Norman Rodway

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Norman Rodway (February 7, 1929 - March 13, 2001) was an Irish actor.

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[edit] Early life

Rodway was born in London and moved to Dublin at an early age. He studied classics, graduating at Trinity College. He worked as an accountant, teacher, and university lecturer before acting.

[edit] Career

He made his stage debut in May 1953 at the Cork Opera House. There, he portrayed General Mannion in The Seventh Step. He made his first appearance in London in 1959, as The Messenger in Cock-A-Doodle Dandy. In 1962, he portrayed the young James Joyce in Stephen D, based on Joyce's writings. Rodway joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. His favorite theatrical parts included Bassov in Summerfolk, and the title roles in Butley and Richard III.

Although he was primarily a stage actor, he also performed in radio, television, and film productions. With his expressive voice (described by Jack Adrian as "rich and dark and thumpingly Celtic" [1]), he made many radio broadcasts for the BBC. Major television roles included Cummings in Reilly, Ace of Spies, and Charles Brett in The Bretts. He also appeared in three of the PBS Mystery! series: Miss Marple, Rumpole of the Bailey, and Inspector Morse. He acted with Orson Welles in Chimes at Midnight (1965) and I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967). He often acted as the villain, including Adolf Hitler in The Empty Mirror (1996). He played the role of Apemantus in both television and audiobook productions of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens.

[edit] Personal life

He was married four times. His first wife was a casting director, Mary Selway, and his second the actress Pauline Delany. He was stepfather to Tara Fitzgerald by his third marriage to Sarah Callaby (nee Fitzgerald). He was married to Jane Rodway from 1991 to his death. He died in London after a series of strokes.

[edit] Sources

  • Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television (vol. 26), 2000
  • Who’s Who in Theatre, 1981

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

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