Robert Powell | |
|---|---|
 Powell (centre) atSt Paul's Cathedral in 2006 | |
| Born | Robert Thomas Powell (1944-06-01)1 June 1944 (age 81) Salford,Lancashire, England |
| Alma mater | University of Manchester |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Robert Thomas Powell (/ˈpaʊəl/POW-əl; born 1 June 1944) is an English actor who is known for the title roles inMahler (1974) andJesus of Nazareth (1977), and for his portrayal of secret agentRichard Hannay inThe Thirty Nine Steps (1978) and its subsequentspinoff television series. Other major screen roles have included Tobias "Toby" Wren in the BBC science-fiction programmeDoomwatch (1970), David Briggs in the sitcomThe Detectives (1993–1997) withJasper Carrott, andMark Williams in the medical dramaHolby City (2005–2011).
Powell's distinctive voice has become well known as a narrator of documentaries, especially those concerning theSecond World War, includingWorld War II in HD Colour,Hitler's Bodyguard,The Story of the Third Reich andSecrets of World War II.
Powell was nominated for a Best ActorBAFTA TV Award forJesus of Nazareth in 1978 and won a Best Actor award at theVenice Film Festival for his performance in the filmImperative in 1982.
Powell was born inSalford,Lancashire, the son of Kathleen (née Davis) and John Wilson Powell.[1] He was educated atManchester Grammar School[2] (which was then adirect grant grammar school), and studied law at theUniversity of Manchester. He has an elder brother, Henry (Harry).
Powell began acting at school, playing the title role in Shakespeare'sKing Lear. He also appeared as a teenager inThe Adventures of Samuel Poppleton on BBC Radio Children's Hour from the North of England in Manchester, where he came under the guidance of producerTrevor Hill, as detailed in Hill's autobiography,Over the Airwaves. He secured a post at a repertory theatre inStoke-on-Trent. His first film part was inRobbery (1967), which starredStanley Baker and was about theGreat Train Robbery, in which he played the second man or locomotive driver's assistant. He had a small role in the original film version ofThe Italian Job (1969) playing one of the gang, but had to wait a few years for his first success, playing scientist Toby Wren in theBBC'sscience fiction seriesDoomwatch in 1970.
Having been killed off inDoomwatch right at the end of Series One in a bomb explosion, at his request, Powell became a pin-up and a household name, following up with starring roles in several BBC serials, including television adaptations of the novelsSentimental Education (1970) andJude the Obscure (1971). In 1972–1973 he portrayedCharles Rolls in the miniseriesThe Edwardians.[3] He starred in 1973 in the first episode of the British seriesThriller. He also appeared in the 1975 seriesLooking for Clancy, based on theFrederic Mullally novelClancy.
For several years Powell continued as a television regular, with occasional forays into film, as the Austrian composerGustav Mahler in theKen RussellbiopicMahler (1974) and Captain Walker in Russell's film version ofTommy (1975). His role inTommy had few lines, speaking only during the overture withAnn-Margret, he is primarily seen through the mind of his son as played by Barry Winch (Young Tommy) andRoger Daltrey.
Powell then playedthe title role inJesus of Nazareth (1977) following a successful second audition withFranco Zeffirelli. The four-part television film had an all-star cast, includingLaurence Olivier asNicodemus,Ernest Borgnine as the RomanCenturion,Stacy Keach asBarabbas,Christopher Plummer asHerod Antipas,Michael York asJohn the Baptist,Ian McShane asJudas Iscariot,Rod Steiger asPontius Pilate andJames Mason asJoseph of Arimathea. For this role, Powell was nominated for aBAFTA award, and collected theTVTimes Best Actor award for the same performance. His completist performance is frequently considered one of the best portrayals of Christ.[4]
In 1978, Powell took the leading role ofRichard Hannay in the third film version ofThe Thirty Nine Steps.[5] It met with modest success, and critics compared Powell's portrayal ofJohn Buchan's character favourably with those of his predecessors. His characterisation proved to be enduring, for almost ten years later a television series titled simplyHannay appeared, with Powell back in the role (although the Buchan short stories on which the series was based were set in an earlier period thanThe Thirty-Nine Steps).Hannay ran for two seasons.
In 1980, Powell appeared in the filmHarlequin playing the Harlequin of the title, who seems to have the power to cure the son of a powerful politician. For this performance he won the Best Actor Award at the Paris Film Festival. In 1982, he won Best Actor at theVenice Film Festival for his role inImperativ.
In 1984, Powell made his U.S. film debut inWhat Waits Below (also known asSecrets of the Phantom Caverns).[6]
In 1986, Powell narrated and co-starred in William C. Faure's miniseriesShaka Zulu, withHenry Cele in the title role. In 1992, he starred in theNew ZealandFirst World War filmChunuk Bair, as Sgt. Maj. Frank Smith. In 1993–95, he was the voice actor of Dr Livesey inThe Legends of Treasure Island.
Powell then agreed to a request from his friend and golf partner, comedianJasper Carrott, taking the part of an incompetent detective in a succession of sketches that formed part of Carrott's television series.The Detectives proved to be popular and was later turned into asitcom, Powell's first and only venture into that genre.
Powell's distinctive voice is frequently heard onvoice-overs and as a narrator of television programmes such asGreat Crimes and Trials,The Century of Warfare andWorld War II in HD Colour. He read the novelLove in the Time of Cholera byGabriel García Márquez forBBC Radio 4'sBook at Bedtime, and has also narrated many audio books, includingThe Thirty Nine Steps, abridged versions of many ofAlan Garner's books, and several abridged novels for The Talking Classics Collection. Powell has also lent his voice to musical works, such asDavid Bedford's albumThe Rime of the Ancient Mariner,[7] or the 2002rock operaThe Hound of the Baskervilles, byClive Nolan andOliver Wakeman, in which he played the role ofJohn Watson. He also narrated on two rock albums byRick Wakeman calledCost of Living andThe Gospels (1987).
On 29 October 2001, a state-of-the-art theatre named after him was opened at theUniversity of Salford.[8] He became a patron of24:7 Theatre Festival in 2004, and continues to operate in this capacity. In early 2005 he became a regular in the UK TV medical drama,Holby City, where he remained for six years before departing to return to theatre.[9] In 2005, Powell began appearing in the BBC soap operaHolby City as a hospital administrator. He said that regular employment in the series helped him make up financial losses caused by the failure of the pension fund he held withThe Equitable Life Assurance Society.[10] On 9 February 2008, he performed as narrator inProkofiev'sPeter and the Wolf with theHuddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra with conductorNatalia Luis-Bassa in theNorth of England.[11] In 2008–09, Powell was series announcer (19 episodes) on BBC4'sThe Book Quiz.
In September 2015, Powell starred as thetitle role in theAlmeida Theatre production ofMike Bartlett's future history playKing Charles III which opened at theBirmingham Repertory Theatre before touring the UK, followed by a season at theSydney Theatre Company.[12]
On Easter Sunday 1 April 2018, Powell appeared in a Smithsonian Channel Documentary Series based on his portrayal of theFranco Zeffirelli mini-series Jesus of Nazareth titled,The Real Jesus of Nazareth, narrated byJudd Hirsch. Based in Israel, it covered the life of Jesus juxtaposed with segments of the television series in which Powell starred in 1977.[13] The characters who appeared in the series are also discussed and their historical significance uncovered. The series covered 4 segments, each one hour in length dealing with historical elements of the story along with Powell interviewing biblical historians such as Helen Bond and Candida Moss. The 1977 series starring Powell differed in at least two scenes from the Gospel's historical account: in the film, the Virgin Mary is shown without the angel of theAnnunciation and Jesus carries only the horizontal branch of the Holy Cross toCalvary.[14]
Powell met his future wife, thePan's People dancer Barbara "Babs" Lord, backstage at the BBC.[15] On 29 August 1975, shortly before he was due to start filming forJesus of Nazareth on location inTunisia, the couple were married. On 23 November 1977, they had their son, Barney, followed in 1979 by a daughter, Kate.
The couple later took up sailing as a pastime.[16] Babs Lord participated in the BT Global Yacht Challenge and the Polar race. Both took part, in different yachts, in a round-the-world race in 2000, though Powell himself was present for only one leg of the race.[17]
Powell was a founder member of theSocial Democratic Party in 1981, and campaigned alongsideBarry Norman on behalf of the party's first leader,Roy Jenkins.[18]
| Filmography | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1967 | Robbery | Second man on Locomotive | Uncredited |
| 1967 | Far from the Madding Crowd | Man at Harvest Dance | Uncredited |
| 1969 | The Italian Job | Yellow | |
| 1969 | Walk a Crooked Path | Mullvaney | |
| 1971 | Jude the Obscure | Jude Fawley | 6 episodes |
| 1971 | Secrets | Allan Wood | |
| 1972 | Running Scared | Tom Betancourt | |
| 1972 | Shelley | Percy Bysshe Shelley | TV movie |
| 1972 | Asylum | Dr Martin | (segment "Mannikins of Horror") |
| 1973 | The Asphyx | Giles Cunningham | |
| 1974 | Mahler | Gustav Mahler | |
| 1975 | Tommy | Captain Walker | |
| 1975 | Looking For Clancy | Frank Clancy | 5 episodes |
| 1977 | Jesus of Nazareth | Jesus Christ | 4 episodes |
| 1977 | Beyond Good and Evil | Paul Rée | |
| 1978 | The Four Feathers | Jack Durrance | TV movie |
| 1978 | The Thirty Nine Steps | Richard Hannay | |
| 1980 | Harlequin | Gregory Wolfe | |
| 1980 | Jane Austen in Manhattan | Pierre | |
| 1981 | The Survivor | Keller | |
| 1981 | La chanson du mal aimé | ||
| 1982 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Phoebus | TV movie |
| 1982 | Imperativ | Augustin | |
| 1983 | The Jigsaw Man | Jamie Fraser | |
| 1983 | Pygmalion | Higgins | TV movie |
| 1984 | What Waits Below | Rupert 'Wolf' Wolfsen | |
| 1984 | Frankenstein (1984) | Victor Frankenstein | TV movie |
| 1985 | D'Annunzio | Gabriele D'Annunzio | |
| 1986 | Shaka Zulu | Henry Fynn | 10 episodes |
| 1987 | D'Annunzio | Gabriele D'Annunzio | |
| 1988 | Laggiù nella giungla | Paolo Kruger | |
| 1988–1989 | Hannay | Richard Hannay | 13 episodes |
| 1990 | Romeo.Juliet | Romeo | Voice |
| 1991 | The First Circle | Gleb Nershin | TV movie |
| 1991 | Merlin of the Crystal Cave | Ambrosius, Merlin's father | 5 episodes |
| 1992 | Long Conversation with a Bird [pl] | John Barth | TV movie |
| 1992 | Chunuk Bair | Sgt. Maj. Frank Smith | |
| 1992 | The Boer War | Narrator | Documentary |
| 1993 | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | Jasper | |
| 1993 | The Legends of Treasure Island | Dr Livesy | Voice, 8 episodes |
| 1993–1997 | The Detectives | Dave Briggs | 31 episodes |
| 1993 | Remembering Titanic | Narrator | Documentary |
| 1995–1996 | Fantomcat | Fantomcat | Voice, 26 episodes |
| 1997 | Pride of Africa | David Webb | TV movie |
| 2003 | Hey Mr DJ | Jerome Jackson | |
| 2004 | The Alchemist of Happiness | Al-Ghazali | Voice, Documentary |
| 2004 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Dr. Haydock | Murder at the Vicarage |
| 2005 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Barry Jemmerson | Episode: "Heads You Lose" |
| 2005 | Colour Me Kubrick | Robert | |
| 2006 | B-Mail | The Pink Professor | Voice, Short |
| 2007 | The Forgotten Children of Congo | Narrator | Documentary |
| 2008 | Hitler’s Bodyguard | Narrator | Documentary |
| 2009 | World War II in HD Colour | Narrator | Documentary |
| 2017 | The Real Jesus of Nazareth | Presenter / Narrator | Documentary |
| 2020 | Jazz Sabbath | Narrator | Documentary |
In 1995, Powell was one of the readers ofEdward Lear poems on a specially made spoken word audio CD bringing together a collection of Lear's nonsense songs.[19]
Powell provided the narration forClive Nolan andOliver Wakeman’s 2002 adaptation ofThe Hound of the Baskervilles as aprogressive rock album.[20][better source needed]
Six years after making his initial impact on American audiences as the star of Franco Zeffirelli's 1977 television film "Jesus of Nazareth", British actor Robert Powell has just finished his first American-made film.
I've been there for six years, and that was five years longer than I ever anticipated staying, and it just struck me that it was probably time to move on and go back to [my] roots.
