Although a fine comic actor in his own right ("Porridge" (1974), "Open All Hours" (1976)), he is perhaps best known for his longstanding comic double-act with Ronnie Corbett as "The Two Ronnies".
At the end of "The Two Ronnies" (1971), they would always close with Ronnie Corbett saying "Well, it's Goodnight from me", to which Ronnie Barker would reply "And, it's Goodnight from him".
Despite opting to appear frequently in drag in "The Two Ronnies" (1971) as part of a sketch, he intensely disliked dressing as a woman.
Enjoyed working with Jon Pertwee on The Navy Lark and the two would often find themselves almost paralytic with laughter during rehearsals for the BBC radio comedy.
Father of the actress Charlotte Barker, the actor Adam Barker and Larry Barker.
He claimed that making "Open All Hours" (1976) was the happiest experience of his career.
He initially trained as an architect but decided that he did not have the necessary talents. His first paid job was as a bank clerk.
He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1978 Queen's Honours List for his services to drama.
He was one of the actors originally wanted for the part of Claudius in "I, Claudius" (1976), but it eventually went to Derek Jacobi.
His best friends were Ronnie Corbett and David Jason.
His first job was that of a stage hand at The Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, UK. At that time the theatre was a rep and one night Ronnie was thrust on stage to cover for someone - the rest, as they say, is history. Although considered a comic actor he has portrayed a vast array of characters - especially on the stage - and was considered one of Britain's finest character actors.
In 2004, he received a lifetime achievement award from the British Academy of film and Television Arts. He earned three other BAFTA awards as well.
Is well-known for his role in the radio comedy series, "The Navy Lark", in which he played various characters.
Mr. Barker's funeral was held in the leafy surroundings of Banbury Crematorium in Oxfordshire where his body was taken in a Volvo hearse. Banbury is just a few miles from his home village of Dean near Chipping Norton where he operated an antique shop the last few years of his life.
The UK's Sun newspaper announced his death with a front page depicting a pair of black horn-rimmed glasses sitting in a spotlight, with the headline "Goodnight from him".
Was encouraged to go into show business by Frank Shelley.
Whilst on holiday in Australia, he was approached by a man who asked "Hey, are you that Ronnie Barker?". Ronnie calmly replied in a mock Australian accent "Sorry mate, a lot of people say that, but I ain't him."