Bruce Boa

Andrew Bruce Boa (10 July 1930 – 17 April 2004) was a Canadian actor, who found success playing the token North American in British films and television.

Biography

Boa's main film role is probably in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) as General Rieekan. He also played the rogue colonel in Full Metal Jacket (1987) that chastises Mathew Modine's character over a peace pin on the lapel while having "Born To Kill" written on his combat helmet. Other films include Man in the Middle (1964), The Adding Machine (1969), Who? (1973), The Cherry Picker (1974), The Omen (1976), Silver Bears, Superman, Carry On Emmannuelle (1978), A Touch of the Sun, The London Connection, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979), Silver Dream Racer (1980), Ragtime (1981), Octopussy (1983), Return to Oz (1985), and Screamers (1995).

On television, his most notable role is probably as the American guest, Mr. Hamilton, in the "Waldorf Salad" episode of the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. In 1977 he appeared in Come Back, Little Sheba, an episode of Laurence Olivier Presents, opposite Laurence Olivier and Joanne Woodward.

Other television credits include: The Avengers, Out of the Unknown, The Champions, The Troubleshooters, The Saint, Ace of Wands, Special Branch, The Onedin Line, Z-Cars, The New Avengers, The Professionals, The Omega Factor, Dempsey & Makepeace, Astronauts, Hart to Hart, Remington Steele, Howards' Way, the 1979 miniseries A Man Called Intrepid, the 1988 television film The Bourne Identity, Tales of the Unexpected, As Time Goes By, Road to Avonlea, Kavanagh QC and Bulman.

Boa was also an author, writing and producing a double-story CD 'Now not over the Rainbow' a year before his death.

Family

Bruce Boa's sister is Jungian analyst and author Marion Woodman. He was also good friends with John Cleese.

Death

Boa died from cancer on 17 April 2004 in Surrey, having lived in England since the 1960s.

Filmography

Film

Television

External links

• Bruce Boa at Find a Grave
• Bruce Boa at the Internet Movie Database