Nigel Green
Born	Nigel McGown Green (1924-10-15)15 October 1924 Pretoria, South Africa
Died	15 May 1972(1972-05-15) (aged 47) Brighton,Sussex, England
Years active	1952–1972
Spouses	Patricia Marmont ​ ​ (m. 1952, divorced)​ Pamela Gordon ​ (m. 1956)​
Children	1 (with Gordon)

Nigel McGown Green (15 October 1924 – 15 May 1972) was an English actor. Because of his strapping build, commanding height (6 ft 4 in or 1.93 m) and regimental demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action in such classic 1960s films asJason and the Argonauts,Zulu,Tobruk andThe Ipcress File.

Nigel Green was born inPretoria,South Africa, son of pioneering animal health biochemist Henry Hamilton Green,DSc, and Katherine Laura, née McGown, daughter of printer John McGown. In Pretoria, his father was employed as professor of biochemistry and sub-director of the Veterinary Research Laboratories atOnderstepoort^[1] (he was later a researcher atNew Haw in Surrey, having been director of the Scottish Dairy Research Institute). Green's elder brother, Kenneth Gillies Green (1918–1990), was a physician, an adviser to companies includingImperial Chemical Industries, and in 1959 a founder of the Association of Medical Advisers in the Pharmaceutical Industry, now the British Association for Pharmaceutical Physicians.^[2]

Green was subsequently raised in London, attendingKing's College School,Wimbledon and theUniversity of London, followed by theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art.^[3][4] During theSecond World War he trained as an Observer in theRoyal Navy'sFleet Air Arm.

Among early stage appearances, Green was at London's New Theatre (now theNoël Coward Theatre) in October 1948, playing multiple roles inJohn Burrell'sOld Vic company revival ofThe Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. At theStratford Memorial Theatre in 1950, he was cast as Sir Thomas Lovell inHenry VIII (directed byTyrone Guthrie), Abhorson inPeter Brook's production ofMeasure for Measure (which also toured Germany), Decius Brutus inJulius Caesar (directed byAnthony Quayle), and — most notably — Edmund inKing Lear, starring and co-directed byJohn Gielgud.^[5]

Green's subsequent West End appearances includedCome Live With Me (directed byRoy Rich:Vaudeville Theatre, June 1951),^[6]Heloise (directed byMichael Powell:Duke of York's Theatre, November 1951),^[7]Vernon Sylvaine'sAs Long as They're Happy, oppositeJack Buchanan (directed byRoy Rich:Garrick Theatre, July 1953),^[8]Félicien Marceau'sThe Egg (directed by Charles Frank:Saville Theatre, October 1957))^[9] andAgatha Christie'sGo Back for Murder (directed byHubert Gregg:Duchess Theatre, March 1960).^[10]

In his second volume of autobiography,Michael Powell pointed out that, though the play they collaborated on was a failure, "Nigel Green, with his great face and towering figure, would soon make a name for himself in movies. Who could ever forget him inZulu? He was an almost mythical figure, likeHarry Andrews andVictor McLaglen, and laterJohn Wayne, all of them genuine and generous artists. Among other men they were like Norse gods, mythical, large and gentle, suddenly exploding into rage and performing fabulous feats of strength."^[11]

Green's early film roles includedReach for the Sky (1956),The Criminal (1960),The League of Gentlemen (1960) andBeat Girl (1960).^[12] His imposing physique led to his being cast asLittle John in the filmSword of Sherwood Forest (1960).

Green had one of his most memorable roles asHercules inJason and the Argonauts (1963), followed by his co-starring role asColour SergeantFrank Bourne inZulu (1964).^[13] He had a leading role as InspectorSir Denis Nayland Smith inThe Face of Fu Manchu (1965) and the supporting role of Major Dalby inThe Ipcress File (also 1965).^[14][15] Other roles include Carl Petersen in theBulldog Drummond filmDeadlier Than the Male (1967), as McCune, a devious Australian in the 1967 comedy-adventureThe Pink Jungle, Count Contini in theMatt Helm filmThe Wrecking Crew (1968), and 'Lord Ashley's Whore' inJohn Huston'sThe Kremlin Letter (1969).^[12] His many military roles included parts inKhartoum (1966),Tobruk (1967),Fräulein Doktor andPlay Dirty (both 1969).^[16]

Green also appeared in a number of horror films, includingCorridors of Blood (1958),The Masque of the Red Death (1964),The Skull (1965),Let's Kill Uncle (1966) andCountess Dracula (1971).^[17] His penultimate role was as McKyle the 'Electric Messiah', a mental patient believing himself to be God, inThe Ruling Class (1972).^[18]

Green's television appearances includedThe Adventures of Sir Lancelot,The Adventures of William Tell,The Other Man,Danger Man,The Power Game,The Avengers,Sherlock Holmes,Jason King,The Protectors andThe Persuaders!.^[19]

Green's first wife was actressPatricia Marmont. His second wife was actress Pamela Gordon, with whom he had one daughter.

Green died following an overdose of sleeping pills in 1972, aged 47.^[4] It is unknown if his death was intentional.Peter O'Toole said in his audio commentary forThe Ruling Class that he believed Green was very depressed and that his death was a suicide, although Green's family believed it to be accidental. He was separated from his wife Pamela Gordon at the time.

• List of unsolved deaths

• Sheldon Hall (2014). "Green, Nigel McGown (1924–1972)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/94147.ISBN 9780198614111.
• David McGillivray (1988). "Now you know".Films and Filming.34 (April 1988). London: 47.ISSN 0015-167X.
• Terence Pettigrew (1982).British Character Actors (Rowman & Littlefield).

• Nigel Green atIMDb

• 1924 births
• 1972 deaths
• 1972 suicides
• 20th-century English male actors
• Alumni of King's College London
• Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
• Barbiturates-related deaths
• English male film actors
• English male stage actors
• English male television actors
• English people of South African descent
• Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II
• Male actors from Pretoria
• People educated at King's College School, London
• South African emigrants to the United Kingdom
• South African male actors
• Unsolved deaths in England

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• Use British English from September 2014
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