British actor (1941–2022)
David Hattersley Warner [ 3] (29 July 1941 – 24 July 2022) was an English actor. Warner's lanky, often haggard appearance lent itself to a variety of villainous characters, as well as more sympathetic roles, in a career spanning six decades across stage and screen. His accolades include aPrimetime Emmy Award and nominations for aBAFTA Award and aScreen Actors Guild Award .
Warner trained at theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art before joining theRoyal Shakespeare Company (RSC), with whom he made his stage debut in 1962 and, in 1964, playedHenry VI in theWars of the Roses cycle at theWest End 'sAldwych Theatre . The RSC then cast him asPrince Hamlet inPeter Hall 's 1965 production ofHamlet . Warner made hisBroadway debut in the 2001 revival ofMajor Barbara .
He gained prominence as the lead in the filmMorgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment (Karel Reisz , 1966), for which he was nominated for theBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role . His other roles include those inThe Omen (1976),Time After Time (1979),Time Bandits (1981),The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981),Tron (1982),A Christmas Carol (1984),Seven Servants (1996),Titanic (1997),Scream 2 (1997),Ladies in Lavender (2002), andMary Poppins Returns (2018). He is also known for his roles in the filmsStar Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) andStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).[ 4]
For his work in television, Warner received twoPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie nominations, for his portrayals ofReinhard Heydrich in theNBC miniseriesHolocaust (1978) and Pomponius Falco in theABC miniseriesMasada (1981); he won for the latter.[ 5]
Warner was born on 29 July 1941, inManchester , Lancashire,[ 3] the son of Ada Doreen Hattersley and Herbert Simon Warner, anursing home proprietor.[ 6] He wasborn out of wedlock and frequently taken to be brought up by each of his parents, eventually settling with his stepmother and his father, aRussian Jew .[ 7] [ 8] At 18 years of age he started atRADA , from which graduated in 1961 with an Acting (RADA Diploma).[ 7] [ 9]
Warner made his professional stage debut at theRoyal Court Theatre in January 1962, playing Snout, a minor role inShakespeare 'sA Midsummer Night's Dream ,[ 7] directed byTony Richardson for theEnglish Stage Company . In March 1962, at theBelgrade Theatre ,Coventry , he played Conrad inMuch Ado About Nothing , following which in June he appeared as Jim inAfore Night Come at the NewArts Theatre in London.
He joined theRoyal Shakespeare Company inStratford-upon-Avon in April 1963 to play Trinculo inThe Tempest ,[ 3] and Cinna the Poet inJulius Caesar ,[ 3] and in July was cast as Henry VI in the John Barton adaptation ofHenry VI ,[ 3] Parts I, II and III, which comprised the first two plays fromThe Wars of the Roses trilogy. At theWest End 'sAldwych Theatre in January 1964, he again played Henry VI in the completeThe Wars of the Roses history cycle (1964). Returning to Stratford in April, he performed the title role inRichard II , Mouldy inHenry IV, Part 2 and Henry VI. At the Aldwych in October 1964, he was cast as Valentine Brose in the playEh? byHenry Livings , a role he reprised in the 1968 film adaptationWork Is a Four-Letter Word .
He first played the title role inHamlet for theRSC in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1965.[ 7] This production transferred to theAldwych Theatre in December of that year. In the 1966, Stratford season, his Hamlet was revived and he also played Sir Andrew Aguecheek inTwelfth Night . Finally at the Aldwych in January 1970, he played Julian inTiny Alice .
According to his 2007 programme CV, Warner's other work for the theatre includedThe Great Exhibition atHampstead Theatre (February 1972);I, Claudius at theQueen's Theatre (July 1972);A Feast of Snails at theLyric Theatre (February 2002);[ 3] Where There's a Will at theTheatre Royal, Bath ;King Lear atChichester Festival Theatre (2005),[ 3] see details below); and alsoMajor Barbara on Broadway in 2001.
Film and television [ edit ] In 1963, he made his film debut as the villainous Blifil inTom Jones ,[ 7] and in 1965, starred asHenry VI in theBBC television version of the RSC'sThe Wars of the Roses cycle of Shakespeare's history plays. He starred alongsideBob Dylan in the 1963 playMadhouse on Castle Street . A major step in his career was the leading role inMorgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966),[ 7] oppositeVanessa Redgrave , which established his reputation for playing slightly off-the-wall characters. He also appeared as Konstantin Treplev inSidney Lumet 's 1968 adaptation ofAnton Chekhov 'sThe Sea Gull and starred alongsideJason Robards andStella Stevens as Reverend Joshua Duncan Sloane inSam Peckinpah 'sThe Ballad of Cable Hogue .
In horror films, he appeared in one of the stories ofFrom Beyond the Grave , oppositeGregory Peck inThe Omen (1976),[ 10] as the ill-fated photojournalist Keith Jennings, and the 1979 thrillerNightwing .[ 10] He also starred in cult classicWaxwork (1988),[ 10] and featured alongside a youngViggo Mortensen in the 1990 filmTripwire .[ 10]
He often played villains, in films such asThe Thirty Nine Steps (1978),[ 10] Time After Time (1979),[ 10] Time Bandits (1981),[ 10] Tron (1982),Hanna's War (1988). Warner'svoice acting roles in television includeRa's al Ghul inBatman: The Animated Series , Herbert Landon inSpider-Man: The Animated Series , Alpha inMen in Black: The Series ,[ 10] the Archmage in Disney'sGargoyles , and the Lobe inFreakazoid! .[ 10] He was also cast against type as Henry Niles inStraw Dogs (1971) and asBob Cratchit in the 1984 telefilmA Christmas Carol starringGeorge C. Scott as Scrooge. In addition, he played German SSObergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich both in the filmHitler's SS: Portrait in Evil , and the television miniseriesHolocaust ; as sinister millionaire Amos Hackshaw inHBO 's original 1991 filmCast a Deadly Spell .[ 11]
In 1981, Warner received anEmmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special forMasada as Pomponius Falco. In 1988, he appeared in theDanny Huston filmMr. North .[ 10]
He subsequently appeared in films such asStar Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989),[ 10] Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ,Avatar [ 10] (known asMatrix Hunter in the US),Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991),[ 10] Titanic (the third time he appeared in a film that is about or includes reference toRMS Titanic ) andScream 2 .[ 10] In 2001, he played Captain James Sawyer in two episodes ofA&E 's adaptation ofC.S. Forester 'sHornblower series. He appeared in three episodes of the second season ofTwin Peaks (1991) as "Thomas Eckhardt ". He also continued to play classical roles. In "Chain of Command ", an episode ofStar Trek: The Next Generation , he was aCardassian interrogator. He based his portrayal on the evil "re-educator " from1984 . He appeared inMurder, She Wrote in 1993 as a Hong Kong based detective. His less-spectacular roles included a double-role in the low-budget fantasyQuest of the Delta Knights (1993) which was eventually spoofed onMystery Science Theater 3000 . He also playedAdmiral Tolwyn in the film version ofWing Commander .[ 10]
Warner's sympathetic side had been evident inSam Peckinpah 'sCross of Iron (1977), where he portrayed Captain Kiesel. Other "nice guy" roles include inKen Russel 'sWilliam and Dorothy (1978), portraying the poetWilliam Wordsworth , the charismatic "Aldous Gajic" in "Grail ", a first season (1994) episode ofBabylon 5 and "Chancellor Gorkon " inStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). In an episode ofLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman , he playedSuperman 's fatherJor-El , who appeared to his son through holographic recordings. Warner also played "ambiguous nice guys" such asvampire bat exterminator Philip Payne in 1979'sNightwing ;[ 10] and Dr. Richard Madden in 1994'sNecronomicon: Book of the Dead . InSeven Servants byDaryush Shokof , he co-starred withAnthony Quinn in 1996.[ 10]
Another 'sympathetic' role was in 2013, when he played Professor Grisenko in theDoctor Who episode "Cold War " in which he battled a revivedIce Warrior and struck up a rapport with the Doctor's companionClara Oswald . Warner also appeared in the second series of the Sky 1 comedy-dramaMad Dogs ,[ 10] and starred in two 2014 episodes of the horror seriesPenny Dreadful asAbraham Van Helsing .[ 10]
Warner contributed "Sonnet 25 " to the 2002compilation album When Love Speaks , which consists of Shakespearean sonnets and play excerpts as interpreted by famous actors and musicians. He performed in manyaudio plays , starring in theDoctor Who Unbound playSympathy for the Devil (2003) as an alternative version ofthe Doctor , and in a series of plays based onITV 'sSapphire & Steel asSteel , both forBig Finish Productions . He reprised his incarnation of the Doctor in a sequel,Masters of War (2008).[ 10] In 2007, he guest starred asIsaac Newton in theDoctor Who audio dramaCircular Time and as Cuthbert in four of the seven stories in the secondFourth Doctor series. He also guest starred in theBBC Radio 4 science fiction comedyNebulous (2005) as Professor Nebulous' arch-enemyDr. Joseph Klench . In all these productions, Warner worked with writer and comedianMark Gatiss of theLeague of Gentlemen , and plays a guest role in the League's 2005 feature filmThe League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse . He also performed in radio plays for the American companiesL.A. Theatre Works and theHollywood Theater of the Ear . In 2005, Warner read a new adaptation ofOliver Twist for BBC Radio 2 (adapted by Neville Teller and directed by Neil Gardner). In 2008, he guest-starred asMycroft Holmes in theBernice Summerfield audio playThe Adventure of the Diogenes Damsel . In 2009, he was the voice of Lord Azlok of the Viperox, an insectoid alien race in the animatedDoctor Who serial "Dreamland ". In 2016, he returned as his alternate Doctor in a series of audios where his Doctor briefly travels to the 'prime' universe and enlists theSeventh Doctor 's companionBenny Summerfield (Lisa Bowerman ) to try and help him save his universe. Warner's Doctor continued his travels with Benny in a second series of audios released in 2017. Shortly before his death in 2022, it was revealed Warner would return as his alternate Doctor as part of Finish's celebration of the 60th anniversary and would share scenes withChristopher Eccleston , who appeared as theNinth Doctor .[ 12]
Warner in 2008 He also contributedvoice acting to a number of video games, notably playing the villainJon Irenicus inBaldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Morpheus inFallout . Warner did voice work on the short-lived FOX animated seriesToonsylvania as Dr. Vic Frankenstein. He was also the first voice of the demon Nergal fromThe Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy , but was later replaced byMartin Jarvis . Warner narrated the Disneydirect-to-video Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin .[ 13]
In March 2010, it was announced that Warner would be joining the cast of theDark Shadows audio drama miniseriesKingdom of the Dead .
Return to theatre and later work [ edit ] In 2001, Warner returned to the stage after a nearly three-decade hiatus to play Andrew Undershaft in aBroadway revival ofGeorge Bernard Shaw 'sMajor Barbara . In May 2005, at theChichester Festival Theatre Warner made a return to Shakespeare, playing the title role inSteven Pimlott 's production ofKing Lear . Tim Walker, reviewing the performance inThe Sunday Telegraph , wrote: "Warner is physically the least imposing king I have ever seen, but his slight, gaunt body serves also to accentuate the vulnerability the part requires. So, too, does the fact that he is older by decades than most of the other members of the youthful cast."
On 30 October 2005, he appeared on stage atThe Old Vic theatre in London in the one-night playNight Sky alongsideChristopher Eccleston ,Bruno Langley ,Navin Chowdhry ,Saffron Burrows andDavid Baddiel .[ 14] In December 2006, he starred inTerry Pratchett's Hogfather onSky One asLord Downey . And in August 2007, as an RSC Honorary Artist, he returned to Stratford for the first time in over 40 years to play Sir John Falstaff in theCourtyard Theatre revival ofHenry IV, Part 1 andHenry IV, Part 2 which were part of the RSC Histories Cycle.[ 15]
In February 2008, Warner was heard as the popular fictional character Hugo Rune in a new 13-part audio adaptation ofRobert Rankin 'sThe Brightonomicon released by Hokus Bloke Productions and BBC Audiobooks. He starred alongside some high-profile names including cult science fiction actress and Superman starSarah Douglas ,Rupert Degas ,The Lord of the Rings actorAndy Serkis , Harry Potter villainJason Isaacs ,Mark Wing-Davey andMartin Jarvis (written by Elliott Stein & Neil Gardner, and produced/directed by Neil Gardner).
In October 2008, Warner played the role ofLord Mountbatten of Burma in theBBC Four television filmIn Love with Barbara , a biopic about the life of romantic novelistBarbara Cartland .[ 16] He played Povel Wallander, the father ofKurt Wallander , in BBC One'sWallander .[ 10]
David Warner aged 78, atGerman Comic Con 2019 In 2010, writer and actorMark Gatiss interviewed Warner about his role inThe Omen (1976) for his BBC documentary seriesA History of Horror .[ 17] [ 18] In November 2013, David Warner posed forRory Lewis Photographers 'Northerners' Exhibition,[ 19] Warner's image was acquired by theNational Portrait Gallery in London, and was the first professional portrait sitting of Warner since 1966.[ 20]
Warner married his first wife, Harriet Lindgren, in 1969;[ 21] they divorced in 1972.[ 21] He married his second wife, Sheilah Kent, in 1979;[ 21] they had a daughter in 1982, and divorced in 2005.[ 21] Warner's partner until his death in 2022 wasLisa Bowerman , an actress.[ 22]
David Warner died of a cancer-related illness atDenville Hall , inNorthwood, London , on 24 July 2022, aged 80.[ 22]
Audiobook narration [ edit ] Awards and nominations [ edit ] ^ Agate, Samantha (25 July 2022)."Late 'Titanic' Actor David Warner Found Love With Partner Lisa Bowerman Before His Death: Meet Her" .Closer Weekly . Retrieved22 April 2023 . ^ "Luke Warner on Instagram" .Instagram . 5 August 2022. Retrieved6 August 2022 .^a b c d e f g h i j "David Warner Bio" .TV Guide . Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ "The 10 Best Star Trek The Next Generation Episodes, Ranked" .CinemaBlend . 17 February 2021. Retrieved26 February 2021 .^a b Erickson, Hal (2 April 2010)."David Warner" . Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times . Archived fromthe original on 3 April 2010.^ "Bolsterstone Genealogy Project - Photos Page 3" .Bolsterstone.de . 12 December 1916. Retrieved26 July 2011 .^a b c d e f "David Warner: An Actor's Life and Art: A Portrait of the Actor as a Young Man" . Archived fromthe original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved26 July 2011 .^ David Warner Biography (1941–) . Film Reference. Retrieved on 26 July 2011.^ "RADA Student & graduate profiles - David Warner" .rada.ac.uk . Retrieved22 April 2023 .^a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "David Warner" .rottentomatoes.com . Retrieved29 September 2022 .^ O'Connor, John J. (10 September 1991)."Review/Television; A Detective and Sci-Fi in Los Angeles Magic" .The New York Times .^a b Bhuvad, Ariba (18 July 2022)."Christopher Eccleston "recorded something special" for Doctor Who anniversary" .Winter is Coming . ^a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "David Warner Credits" .TV Guide . Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ "Night Sky - Closed: 30 October 2005" .Official London Theatre . Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ Walker, Tim (22 July 2007)."An artist formerly known as the prince" .The Daily Telegraph . London. ^ "Four Programmes – In Love with Barbara" .BBC . Retrieved on 26 July 2011.^ Clarke, Donald."Mark Gatiss's History of Horror" .The Irish Times . Dublin. Archived fromthe original on 5 November 2010. Retrieved31 March 2022 . ^ "A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss – Home Counties Horror Ep 2/3" .BBC . 18 October 2010.^ Lewis, Rory (2014)."Actor David Warner Exhibition" .Rory Lewis Photography . Archived fromthe original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved22 November 2013 . ^ "David Warner" .National Portrait Gallery London .^a b c d "David Warner, who played villains in 'Titanic' and 'Tron,' dies at 80" .Today . 26 July 2022. Archived fromthe original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved27 July 2022 .^a b "Titanic and Omen actor David Warner dies at 80" .BBC News . 25 July 2022. Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ Harris, Will (26 July 2017)."David Warner on Twin Peaks, Tron, Titanic, Time Bandits, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II" .The A.V. Club . ^ "The King's Breakfast (1963)" .BFI . Archived fromthe original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ Worrall, Nick; Worrall, Non (19 August 2008).Henrik Ibsen: A Doll's House . A&C Black. p. lx.ISBN 978-1-4081-0602-0 . ^ Muir, John Kenneth (22 November 2012).Horror Films of the 1970s . McFarland. p. 604.ISBN 978-0-7864-9156-8 . ^ Halliwell, Leslie (1992).Halliwell's Film Guide (8th ed.). London: Grafton. p. 981.ISBN 978-0-5860-9173-9 . ^a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Anders, Charlie Jane (24 April 2013)."Quite Possibly the Most Indispensible [sic] Science Fiction Actor. Ever" .Gizmodo . ^ Davies, Clive (6 March 2015).Spinegrinder: The Movies Most Critics Won't Write About . SCB Distributors.ISBN 978-1-909394-06-3 . ^ "Luise Knackt Den Jackpot (1996)" .BFI . Archived fromthe original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ Auger, Emily Elisabeth (2011).Tech-noir Film: A Theory of the Development of Popular Genres . Intellect Books. p. 266.ISBN 978-1-84150-424-7 . ^ Vorel, Jim (30 November 2020)."The Bizarre Mystery of Quantum Quest, The Animated (but MIA) NASA Movie With the All-Star Cast" .Paste . ^ Sherman, Fraser A. (6 February 2017).Now and Then We Time Travel: Visiting Pasts and Futures in Film and Television . McFarland. p. 158.ISBN 978-1-4766-2643-7 . ^ "Old Habits" .Pragueshorts . Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ Dobson, Michael, ed. (30 November 2006).Performing Shakespeare's Tragedies Today: The Actor's Perspective . Cambridge University Press. p. 131.ISBN 978-0-521-85509-9 . ^ Newnes, G. (1963). "Z Cars".Radio Times . Vol. 158. p. 33. ^ White, Leonard (2003).Armchair Theatre: The Lost Years . Kelly Publications. p. 93.ISBN 978-1-903053-18-8 . ^ Otnes, Cele C.; Maclaran, Pauline (19 October 2015).Royal Fever: The British Monarchy in Consumer Culture . Univ of California Press.ISBN 978-0-520-96214-9 . ^ "NBC Experiment in Television (TV Series)" .Radio Times . 1967. Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ "Three Comedies of Marriage (ITV 1975, David Warner, Michael Bryant)" .Memorable TV . 20 May 2020.^ James, Clive (6 April 2017).Clive James On Television . Pan Macmillan.ISBN 978-1-5098-3243-9 . ^ "The Blue Hotel (1977)" .British Film Institute . Archived fromthe original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved3 January 2017 .^a b Dagan, Carmel (25 July 2022)."David Warner, British Actor Known for 'The Omen' and 'Tron,' Dies at 80" .Variety . ^ O'Connor, John J. (25 May 1984)."TV Weekend; The Final Episodes of 'Nancy Astor' " .The New York Times . ^ Vito, John De; Tropea, Frank (2010).Epic Television Miniseries: A Critical History . McFarland. p. 182.ISBN 978-0-7864-5733-5 . ^ O'Connor, John J. (5 August 1987)."TV Reviews; 'Charlie,' on 13, Mixes Murder and Politics" .The New York Times . ^ "Love's Labour's Lost: D 3 SHA Lov (1985)" .English Faculty Library, University of Cambridge . Archived fromthe original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ "Hold the Back Page! (1985)" .BFI . Archived fromthe original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ Drake, Sylvie (22 February 1991)."TV Review: Late-Blooming Version of 'Uncle Vanya': 'Great Performances' offers an Anglo-American production of the Russian classic in an adaptation by David Mamet" .Los Angeles Times . ^ Wilkins, Budd (13 May 2017)."Twin Peaks: Every Episode Ranked" .Slant Magazine . ^a b c d e f g h i j k l "David Warner (visual voices guide)" . Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved29 August 2023 . A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.^ Boardwine, Andrew (25 July 2022)."Actor Who Played Iconic Disney Villain Dies From Cancer" .Inside the Magic . ^a b c Westthorp, Alex (6 February 2012)."10 actors with roles in both Doctor Who and Star Trek" .Den of Geek . ^ Boyd, Phoebe-Jane (9 April 2015)."Inside No. 9 series 2 episode 3 review: The Trial Of Elizabeth Gadge" .Den of Geek . ^ "What Lies Tangled: Part 1 – Lewis (Season 9, Episode 5)" .Apple TV . 9 June 2017. Retrieved25 July 2022 .^ Perlmutter, David (4 May 2018).The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows . Rowman & Littlefield. p. 27.ISBN 978-1-5381-0374-6 . ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (11 August 2015)."David Threlfall Among 'Ripper Street' Additions; Main Cast Back For Season 4" .Deadline Hollywood . ^ Griffiths, Elliott (25 July 2022)."Actor David Warner Dies At Age 80" .Screen Rant . ^ Jennings, Collier (11 November 2020)."Freakazoid to Return as aTeen Titans Go! Guest Star" .Comic Book Resources (CBR) . ^a b Aggas, James (13 September 2019)."Doctor Who: Who is David Warner's Unbound Doctor?" .Winter is Coming . ^ Williams, Andrew (27 October 2009)."David Warner" .Metro . ^ "Radio choice" .The Times . London. 4 April 2005.^ Aggas, James (27 June 2019)."Doctor Who review: Circular Time presents a different look at the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa" .Winter is Coming . ^ Lafleuriel, Erwan (21 June 2019).Fallout: A Tale of Mutation . Third Editions.ISBN 978-2-37784-230-8 . ^ Lane, Rick (25 July 2022)."David Warner, voice of Baldur's Gate 2's Jon Irenicus, has died" .PC Gamer . ^ Chalk, Andy (31 March 2016)."Familiar voices turn up in Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear launch trailer" .PC Gamer . ^ Chalk, Andy (10 April 2013)."Three new Eleventh Doctor novels out now" . ^ "Awards Nominees and Winners 1981 - 33rd Emmy Awards - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a special - 1981" .emmys.com . 1981. Retrieved2 October 2023 .^a b "David Warner - Notable Awards" .filmaffinity.com . Retrieved14 July 2024 .
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