Ronald Lacey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ronald Lacey (June 18, 1935 - May 15, 1991) was an English actor.

Born in Harrow, London, he began his career in 1961 after a brief stint in the Royal service. He attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His first notable performance was delivered at The Royal Court in 1962's Chips with Everything. Lacey had an unusual pug look with beady eyes and cherub's cheeks, which landed him repeatedly in bizarre roles on both stage and screen.

After performing on British television throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including a memorable turn as Harris in the Ronnie Barker sitcom Porridge, Lacey finally landed the role for which these characteristics could be used to full advantage. In 1981, he was cast as the villainous Nazi henchman in Steven Spielberg's widescreen blockbuster Raiders of the Lost Ark. He followed this with a series of various villain roles for the next five to six years, 1982's Firefox with Clint Eastwood, 1983's Sahara with Brooke Shields, and 1985's Red Sonja with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Lacey turned in two hilarious cinematic performances in full drag: Disney's Trenchcoat with Margot Kidder from 1982 and Invitation to the Wedding from 1985 - in which he played a husband / wife couple. Sadly, his career began to wane in the late eighties and Lacey died in London of liver failure on May 15, 1991.

1 Trivia
2 Career
- 2.1 Film
- 2.2 TV
3 External links

[edit] Trivia

Lacey was twice married. Originally wed to actress Mela White, he became the father of two children, the actors Rebecca and Jonathan Lacey in the 1960s. After a turbulent divorce, he remarried in 1972. Joanna Baker, his second wife, gave birth to his third child, Matthew.

He is related to business man Clive Copsey from London England, whom he is second cousin to.

Several obituaries cite his birth date as June 18, 1935 and others list it as September 28, 1935.

Ian Bartholomew sang 'Sometimes When We Touch' (The Honesty Song) at Lacey's memorial service which took place at St. James in Covent Garden almost three months after his death in 1991

His daughter, Rebecca, became a television success on the BBC series Casualty

Son Matthew is the godson of Hammer film's vampira Barbara Shelley

Disappointed with his acting career by the late 70s, he began to consider starting a talent agency. Spielberg then cast him as the sadistic Nazi villain Toht in Raiders of the Lost Ark and after basking in the afterglow of the film's blockbuster success, the classically-trained character actor quickly changed his mind.

Being of Welsh decent, he owned a family cottage in Wales which was passed on to his three children after his death. The family would spend their holidays together at the cottage.

Lacey was known for his trademark smile, which ofttimes turned into a gleaming malicious leer as he played a number of wicked roles. He also had a rather large mole on his left cheek, which he chose not to have removed. The mole gave his sinister characterizations extra dimension as it was quite large. In 1982's Trenchcoat (opposite Margot Kidder) he used the mole as a beauty mark in his role as Princess Aida, a mysterious and sleazy drag queen on the island of Malta.

He gained and lost weight over the last ten years of his life as he was ill with cancer off and on. He occasionally looked bloated and swollen as a result of medical treatment. He finally succumbed to the cancer when it overtook his liver in May of 1991 and he died under the care of his daughter, Rebecca.

He had his lower intestines removed in his early twenties and as a result had to have a colostomy bag implemented. Over the years he was refused certain film roles in other countries at his personal doctor's fervent request.

He was known for his generosity and warmth to fans but equally known in the London Theatre scene for having a great fondness for drinking and smoking. Often the actor was noted amongst the gossip pages as having been seen indulging at various functions and developing a bit of a reputation of raising more than just a few eyebrows in his direction.

[edit] Career

[edit] Film

Angely smerti (1993)
Landslide (1992) ....... Fred Donner
Valmont (1989) ....... José
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) ....... (uncredited) Heinrich Himmler
Manifesto (1988) ....... Conductor
Dawn of an Evil Millennium (1988)
Jailbird Rock (1988) ....... Warden Bauman
Sky Bandits (1986) ....... Fritz
Into the Darkness (1986)
Lone Runner (1986) ....... Misha
Mad Mission 4: You Never Die Twice (1986) ….... Leader of the Villains
Flesh & Blood (1985) ....... Cardinal
Red Sonja (1985) ....... Ikol
Invitation to the Wedding (1985) ....... Clara/Charles Eatwell
Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (1984) ....... President Widmark
Sword of the Valiant (1984) ....... Oswald
Making the Grade (1984) ....... Nicky
Sahara(1983) ....... Beg
Yellowbeard (1983) ....... Man with Parrot
Trenchcoat (1983) ....... Princess Aida
Firefox (1982) ....... Semelovsky
Tangiers (1982) ....... Wedderburn
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) ....... Major Toht
Nijinsky (1980) ....... Leon Bakst
Zulu Dawn (1979) ....... Norris Newman
Charleston (1977) ....... Frankie
The Likely Lads (1976) ....... Ernie
The Old Curiosity Shop (1975) ....... Harris
The Last Days of Man on Earth (1973) ....... Shades
Gawain and the Green Knight (1973) ....... Oswald
Disciple of Death (1972) ....... Parson
Say Hello to Yesterday (1971) ....... Car Park Attendant
Crucible of Terror (1971) ....... Michael
Take a Girl Like You (1970) ....... Graham
Otley (1968) ....... Curtis
The White Bus (1967)
How I Won the War (1967) ....... Spool
The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) ....... Village Idiot
Catch Us If You Can (1965) ....... (uncredited) Yeano (beatnik)
Of Human Bondage (1964) ....... 'Matty' Mathews
Doctor in Distress (1963) ....... (uncredited) Cafe Customer
The Boys (1962) ....... Billy Herne

[edit] TV

The Avengers (1967) Episode "The Joker" ..... Strange Young Man
The Strauss Dynasty (1991) (mini series) ….... Bauer
Face to Face (1990) (TV) ....... Dr. Brinkman
The Nightmare Years (1989) (mini series) ....... Emil Luger
The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (1988) (TV) ….... Winston Churchill
The Sign of Four (1987) (TV) ....... Thaddeus Sholto/Bartholomew Sholto
Blackadder II (1986) (TV) ..... The Bishop of Bath and Wells
Minder on the Orient Express (1985) (TV) ….... Harry Ridler
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983) (TV) ….... Inspector Lestrade
The Rothko Conspiracy (1983) (TV) …….
P.O.S.H (1982) (TV) ....... Mr. Vicarage
Tiny Revolutions (1981) (TV) …….
Tropic (1979) (series) ....... Geoffrey Turvey
The Mayor of Casterbridge (1978) (mini series) ….... Jopp
Porridge (1973) TV Series ….... Harris (1977)
The Next Victim (1976) (TV) ....... Bartlett
Our Mutual Friend (1976) (mini series) ....... Mr. Venus
A Story to Frighten the Children (1976) (TV) ....... Lang
The Fight Against Slavery (1975) (mini series) ….... Charles James Fox
The Adventures of Don Quixote (1973) (TV) ….... Monk
Last of the Summer Wine (The New Mobile Trio) (1973) ....... Walter
The Adventures of Don Quick (1970) (series) ….... Sergeant Sam Czopanser
The Vessel of Wrath (1970) (TV) ….... Controleur
It Wasn't Me (1969) (TV) ….... George
Target Generation (1969) (TV) ....... Joe Manx
These Men Are Dangerous (1969) (series) …….
Game, Set and Match (1968) (TV) …….
Mille miglia (1968) (TV) ....... Denis Jenkinson
The Burning Bush (1967) ……. (TV)
Firebrand (1967) (TV) …….
Boa Constrictor (1967) (TV) ....... Frankie Three
Great Expectations (1967) (series) ....... Orlick
Who's a Good Boy Then? (1966) (TV) ….... Billy Oates
The Nutter (1965) (TV) …….
Day Out for Lucy (1965) (TV) …….
Barnaby Spoot and the Exploding Whoopee Cushion (1965) (TV) ….... Justin Fribble
Fable (1965) (TV) ....... Len