Ronald Lacey

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Ronald Lacey
Born 18 June 1935
London
Died 15 May 1991
Years active 1960s-1980s
Spouse(s) Mela White (1959–1971)
Joanna Baker (1972–1989)
Notable roles Toht

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

Born in Harrow, London, he began his acting career in 1961 after a brief stint in national service and attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His first notable performance was 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, Arnold Toht, 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.

Contents

[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.
  • 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
  • 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 descent, 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 had his lower intestines removed in his early twenties and as a result had to have a colostomy bag fitted. Over the years he was refused certain film roles in other countries at his doctor's request.
  • He gained and lost weight over the last ten years of his life as he was ill with cancer. 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 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

[edit] TV

[edit] External links

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