Tom Kempinski | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1938-03-24)24 March 1938 Hendon, England |
| Died | 2 August 2023(2023-08-02) (aged 85) |
| Spouses | |
Thomas Michael John Kempinski (24 March 1938 – 2 August 2023) was an English playwright and actor[1] best known for his 1980 playDuet for One, which was a major success in London and New York City, and much revived since. Kempinski also wrote the screenplay for the film version ofDuet for One.[2] In addition, he made minor appearances on numerous British television shows includingDixon of Dock Green andZ-Cars.
Kempinski's parents, Gerhard and Melanie Kempinski, were restaurateurs and hoteliers who ran theKempinski hotel in Berlin. They emigrated to London in 1936 as refugees before theSecond World War.[3] Kempinski was born in Hendon in 1938 but was evacuated to stay with his paternal grandparents in New York City at the age of 2 to avoida potential Nazi invasion of England. On return to London, he was educated atAbingdon School from 1951 to 1956.[4][5][3] In 1957, he gained a major scholarship in Modern Languages toGonville and Caius College, Cambridge, but suffered a breakdown and left after only ten weeks, albeit having time to joinFootlights in the meantime.[6][7][3] After Cambridge, he had a brief spell in theMaudsley Hospital in South London.[3]
Kempinski then took up a place atRADA before moving into acting. His first rôle was inThe Damned before moving into stage acting withLionel Bart'sBlitz!.[3]
Other stage and film rôles followed, notably in the anti-war play Dingo byCharles Wood andGumshoe byStephen Frears.[3]
InMay 1968, Kempinski joined the student revolutionaries who occupied Paris'sOdéon Theatre as part of "les événements".[3]
Some sources state that Kempinski was married to the actressFrances de la Tour, who starred in the original London production forDuet for One,[8] whereas his obituary inthe Guardian describes de la Tour as his partner.[3] He was married to the actressMargaret Nolan from 1967 to 1972[9] and to solicitor Sarah Tingay from 1991.[10]
Tom Kempinski died on 2 August 2023, at the age of 85.[3]
