Bates was born in Jhansi, United Provinces, India.[2] His parents were of Cheshire families; his father, Henry Stuart "Harry" Bates (1893–1985), son of Albert Bates, of Congleton, Cheshire,[3][4] was educated at Denstone School and Cambridge University before entering the Indian Civil Service in 1920. He served as Deputy Secretary of the Revenue Department and a Member of the Board of Revenue for the United Provinces of India until 1947 (in which year he was created CSI) and was later of the Colonial Office.[5][6] Bates's mother, Sarah Clarke Walker (1896–1982) was daughter of William Hammond Walker, also of Congleton.[3] Bates spent his early years in India, speaking Hindi and Urdu as his first languages before learning English, and remaining fluent in the former two languages for the rest of his life.[citation needed]
In 1956, Bates appeared in Hotel Paradiso (L'Hôtel du libre échange), which starred Alec Guinness, at the Winter Garden Theatre in London. On radio, he played a variety of characters in the BBC's long-running comedy series The Navy Lark, including Able Seaman Ginger, Lieutenant Bates, Rear Admiral Ironbridge, the Padre, and Captain Ignatius Aloysius Atchison.
Bates appeared in many British television series, including Last of the Summer Wine from 1973 to 1975 (as Cyril Blamire) and It Ain't Half Hot Mum from 1974 to 1977 (as Rangi Ram). His role as Rangi Ram led to the allegation that he had performed in brownface.[11] Series co-creator Jimmy Perry told Stuart Jeffries in 2003 that they had been unable to find a suitable Asian actor. "But Michael was ideal for the role", Perry said.[12] Interviewed by the journalist Neil Clark for The Daily Telegraph in 2013, Perry said that all Bates wore "was a light tan. He wasn't blacked up! Michael spoke fluent Urdu, and was a captain in the Gurkhas".[13][14]
The show is not repeated in the UK by the BBC, who use the "blacked up" description of Bates's performance on their website's article about the series.[13][15] The series was shown on the "That's TV (UK)" channel during the summer of 2023, with a 'disclaimer' reminding viewers that it contained language and attitudes reflecting the era in which it was made.
In 1954, Bates married Margaret M. J. Chisholm. They had three children.[16]
Bates was a supporter of the Conservative Party. Peter Sallis described Bates as being "slightly to the right of Thatcher” politically and claimed that Bates's right-wing opinions contrasted so sharply with the left-wing views of fellow Last of the Summer Wine star Bill Owen that the series was almost not made because of their arguments.[17]
^See comments by actor Renu Setna in the documentary on Comedy Connections "It Ain't Half Hot, Mum" (#5.3), original air date: 26 January 2007
^Jeffries, Stuart (3 February 2003). "Some like it hot". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 February 2018. But why did you cast a white man (Michael Bates) as an Indian bearer? "At the time we found it impossible to find an Indian actor who could perform the role, to be perfectly honest.