{{Short description|Guyanese born British actor and dancer (1950–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{more footnotes|date=March 2013}} {{Infobox person | name = Keith Hodiak | birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1950|6|16}} | birth_place = Georgetown, Guyana | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2025|9|3|1950|6|16}} | death_place = | occupation = Actor, dancer | years_active = 1978–1992 | notable_works = Raston robot in ''Doctor Who'' (1983) }}
'''Hodiak Hampden Sears''' (16 June 1950 – 3 September 2025), better known as '''Keith Hodiak''' was a Guyanese-born British actor and dancer who was active in British television and film between 1978 and 1992.
==Life and career== Hodiak Hampden Sears was born in Georgetown, Guyana, on 16 June 1950.<ref name="guardian" /> Emigrating to the UK in 1960, he became interested in dance when Lee Edwards visited his school in Stoke Newington to work with pupils to put together performance shows. After encouragement from Edwards, Hodiak was awarded a scholarship to train at Arts Educational Schools. This was followed by spending a year working in Germany before joining Ballet Rambert from 1972 to 1975, at the time under director Norman Morrice.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rambert.org.uk/voice/keith-hodiak/|title=Keith Hodiak|date=|website=Rambert.org.uk|access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref>
His acting debut came in 1978, when he took on the role of Sam Spade in ''Revenge of the Pink Panther''. In 1983, he played the part of the Raston Warrior Robot in the 20th anniversary special of ''Doctor Who'' – "The Five Doctors". In 1985, he appeared in three episodes of ''Are You Being Served?'' during the programme's final year on air. He played one of Aslan's two satyrs in the BBC's adaptation of ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' in 1988. He briefly appeared in ''EastEnders'' in 1992, but gave up acting to become an adult ballet class instructor and yoga teacher,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/L-59201-934851 |title=Bankruptcy Orders – Jones, Keith Hodiak |newspaper=The London Gazette |issue=59201 |page= |date=1 October 2009 |access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref> working notably at Pineapple Dance Studios.<ref>{{cite web|author=Jess McCabe |url=https://thefword.org.uk/2007/06/ballet/ |title=A Feminist Guide to Ballet |publisher=The F-Word |date=2 June 2007|accessdate=15 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Lunchtime Yoga Classes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/893673147/ |date=28 April 1993 |accessdate=15 November 2025 |work=Chelsea News |page=5}}</ref>
Hodiak died on 3 September 2025, at the age of 75. His death was not announced until April 2026.<ref name=guardian>{{cite news |last1=Pritchard |first1=Jane |title=Keith Hodiak obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/apr/09/keith-hodiak-obituary |access-date=10 April 2026 |publisher=The Guardian |date=9 April 2026}}</ref> ==Filmography== {|class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1978 | ''Revenge of the Pink Panther'' | Sam Spade and the Private Eyes #3 |- | 1980 | ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' | Kangaroo | TV movie |- | rowspan=2|1981 | ''The Chinese Detective'' | Club Member | Episode: ''Hammer and Nails'' |- | ''An American Werewolf in London'' | Assorted Police |- | 1983 | ''Doctor Who'' | Raston Warrior Robot | Episode: "The Five Doctors" |- | rowspan="2" |1985 |''Are You Being Served?'' |Seymour |3 episodes |- | ''The Bill'' | Mr. Welsh | Episode: ''Lost'' |- | 1987 | ''Full Metal Jacket'' | Daddy D.A. |- | 1988 | ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' | Aslan's Satyr | Miniseries |- | 1992 | ''EastEnders'' | Cecil | 1 episode |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name | id=0388305| name=Keith Hodiak}} * [https://theatricalia.com/person/4r5/keith-hodiak Keith Hodiak] at Theatricalia * [https://rambert.org.uk/about-rambert/rambert-archive/performance-database/people/keith-hodiak/ Keith Hodiak - Rambert Performance Database] (list of performances with Ballet Rambert)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hodiak, Keith}} Category:1950 births Category:2025 deaths Category:English male film actors Category:English male television actors Category:Black British male actors Category:20th-century English male actors Category:Guyanese emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:Rambert Dance Company dancers Category:20th-century British dancers
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