Edward Woodward | |
|---|---|
 Woodward in 1971 | |
| Born | Edward Albert Arthur Woodward (1930-06-01)1 June 1930 |
| Died | 16 November 2009(2009-11-16) (aged 79) |
| Occupations | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1946–2009 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4, includingTim,Peter andSarah |
Edward Albert Arthur Woodward (1 June 1930 – 16 November 2009) was an English actor and singer. He began his career on stage, appearing in productions in both theWest End of London and onBroadway in New York City. He came to wider attention from 1967 in the title role of the British television spy dramaCallan, earning him the 1970British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.
Woodward starred as Police Sergeant Neil Howie in the 1973 cult British horror filmThe Wicker Man, and in the title role of the 1980 Australian biopicBreaker Morant. From 1985 to 1989, Woodward starred as ex-secret agent turned private investigator Robert McCall in the American television seriesThe Equalizer, earning him the 1986Golden Globe Award for Best Television Drama Actor.
Woodward was born on 1 June 1930 inCroydon,Surrey,[1][2] the only child of parents Edward Oliver Woodward, a metalworker,[3] and Violet Edith Woodward (née Smith).[4] As a boy, he was bombed out of his home three times duringthe Blitz.[1] He attended Eccleston Road, Sydenham Road, as well asKingston Day Commercial School and Elmwood High School, Hackbridge, all in Surrey.[3][1] He then attendedKingston College.[1][2][5]
After leaving school at the age of 15, Woodward wanted to train as a journalist, but took work in asanitary engineer's office, and then at the age of 16 entered theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) as their youngest ever student.[6]
Woodward's professional acting debut was in the Castle Theatre,Farnham, in 1946.[6] He started worked extensively inrepertory companies as a Shakespearean actor, making his London stage debut inR. F. Delderfield'sWhere There's a Will in 1955[6] and also appeared inthe film adaptation that same year, his first film, and thenRomeo and Juliet andHamlet (1955).[4] Having established himself, he also worked in Broadway theatre in New York City and in Australia. Woodward first appeared on Broadway inRattle of a Simple Man (1963) and the musical comedyHigh Spirits (1964–1965),[4] which won threeTony Awards, followed by the 1966 comedyThe Best Laid Plans.[4] In 1970, after Woodward played Sidney Carton in the West End musicalTwo Cities, based on Dickens's novelA Tale of Two Cities,Laurence Olivier invited him to choose his own role in theRoyal National Theatre, and he choseCyrano de Bergerac (1971).[6]
Woodward playedDr. Watson oppositeKeith Baxter asSherlock Holmes in the playMurder Dear Watson in 1983.[7]
In 2004, Woodward, alongside Australian actorDaniel MacPherson, appeared as God in a revival ofThe Mystery Plays atCanterbury Cathedral.[4] From a cast of hundreds of local actors,Joseph McManners andThomas James Longley also featured with smaller speaking roles.[8]
He made occasional appearances until taking the role of Police Sergeant Neil Howie in thethrillerThe Wicker Man. Woodward was offered acameo role in the 2005 remake, but declined. He also appeared as Commander Powell in the 1982 filmWho Dares Wins.[4]
Woodward played the title role in the 1980 Australian biographical film dramaBreaker Morant,[4] and had a supporting role in the 2007 action comedyHot Fuzz.[4] His last lead film role was that of the story of an eccentric vicar Reverend Frederick Densham inA Congregation of Ghosts.[4]
Robin Hardy, who directedThe Wicker Man, said, "He was one of the greatest actors of his generation, without a doubt, with a broad career on American television, as well as on British film."[9]Noël Coward once said of him, "He was one of the nicest and most co-operative actors I've ever met or worked with."[5]
In 1990, Woodward was the narrator for the official FIFA film of the1990 World Cup entitledSoccer Shoot-Out.[4]
Woodward appeared in many television productions. In the early 1960s, he was a jobbing actor who made a number of minor TV appearances in supporting roles. His casting as Guy Crouchback, the central character in Waugh's three novels set against the background of Britain's involvement in World War II, in the 1967 adaption ofEvelyn Waugh'sSword of Honour trilogy, dramatised byGiles Cooper and directed byDonald McWhinnie established him. That black-and-white TV dramatisation was remade in 2001 in a colour version withDaniel Craig playing the part of Crouchback. The 1967Sword featured several leading actors of that era, includingRonald Fraser,Freddie Jones,Vivian Pickles,Nicholas Courtney, andJames Villiers. Evelyn Waugh had met and approved Giles Cooper as the scriptwriter, having their schooling atLancing College in common, albeit more than a decade apart.
In 1967, Woodward played the eventual victim in the episode "The Persistent Patriots" ofThe Saint TV series.[4] The same year, he was cast as David Callan in theITVArmchair Theatre playA Magnum for Schneider, which later became the spy seriesCallan, one of his early television roles. His performance assured the series' success from 1967 to 1972, with afilm appearing in 1974. He appeared opposite Laurence Olivier in a 1978 adaptation ofSaturday, Sunday, Monday in theLaurence Olivier Presents anthology TV series.[4]
Callan made Woodward one of the most popular actors in Britain.[10] The show typecast him somewhat, but the enduring success of the genre allowed him to gain leading roles in similar productions, though none would prove to be as iconic asCallan.[11]Michael C. Burgess of Cinemalogue said, "of his more than 2,000 television performances, his portrayal of the ex-SIS undercover man Callan created an icon, if not a genre."[12] In 1977, he starred in two series of theBBC2 dystopian drama1990, about a future Britain lurching intototalitarianism.[13]
In the mid 1980s, Woodward took the lead role in the American television seriesThe Equalizer (1985–89) as a former intelligence operative. After filming a few episodes of the third season, Woodward suffered a massivecoronary. For several episodes, additional actors were brought in to reduce the workload on Woodward as he recovered from the condition. The first episode, filmed following Woodward's heart attack, involved his character being severely injured by aKGB bullet, providing Woodward with a chance to rest over several episodes. Later in the season, Woodward resumed his full duties and carried the show through a fourth season during 1988-1989.[citation needed] During this period, he also starred in theCold War espionage thriller,Codename: Kyril (1988), as anMI6 double agent.[4]
Subsequently, he starred in the short-lived CBS seriesOver My Dead Body, which ran in 1990, playing a mystery writer who gets involved in solving real crimes. In 1994 and 1997, Woodward starred in the BBC dramaCommon As Muck, in which he played a binman called Nev.[4]
In 1993, Woodward appeared in theWelsh language drama,Tan ar y Comin. Versions were made in both English and Welsh, and Woodward appeared in both, being specially coached in the latter, since he did not speak a word of the language.[14]
In 1999, Woodward appeared alongside his sonPeter in "The Long Road", an episode of theBabylon 5 spin-off,Crusade, on which Peter was a regular cast member.[citation needed] Both actors were playing the part of unrelatedTechnomages.
His career continued with TV guest-star roles, including an appearance inThe New Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Mr. Jones (or Philip, codename Flavius) in the seriesLa Femme Nikita. He also guest-starred with his sonTim and grandson Sam as a London gangster family in a special storyline forThe Bill in 2008. In March 2009, he joinedEastEnders for six episodes, playingTommy Clifford.
Woodward was awargamer and hosted a six episode television series, calledBattleground, forTyne Tees Television[15] in 1978 about the hobby, with fellow enthusiast Peter Gilder, who built and owned the beautiful Gettysburg diorama used for one of the gaming scenes for the 1974 filmCallan.[16][17]
Woodward was the subject ofThis Is Your Life on two occasions; in February 1971, he was surprised byEamonn Andrews in the bar of London's White House Hotel,[citation needed] and in February 1995,Michael Aspel surprised him during a photoshoot at Syon House in West London.[citation needed]
His capability astenor enabled him to record 12 albums of romantic songs, and three albums of poetry and 14 books to tape. His vocal ability and acting skill enabled him to make a number of appearances when time allowed on the BBC'sEdwardian eramusic hall programme,The Good Old Days.
Woodward had two top-100 albums in theUK Album Chart;This Man Alone (number 53 in 1970) andThe Edward Woodward Album (number 20 in 1972), while the single "The Way You Look Tonight" peaked at number 42 on theUK Singles Chart in 1971.[18] He also had two top-100 albums in Australia;Edwardian Woodward (number 97 in 1975) andA Romantic Hour (#92 in 1980)[19]
Selected discography
Woodward was married twice. His first marriage was to actress Venetia Barrett (born Venetia Mary Collett, 1928–2016) from 1952 to 1986.[5] They had two sons:Tim Woodward (1953–2023) andPeter Woodward (born 1956), both of whom became actors, as well as a daughter,Tony Award-nominated actressSarah Woodward (born 1963). Woodward left Barrett for actressMichele Dotrice, the daughter of his contemporaryRoy Dotrice, and married her in New York City in January 1987. Their daughter, Emily Beth Woodward (born 1983),[citation needed] was present at the ceremony.[20]
Woodward was present during the1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Staying in the northern town ofKyrenia, he was one of several Britons evacuated from the island by the Royal Navy aircraft carrierHMS Hermes (R12).[21]
Woodward was a prominent endorser of theLabour Party in the1970 general election, featuring in publicity material.[citation needed] He later declared his support for theSDP.[citation needed]
Woodward suffered a massive heart attack in 1987 (during the third season ofThe Equalizer) and another one in 1994. He underwenttriple-bypass surgery in 1996 and quit smoking. In 2003, he was diagnosed withprostate cancer.[22] In July 2009, a planned performance ofLove Letters, co-starring his wife Michele, was to be postponed because of damage caused to his hip when he fell down the stairs at hisWest Country home.[23]
Woodward died of pneumonia at theRoyal Cornwall Hospital inTruro, Cornwall, on 16 November 2009, at the age of 79, near his home atHawker's Cove.[24][25][26]
Woodward won the 1970BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his title role inCallan. He was made anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1978. At the 1987Golden Globe Awards, he won Best Actor in a Dramatic TV Series for his role of Robert McCall inThe Equalizer. At theEmmy Awards from 1986 to 1990, he was nominated each year forThe Equalizer.
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Where There's a Will | Ralph Stokes | Vernon Sewell | |
| 1960 | Inn for Trouble | C.M. Pennington-Richards | Uncredited | |
| 1964 | Becket | Clement | Peter Glenville | |
| 1969 | The File of the Golden Goose | Arthur Thompson | Sam Wanamaker | |
| 1971 | Incense for the Damned | Dr. Holstrom | Michael Burrowes | |
| 1972 | Sitting Target | Inspector Milton | Douglas Hickox | |
| Young Winston | Aylmer Haldane | Richard Attenborough | ||
| Hunted | John Drummond | Peter Crane | Short | |
| 1973 | The Wicker Man | Sergeant Neil Howie | Robin Hardy | |
| 1974 | Callan | David Callan | Don Sharp | |
| 1975 | Three for All | Roadsweeper | Martin Campbell | |
| 1977 | Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers | Sgt. Wellbeloved | Norman Cohen | |
| 1980 | Breaker Morant | Lt. Harry "Breaker" Morant | Bruce Beresford | Singing over the end credits |
| 1981 | The Appointment | Ian | Lindsey Vickers | |
| 1982 | Who Dares Wins | Commander Powell | Ian Sharp | |
| 1984 | Champions | Josh Gifford | John Irvin | |
| 1985 | King David | Saul | Bruce Beresford | |
| 1990 | Mister Johnson | Sargy Gollup | ||
| Soccer Shootout: 1990 World Cup | Narrator | Mario Morra | ||
| 1992 | Aladdin | The Sultan | Timothy Forder | Voice |
| 1993 | Tân ar y Comin | David Hemmings | ||
| 1994 | Deadly Advice | Maj. Herbert Armstrong | Mandie Fletcher | |
| 1997 | The House of Angelo | Dominic Angelo | Jim Goddard | Also producer |
| 2000 | Marcie's Dowry | Gus Wise | David Mackenzie | Short |
| 2002 | The Abduction Club | Lord Fermoy | Stefan Schwartz | |
| 2007 | Hot Fuzz | Tom Weaver | Edgar Wright | |
| 2009 | A Congregation of Ghosts | Reverend Frederick Densham | Mark Collicott |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | A Girl Called Jo | John Brooke | Television film |
| 1957 | The Telescope | John Mayfield | Television film |
| 1959 | Armchair Theatre | 3.25 "The Fabulous Money Maker" | |
| World Theatre | Titinius | 1.01 "Julius Caesar" | |
| ITV Television Playhouse | Joe Murdoch | 4.52 "One a Penny, Two a Penny" | |
| Skyport | 6 episodes | ||
| 1960 | Inside Story | Stanislaw Krasinski | 1.01 "A Touch of Brimstone" |
| The True Mistery of the Passion | Peter | Television film | |
| Armchair Mystery Theatre | Paul Danek | 1.03 "The Case of Paul Danek" | |
| 1961 | Emergency Ward 10 | Rev. Posset | 1.144 "Episode #1.444" |
| Adventure Story | Peter | 1.01 "The Reef" | |
| Magnolia Street | John Cooper | 6 episodes | |
| BBC Sunday-Night Play | Superintendent Morland | 3.01 "A Clean Kill" | |
| You Can't Win | Paul Hayward | 1.01 "Greater Than Fear" | |
| 1962 | Sir Francis Drake | Spanish Captain | 1.23 "Court Intrigue" |
| ITV Play of the Week | Adolphus Cusins | 8.08 "Major Barbara" | |
| 1964 | Sergeant Cork | Austen Carew | 1.16 "The Case of the Ormsby Diamonds" |
| ITV Play of the Week | The Boy's Father | 9.26 "I Can Walk Where I Like Can't I?" | |
| The Defenders | H.T. Harris | 4.05 "Conflict of Interests" | |
| 1965 | Mogul | Ron Smith | 1.03 "Safety Man" |
| Armchair Mystery Theatre | Anstey | 3.11 "Wake a Stranger" | |
| 1966 | Thirty-Minute Theatre | Arthur | 1.33 "Ella" |
| Dixon of Dock Green | Bruce Paynter | 13.12 "The Accident" | |
| 1967 | Theatre 625 | Guy Crouchback | 4.09 "Sword of Honour" |
| Armchair Theatre | David Callan | 7.02 "A Magnum for Schneider" | |
| Thirty-Minute Theatre | Alan | 2.25 "Wanted" | |
| The Revenue Men | Bill Murray | 1.02 "Don't Get Conspicuous" | |
| The Baron | Arkin Morley | 1.29 "Countdown" | |
| The Saint | Jack Liskard | 1.15 "The Persistent Patriots" | |
| Conflict | Othello | 2.16 "Othello" | |
| Trapped | Mark Frazier | 2.01 "Trapped: Au Pair Swedish Style" | |
| 1967–1972 | Callan | David Callan | 43 episodes |
| 1968 | Mystery and Imagination | Reeve | 3.02 "The Listener" |
| ITV Playhouse | Ed Lt.-Col. Fox-Lennard | 1.42 "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" 2 "Premiere: The Night of Talavera" | |
| Detective | Auguste Dupin | 2.17 "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" | |
| Sherlock Holmes | Mason | 2.13 "Shoscombe Old Place" | |
| 1969 | BBC Play of the Month | Cassius | 4.08 "Julius Caesar" |
| The Bruce Forsyth Show | |||
| Omnibus | F. Scott Fitzgerald | 3.09 "F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Dream Divided" | |
| Detective | Commissaire Bignon | 3.09 "The Poisoners" | |
| The Root of All Evil? | Designi | 2.02 "A Bit of a Holiday" | |
| 1971 | Play for Today | Frank | 2.3 "Evelyn" |
| BBC Play of the Month | Lopakhin | 7.04 "The Cherry Orchard" | |
| The Edward Woodward Hour | Host | ||
| 1973 | Whodunnit? | Himself (host) | 6 episodes |
| 1975 | Armchair Cinema | Philip Warne | 1.04 "When Day Is Done" |
| 1977 | ITV Playhouse | George Mangham | 9.08 "The Bass Player and the Blonde" |
| 1977–1978 | 1990 | Jim Kyle | 16 episodes |
| 1978 | Saturday, Sunday, Monday | Luigi | Television film |
| The Bass Player and the Blonde | Mangham | 3 episodes | |
| 1980 | ITV Playhouse | Ian | 12.07 "A Rod of Iron" |
| Nice Work | Edwin Thornfield | 6 episodes | |
| 1981 | Sunday Night Thriller | Alex Logan | 1.04 "Blunt Instrument" |
| Chronicle | Narrator (voice) | 1.07 "The Crime of Captain Colthurst" | |
| Wet Job | David Callan | Television film | |
| Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years | Sir Samuel Hoare | Television miniseries | |
| 1983 | The Spice of Life | Narrator (voice) | 13 episodes |
| Love Is Forever | Derek McBracken | Television film | |
| 1984 | Killer Contract | Bill Routledge | |
| A Christmas Carol | Ghost of Christmas Present | ||
| 1985 | Merlin and the Sword | Merlin | |
| 1985–1989 | The Equalizer | Robert McCall | 88 episodes |
| 1987 | Uncle Tom's Cabin | Simon Legree | Television film |
| 1988 | Codename: Kyril | Michael Royston | Television miniseries |
| Memories of Manon | Robert McCall | Television film | |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Drummond | 3.20 "The Hunted" | |
| 1989 | The Man in the Brown Suit | Sir Eustace Pedler | Television film |
| 1990 | Hands of a Murderer | Sherlock Holmes | |
| 1990–1991 | Over My Dead Body | Maxwell Beckett | 11 episodes |
| 1991–1992 | America at Risk | Host | Television documentary |
| 1991–1996 | In Suspicious Circumstances | Storyteller | 39 episodes |
| 1994 | A Christmas Reunion | Colonel Phillips | |
| 1994–1997 | Common As Muck | Nev | 12 episodes |
| 1995 | The Shamrock Conspiracy | Edward Harrison | Television film |
| 1996 | Gulliver's Travels | Drunlo | Television miniseries |
| Harrison: Cry of the City | Edward "Teddy" Harrison | Television film | |
| 1999 | Crusade | Alwyn | 1.02 "The Long Road" |
| CI5: The New Professionals | Harry Malone | 13 episodes | |
| 2001 | La Femme Nikita | Mr. Jones | 4 episodes |
| The Lone Gunmen | Peanuts' Speech Synthesizer | 1.07 "Planet of the Frohikes" | |
| Dark Realm | Captain Kelly | 1.11 "Emma's Boy" | |
| Messiah | Rev. Stephen Hedges | Television miniseries | |
| 2002 | Night Flight | Vic Green | Television film |
| 2004 | Murder in Suburbia | Reg | 1.06 "Noisy Neighbours" |
| 2005 | Where the Heart Is | Jack Bishop | 9.09 "So Long" |
| 2007 | Five Days | Victor Marsham | Television miniseries |
| First Landing | Older Nathaniel Peacock / Narrator (voice) | Television film | |
| 2008 | The Bill | Johnnie Jackson | 24.27 "Sins of the Father" |
| 2009 | EastEnders | Tommy Clifford | 6 episodes |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
