Edward Woodward

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Edward Albert Arthur Woodward

Born June 1, 1930 (1930-06-01) (age 78)
Croydon, England
Spouse(s) Venetia Barrett (1952 - 1986)
Michele Dotrice (1987 - present)

Edward Albert Arthur Woodward OBE (born June 1, 1930 Croydon, Surrey) is an English stage, film and television actor and singer.

Originally a Shakespearian stage actor, he is best known for his role in the 1960-1970s spy series, Callan, for the 1973 film The Wicker Man and his lead role in the 1980s American television series The Equalizer.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Woodward attended Eccleston Road and Sydenham Road School, Croydon, and the Elmwood School in Wallingford, as well as Hinchley Wood School in Surrey. He then attended Kingston College.

[edit] Theatre

Woodward wanted to become an actor, but initially in the post war period became an Associate Member of RADA while taking amateur roles. Wanting to train as journalist, he eventually took work in a sanitary engineer's office, before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Woodward began as stage actor at the Castle Theatre, Farnham, in 1946. After graduation from RADA he worked extensively in repertory companies as a Shakespearean actor throughout England and Scotland, making his London debut in Where There's A Will in 1955, and also starred in the film adaptation that same year. His work in the West End included Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet both in 1955, as well as Cyrano de Bergerac in 1971. Having established himself, he also worked on Broadway theatre in New York, and in Australia. Woodward first appeared on Broadway, in Rattle of a Simple Man (1963) and the musical comedy High Spirits (1964–1965), which won three Tony Awards, followed by the 1966 comedy The Best Laid Plans.

[edit] Film

Woodward made his film debut in the 1955 screen adaptation of R.F. Delderfield's play, Where There's a Will.

He then made occasional appearances, until taking the role of the repressed, devout Christian Police Sergeant Neil Howie in the chilling occult thriller The Wicker Man in 1973. Many critics have cited the final scene in The Wicker Man as one of the greatest visual shots in cinema history. Woodward was offered a cameo role in the 2005 remake, but declined, even though he said he thought the script was very well written.

He also appeared in the 1982 film Who Dares Wins as Commander Powell.

Woodward made the title role of Boer War hero Harry "Breaker" Harbord Morant in the Australian biographical film drama Breaker Morant highly acclaimed in 1980, and brought the film to global notability.

Woodward also had a small supporting role in the 2007 action comedy, Hot Fuzz.

[edit] Television

Throughout his career, Woodward has appeared in over 2000 television productions.

In 1967 he was cast as David Callan in the ITV Armchair Theatre play A Magnum for Schneider, which later became 1960's set spy series Callan. His first television role in which he could demonstrate his ability to express controlled rage, his iconic performance assured the series success from the television in 1972 to a film in 1974.

Woodward appeared opposite Sir Laurence Olivier in the 1978 episode of Laurence Olivier Presents - Saturday, Sunday, Monday

The series allowed him to be cast in similar roles, but none proved as iconic as "Callan".[1] In 1977 he starred in two series of the BBC2 dystopian drama 1990, about a future Britain lurching into totalitarianism.[2]

Moving his talents back to the stage and film, it was not until he took the lead role in the 1980s American television series The Equalizer as a British former CIA operative that he found equal and greater recognition and popularity. The series ran from 1985 until 1989.

He also stared in the short-lived CBS series "Over My Dead Body", which ran in 1990, playing a mystery writer who gets involved solving real crimes.

His TV guest star roles include an appearance in The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Mr. Jones (aka Philip, codename 'Flavius') in the series La Femme Nikita. He also guest starred with his son Tim and grandson Sam as a London gangster family in a special storyline for The Bill in 2008.

[edit] Other works

An actor with a considerable tonal depth, his capability as tenor enabled him to record twelve albums of vocal song, as well as three albums of poetry and fourteen books to tape. His vocal capability and acting skill enabled him to make a number of appearances when time allowed on the BBC's Victorian era music hall programme, The Good Old Days.

[edit] Personal life

Woodward has been twice married, first to Venetia Mary Collett (actress Venetia Barrett) (1952-1987). They had two sons Tim Woodward (born 1953) and Peter Woodward (born 1956), who became successful actors, as well as a Tony Award-nominated actress daughter, Sarah Woodward (born 1963). His second marriage was to actress Michele Dotrice, the daughter of his contemporary Roy Dotrice in 1987. They have one daughter, Emily Beth.

Always an active actor, Woodward underwent triple bypass surgery in 1996 and quit smoking after two heart attacks. In February 2003 it was announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.[3] His hobbies have included sword collecting, acting and gem polishing.

[edit] Awards

In 1969 and 1970, he was Television Actor of the Year, and Best Actor at the Sun Awards in 1970, 1971 and 1972. Woodward won the 1970 BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his title role in Callan. He was appointed an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1978. At the 1987 Golden Globe Awards, he won Best Actor in a Dramatic TV Series for his role of Robert McCall in The Equalizer. At the Emmy Award from 1986 to 1990, he was nominated each year for The Equalizer.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Stage

  • 1955 - Where There's a Will
  • 1958 - Romeo and Juliet
  • 1958 - Hamlet
  • 1962 - Rattle of a Simple Man
  • 1968 - Two Cities
  • 1971 - Cyrano de Bergerac
  • 1971 - The White Devil
  • 1973 - The Wolf
  • 1975 - Male of the Species
  • 1976 - On Approval
  • 1978 - The Dark Horse
  • 1980 - The Beggar's Opera (also director)
  • 1980 - Private Lives
  • 1982 - The Assassin
  • 1982 - Richard III
  • 1992 - The Dead Secret

[edit] Films

  • 1955 - Where There's a Will
  • 1960 - Inn For Trouble
  • 1966 - Becket
  • 1968 - File on the Golden Goose
  • 1970 - Incense for the Damned
  • 1972 - Time for killing (Sitting Target)
  • 1973 - Hunted
  • 1974 - Sitting Target
  • 1974 - Young Winston, as Captain Aylmer Haldane
  • 1974 - The Wicker Man, in which he played the lead role
  • 1974 - Callan
  • 1975 - Three for All
  • 1977 - Stand Up Virgin Soldiers
  • 1980 - Breaker Morant
  • 1981 - The Appointment
  • 1981 - Wet Job (TV)
  • 1982 - Comeback
  • 1982 - Who Dares Wins
  • 1982 - Merlin and the Sword
  • 1983 - Champions
  • 1983 - Operation Comeback (Love is forever)
  • 1984 - Champions
  • 1984 - A Christmas Carol
  • 1985 - Arthur the King
  • 1986 - King David
  • 1987 - Uncle Tom's Cabin
  • 1989 - The Man In The Brown Suit
  • 1990 - Over My Dead Body
  • 1990 - Hands of a murderer
  • 1990 - Mister Johnson
  • 1993 - Deadly Advice
  • 1994 - A Christmas Reunion
  • 1995 - The Shamrock Conspiracy (TV)
  • 1996 - Harrison: The Cry Of The City (TV)
  • 1996 - Gulliver's Travels
  • 1999 - Marcia's dowry
  • 2007 - Hot Fuzz (as Tom Weaver)

[edit] Television series

[edit] Made for TV Movies

  • 1983 - Merlin and the Sword (U.S. title, Arthur the King)
  • 1983 - Love is Forever
  • 1984 - A Christmas Carol
  • 1986 - Uncle Tom's Cabin
  • 1988 - The Man in the Brown Suit
  • 1990 - Hands of a Murderer
  • 1995 - The Shamrock Conspiracy

[edit] Television specials

  • 1969 - Scott Fitzgerald
  • 1970 - Bit of a Holiday
  • 1971 - Evelyn
  • 1979 - Rod of Iron
  • 1980 - The Trial of Lady Chatterley
  • 1980 - Blunt Instrument
  • 1981 - Wet Job
  • 1986 - The Spice of Life
  • 1988 - Hunted
  • 1990 - Hands of a Murderer, or The Napoleon of Crime
  • 1991 - In My Defence
  • 1994 - Harrison
  • 1995 - Cry of the City
  • 1995 - Gulliver's Travels

[edit] References

  1. ^ screenonline: Woodward, Edward (1930-) Biography
  2. ^ Action TV - 1990 episode guide
  3. ^ Woodward Fighting Cancer

[edit] External links