir I cannot go flip-flop, flip-flop” and they said, “What’s the use of being a bloody dwarf if you can’t go flip-flop!”
You’re retired now, so what are you up to these days?
My wife and I socialise medical detection dogs. We socialise them from puppies up to 10 months; they live in our house and we take them out and get them used to roadworks, to new people, to the noises they’ll be around when they go to their final owner.