Charles Hyatt- Claudine Housen/Staff Photographer

I am proud to have known and worked with Charles Hyatt. He had impeccable comic timing, a fantastic facility with mime and could play a range of characters, seriously or comically. But Charles Hyatt was not just a great actor and comedian. He was a genuinely decent human being who was always gentle, generous and humble.

My first personal contact with him was at the Little Theatre in 1977. I was a young actor in Excelsior's production of Wole Soyinka's The Lion & the Jewel. My teacher, director and fellow comic actor Michael Everett had instructed me to exaggerate my natural "speech peculiarities" for comic effect and it seemed to have worked. The adjudication panel was full of praise for my acting and comic delivery.

There was laughter all around, though, when Charles Hyatt as chief judge did his own imitation and exaggeration of my speech. He asked, "So young man, do you actually have a real lisp?" and I stood in the packed theatre and answered, "Yeth thir!" We were to have many more moments of shared laughter, as I worked with Charley on several stand-up comedy shows as well as the Claffy television series.

never ever pulled rank

Although he had unquestionably earned the right to do so, Charles Hyatt never ever pulled rank. He never claimed or expected special privileges because of his age or seniority in the business. He treated every person equally and respectfully whether you were a 'jus come' or a veteran.

Theatre and stand-up comedy in Jamaica will never be the same without Maas Charley. I extend sincere condolences to his lovely wife Marjorie and his children and grandchildren.

On behalf of all local stand-up comics, I want to thank him for the love, the lessons, the laughter and the inspiration. I also want to declare publicly something I have said to him often: "Sir Charles, when I grow big, I want to be like you!"

Love and respect.

Owen 'Blakka' Ellis