Nigel Terry | |
|---|---|
 Terry in 2014 | |
| Born | Peter Nigel Terry (1945-08-15)15 August 1945 Bristol, England |
| Died | 30 April 2015(2015-04-30) (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1967–2014 |
Peter Nigel Terry (15 August 1945 – 30 April 2015) was an English stage, film, and television actor, typically in historical and period roles. He playedPrince John inAnthony Harvey's filmThe Lion in Winter (1968) andKing Arthur inJohn Boorman'sExcalibur (1981).
Terry was born on 15 August 1945[1] inBristol, the son of Frank Albert TerryOBE,DFC,[2] a pilot in theRoyal Air Force, and his wife, Doreen.[1] The family soon moved toTruro,Cornwall, where his father worked as a probation officer.[2] Terry attendedTruro School in Truro, where he developed an interest in acting and became skilled at drawing and painting.
His parents encouraged him to go on the stage, and after working briefly in forestry and as a petrol pump attendant, he joined the National Youth Theatre.[3][4] He enrolled at London'sCentral School of Speech and Drama in 1963, working both on stage and behind the scenes. He joined the Oxford Meadow Players in 1966, working initially as assistant stage manager.
Terry worked mostly in theatre.[5] After training withrepertory companies like the Oxford Meadow Players andBristol Old Vic, Terry appeared in many productions with theRoyal Shakespeare Company, theRound House Theatre and theRoyal Court Theatre. Among his roles was Daniel de Bosola in the 1989 Royal Shakespeare Company production ofJohn Webster'sThe Duchess of Malfi.[6] In the same year he played Pericles in David Thacker's production ofPericles, Prince of Tyre.
Terry appeared in about 20 films, most notably asJohn inThe Lion in Winter (1968) withKatharine Hepburn,Peter O'Toole andAnthony Hopkins;[7]King Arthur inJohn Boorman'sExcalibur (1981);[8] and thetitle character inDerek Jarman'sCaravaggio (1986).[7] He worked with Jarman on four more films:The Last of England (1988),War Requiem (1989),Edward II (1991) andBlue (1993).
His last film role was inTroy in 2004, playing theTrojan high priest.
An early television appearance was as the agoraphobic Harry Mandrake in theRandall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episode "Somebody Just Walked Over My Grave" (1970).
His main US and British television appearances includeCovington Cross, a series set in medieval times. He also appeared inCasualty as Denny, as General Cobb in theDoctor Who episode "The Doctor's Daughter" and as Gabriel Piton inHighlander: The Series. He also played Sam Jacobs in a two-partWaking the Dead episode titled "Anger Management". He appeared inPie in the Sky series 3 episode 3 "Irish Stew" as Byron de Goris. He also appeared in an episode ofFoyle's War.
In 1993, after 30 years of living in London, Terry moved back to Cornwall.[9] He was a very private person.[10][5][11]
Terry died ofemphysema inNewquay, Cornwall, on 30 April 2015, at the age of 69.[5] In the absence of any surviving close family, his memorial service was organised by close friendsMaggie Steed andDavid Horovitch inTruro on 19 May 2015, attended by fellow actors and friends.
Data from Wikidata| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
