Episode 25 – Kevork Malikyan Interview

The Minder Podcast

This time we feature an exclusive interview with Kevork Malikyan, the very recognisable face of a variety of starring side roles, from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade to Midnight Express. Let’s not forget Mind Your Language and The Professionals.

From his very first role on screen in 1968’s Portrait of a Lady, Kevork has starred alongside acting greats, in that series he appeared with Edward Fox and Kathleen Byron.

Here we are mainly concerned with Aces High and Sometimes Very Low with also a shorter appearance in The Immaculate Contraption from Series 10. In fact, as I tell Kevork, I am fairly sure he is the only actor who appeared in both Series 1 and 10, certainly in a featured role.

This might be one of the most recollections of any guest so far, especially as we are talking 1979. As you will know if you listened to my top 10 Minder episodes, Aces High is one of my favourite episodes and if it weren’t for having the other Anthony Valentine episode ranked I would have placed it in the top ten. I am sure it is an episode many of you rate highly and if so, you will love this interview.

All sorts of interesting information comes up in this episode.

Were the actors playing cards for real?

How similar was Anthony Valentine to Maurice Michaelson?

Why was Dennis Waterman so lovely and yet very mean and hard?

And then there is the time during The Professionals where Kevork fell out of the back of the van. We also talk about the varied types of culture that existed both in 1979 right up to today.