Antony Sher
This biography needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021) |
Primo (2004) | |
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Spouse |
TMA Award |
Sir Antony Sher
During his 2017 "Commonwealth Tour",
Early life and education
Sher was born on 14 June 1949 in Cape Town, South Africa, the son of Margery (Abramowitz) and Emmanuel Sher, who worked in business.[2][3] He was a first cousin once removed of the playwright Sir Ronald Harwood.[4][5]
He grew up in the suburb of Sea Point, where he attended Sea Point High School.[6]
Sher moved to the United Kingdom in 1968
Sher became a British citizen in 1979.[2]
Career
In the 1970s, Sher was part of a group of young actors and writers working at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre.[7] Comprising figures such as writers Alan Bleasdale and Willy Russell and fellow actors Trevor Eve, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Pryce, and Julie Walters, Sher summed up the work of the company with the phrase "anarchy ruled". He also performed with the theatre group Gay Sweatshop, before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1982.
While a member of the RSC, Sher was cast in the title role in
In 2001, Sher played the role of the composer
When I came to England in 1968, at 19, I looked around me and I didn't see any Jewish leading men in the classical theatre, so I thought it best to conceal my Jewishness. Also, I quickly became conscious of apartheid when I arrived here, and I didn't want to be known as a white South African. I was brought up in a very apolitical family. We were happy to enjoy the benefits of apartheid without questioning the system behind it. Reading about apartheid when I came to England was a terrible shock. So I lost the accent almost immediately, and if anyone asked me where I was from I would lie. If they asked where I went to school, I'd say Hampstead, which got me into all sorts of trouble because of course everyone else went to school in Hampstead and they wanted to know which one. Then there was my sexuality. The theatre was full of gay people, but none of them were out, and there was that ugly story about Gielgud being arrested for cottaging, so I thought I'd better hide that as well. Each of these things went into the closet until my entire identity was in the closet. That's why this play appealed to me so much: it's about an artist changing his identity in order to get what he wants.[4]
In 2015, he played Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.
He also had several film credits to his name, including Yanks (1979), Superman II (1980), Shadey (1985), and Erik the Viking (1989). Sher starred as the Chief Weasel in the 1996 film adaptation of The Wind in the Willows and as Benjamin Disraeli in the 1997 film Mrs Brown.
Sher's television appearances include the
Sher was cast in the role of Thráin II, father of Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, but appears only in the Extended Edition of the film.
In 2018, he played the title role in King Lear and was the only person to play both the Fool and King Lear at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He returned to Stratford-upon-Avon in 2019 to perform in Kunene and the King with John Kani.[8]
Other work
Sher's books included the memoirs Year of the King (1985), Woza Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus in South Africa (with Gregory Doran, 1997), Beside Myself (an autobiography, 2002), Primo Time (2005), and Year of the Fat Knight (2015), a book of paintings and drawings, Characters (1990), and the novels Middlepost (1989), Cheap Lives (1995), The Indoor Boy (1996). and The Feast (1999). His 2018 book Year of the Mad King won the 2019 Theatre Book Prize, awarded by the Society for Theatre Research.[9]
Sher also wrote several plays, including
In 2005, Sher directed Breakfast With Mugabe at the
Personal life
In 2005, Sher and the director
On 10 September 2021 it was announced that Sher was terminally ill, and Doran took compassionate leave from the RSC to care for him.[13] Sher died from cancer at his home in Stratford-upon-Avon on 2 December 2021, aged 72.[14][15][16][17]
Stage performances
Theatre
- 1972–74: Multiple roles at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.
- 1974: Ringo Starr in Willy Russell's John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert at the Everyman Theatre, where it opened in May 1974. Transferred to the Lyric Theatre in August.
- 1975: Teeth 'n' Smiles by David Hare at the Royal Court Theatre where it opened in September 1975, subsequently transferring to Wyndham's Theatre in May 1976.
- 1979: American Days by Stephen Poliakoff at the ICA , London.
- 1982: West End.
- 1982: The Fool in King Lear at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Transferred to the Barbican Centre in 1983.
- 1984: Richard III with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Transferred to the Barbican Centre in 1985.
- 1985: Albery Theatre, West End.
- 1985: Barbican Theatre, London.
- 1987: Shylock in The Merchant of Venice with the RSC.
- 1987: Henry Irving in Happy Birthday, Sir Larry at the Royal National Theatre, London (Laurence Olivier 80th birthday tribute).
- 1988: Vendice in The Revenger's Tragedy with the RSC.
- 1990: Peter Flannery's Singer with the RSC, Barbican Theatre.
- 1991: Kafka's The Trial and Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the National Theatre.
- 1993: Henry Carr in Travesties at the Barbican Centre with the RSC, later at the Savoy Theatre, West End. Tambourlaine with the RSC, Swan Theatre, Stratford.
- 1994–95: Titus Andronicus at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg. Transferred to the National Theatre and for a UK tour.
- 1997: Stanley at the National Theatre (repeated on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre)
- 1997: Cyrano de Bergerac at the Lyric Theatre, West End.
- 1998–99: The Winter's Tale at the Barbican Centre with the RSC
- 1999: Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, with the RSC
- 2000–01: Macbeth and The Winter's Tale with the RSC
- 2002: RSC's Jacobean season transfers to the West End.
- 2003: I.D. at the Almeida Theatre, London
- 2004: Primo at the Cottesloe Theatre, Royal National Theatre, London (repeated on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre, July–August 2005)
- 2007: Kean in Kean at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford. Transferred to the Apollo Theatre, West End in May.
- 2008: Baxter Theatre, Cape Town; Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon; and on tour in Richmond, Leeds, Bath, Nottingham and Sheffield
- 2010: Tomas Stockmann in Sheffield Crucible
- 2011: Phillip Gellburg in Arthur Miller's Broken Glass at the Vaudeville Theatre
- 2012: Jacob Bindel in Travelling Light at the Theatre Royal Bath, later revived at Hampstead Theatrein 2013.
- 2013: Wilhelm Voigt in The Captain of Köpenick at the Olivier Theatre, Royal National Theatre, London.
- 2014: Henry IV Part 2with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
- 2015: Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
- 2016: The title role in King Lear with the Royal Shakespeare Company (reprised in 2018).
- 2018: Nicolas in One for the Road from Pinter One at the Harold Pinter Theatre with The Jamie Lloyd Company.
- 2019-20: Jack Morris in Kunene and the King with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1976 | The Madness | Militia man/Young man in café |
1978 | ITV Playhouse | Morris |
1979 | Collision Course | Tasic |
Play for Today | Nathan | |
One Fine Day | Mr Alpert | |
Yanks | G.I. at cinema | |
1980 | Superman II | Bell Boy |
1985 | Shadey | Oliver Shadey |
1989 | Erik the Viking | Loki |
1990 | ScreenPlay | David Samuels |
1993 | Screen Two | Genghis Cohn |
1994 | Shakespeare: The Animated Tales | Richard III
|
1995 | The Young Poisoner's Handbook | Ernest Zeigler |
Look at the State We're In! | The Don | |
1996 | The Wind in the Willows | Chief Weasel |
Indian Summer | Jack | |
The Moonstone | Sergeant Cuff | |
1997 | Mrs Brown | Benjamin Disraeli |
1998 | Shakespeare in Love | Dr Moth |
1999 | The Winter's Tale | Leontes, King of Sicilia |
The Miracle Maker | Ben Azra (voice) | |
2001 | Macbeth | Macbeth |
2004 | Churchill: The Hollywood Years | Adolf Hitler |
2005 | A Higher Agency | Chef |
Great Performances | Primo Levi | |
Primo | Primo Levi | |
2008 | Three and Out | Maurice |
Masterpiece Contemporary | ||
2010 | The Wolfman |
Dr Hoenneger |
2013 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Thráin II (Extended Edition only) |
2014 | War Book | David |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | The History Man | Howard Kirk | Episodes: "Part 1: October 2nd 1972" "Part 2: October 3rd 1972 (a.m.)" "Part 3: October 3rd 1972 (p.m.)" "Part 4: Gross Moral Turpitude" |
1982 | The Further Adventures of Lucky Jim | Maurice Victor | 1 episode |
1992 | The Comic Strip Presents... : "The Crying Game (Season 6, Episode 2)" |
Scum editor | |
1995 | One Foot in the Grave: "Rearranging the Dust" | Mr Prothrow | Acted without dialogue |
1999 | Hornblower: "The Frogs and the Lobsters" | Colonel Moncoutant | |
2002 | The Jury | Gerald Lewis QC | |
2003 | Home | Gerald Ballantyne | |
2004 | Murphy's Law | Frank Jeremy | 1 episode |
2007 | The Company |
Ezra ben Ezra, the Rabbi | |
2008 | God on Trial | Akiba | |
2011 | The Shadow Line | Peter Glickman | Episodes: "Episode #1.5" "Episode #1.6" |
2013 | Agatha Christie's Marple: A Caribbean Mystery | Jason Rafiel |
Awards and nominations
BAFTA TV Awards
0 win, 1 nomination
British Academy Television Awards | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
2008 | Primo | British Academy Television Awards 2008 Best Actor
|
Nominated |
Laurence Olivier Awards
2 wins, 4 nominations
Laurence Olivier Award
| |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
1983 | King Lear | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
1985 | Richard III and Torch Song Trilogy | Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor | Won |
1997 | Stanley | Won | |
2000 | The Winter's Tale | Nominated |
Drama Desk Awards
1 win and 1 nomination
Drama Desk Award | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
2006 | Primo | Outstanding One-Person Show "Primo" | Won |
Evening Standard Theatre Awards
1 win and 1 nomination
Evening Standard Theatre Awards | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
1985 | Richard III | Best Actor | Won |
Evening Standard British Film Awards
1 win and 1 nomination
Evening Standard British Film Awards | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
1997 | Mrs Brown | Peter Sellers Award for Comedy | Won |
Screen Actors Guild Awards
1 win and 1 nomination
Screen Actors Guild Award
| |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
1997 | Shakespeare in Love | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Won |
Theatre Awards UK (TMA)
1 win and 1 nomination
Theatre Awards UK
| |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
1997 | Titus Andronicus | Best Actor in a Play [18] | Won |
Tony Awards
0 win and 1 nomination
Tony Awards | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
1997 | Stanley | Best Actor in a Play | Nominated |
Honours
- 1998: Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon. Litt.D.) from the University of Liverpool
- 2000: Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire(KBE) for services to theatre
- 2007: Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon. Litt.D.) from the University of Warwick
- 2010: Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon. Litt.D.) from the University of Cape Town
References
- ^ Furness, Hannah (9 November 2017). "When I'm king I'll build a fort, jovial Prince Charles tells Indian schoolchildren". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- ^ a b c "Antony Sher Biography". Filmreference.com. 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2009.
- ISBN 978-1-9997670-3-7.
- ^ a b Smith, Rupert (20 September 2001). "The great pretender". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-350-29075-4.
- ^ "Antony Sher: Why no one unites us like Shakespeare does". The Telegraph. 10 January 2020 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Everyman Theatre". Everymanplayhouse.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
- ^ "Kunene and the King".
- ^ "Antony Sher wins theatre book prize". Royal Shakespeare Company. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- Channel4.com. September 2007.
- ^ "The Shadow Line, a New Drama for BBC Two". BBC Online. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ Wiegand, Chris (10 September 2021). "Gregory Doran takes leave from RSC to care for terminally ill Antony Sher". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Antony Sher, celebrated actor on stage and screen, dies aged 72". The Guardian. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "Obituary: Sir Antony Sher, a giant of the stage". BBC News. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "Shakespearean actor Antony Sher dies aged 72". eNCA. 3 December 2021. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ Sulcas, Roslyn (5 December 2021). "Antony Sher, Actor Acclaimed for His Versatility, Dies at 72". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ Sher, Antony. "TMA Previous Winners". 1995. Theatre Management Association. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
External links
- Antony Sher at the Internet Broadway Database
- Antony Sher at IMDb
- Article in The Spectator