John Thaw
John Thaw CBE | |
---|---|
Born | John Edward Thaw 3 January 1942 Gorton, Manchester, England |
Died | 21 February 2002 , England | (aged 60)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1958–2001 |
Spouses | |
Children | 3, including Abigail Thaw |
John Edward Thaw,
Early life
Born in
Career
In 1960, Thaw made his stage début in A Shred of Evidence at the
Thaw was only 32 when he was cast in The Sweeney (1975–1978), although many viewers thought he was older. His role as the hard-bitten, tough-talking Flying Squad detective Jack Regan established him as a major star in the United Kingdom. He followed this dramatic series with the comedy series Home to Roost (1985–1990), which co-starred Reece Dinsdale, about a divorced father whose teenage son moves back in with him after choosing as a child to live with his mother. The show ran for four series.
It was his role as
He subsequently played liberal working-class Lancastrian barrister James Kavanagh in Kavanagh QC (1995–99, and a special in 2001). Thaw also appeared in two sitcoms—Thick as Thieves (London Weekend/ITV, 1974) with Bob Hoskins and Home to Roost (Yorkshire/ITV, 1985–90). Thaw is mainly known in America for the Morse series, as well as the BBC series A Year in Provence (1993) with Lindsay Duncan.
He appeared in a number of films for director Richard Attenborough, including Cry Freedom, where he portrayed the conservative South African justice minister Jimmy Kruger (for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor), and Chaplin alongside Robert Downey Jr.
Thaw also appeared in the TV adaptation of the Michelle Magorian book Goodnight Mister Tom (Carlton Television/ITV). It won "Most Popular Drama" at the National Television Awards, 1999.[9]
During the 1970s and 1980s, Thaw appeared in productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre.
He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1981 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the foyer of the National Theatre in London.[citation needed]
Personal life
In 1964, Thaw married
He had three daughters (all actresses): Abigail from his first marriage to Sally Alexander, Joanna from his second marriage to Sheila Hancock, and he also adopted Sheila Hancock's daughter Melanie Jane, from Hancock's first marriage to Alec Ross.[11][15] His granddaughter Molly Whitmey made a cameo in the Endeavour episode Oracle (series 7, episode 1, broadcast 1 February 2020) as the younger version of her grandmother Sally Alexander.[16]
Thaw was a committed socialist
Illness and death
A heavy drinker until going
He died on 21 February 2002,
Television, film and stage performances
Television series
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1961 | The Younger Generation | Customer / Max / Edward / Charlie / Peter / Denny / Martin | |
1963–1965 | Edgar Wallace Mysteries | Alan Roper / David Jones | "Five to One" / "Dead Man's Chest" |
1963 | Z Cars | Detective Constable Elliot | |
1964–1966 | Redcap
|
Sergeant John Mann | 2 series |
1966 | Bat Out of Hell (TV series) | Mark Paxton | Five episodes |
1967 | Inheritance | Will Oldroyd | |
1969 | Strange Report | Inspector Jenner | Episode: "Revenge - When a Man Hates" |
1972 | The Frighteners | Wood | Episode: "Old Comrades" |
1974 | Thick As Thieves | Stan | |
The Capone Investment | Tom | ||
1975–1978 | The Sweeney | Det. Insp. Jack Regan | 4 series & 2 films |
1984 | Mitch | Mitch | |
1985–1990 | Home to Roost | Henry Willows | 4 series |
1987–2000 | Inspector Morse | Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse
|
33 television films |
1991 | Stanley and the Women | Stanley Duke | |
1992 | A Year in Provence | Peter Mayle | |
1995–2001 | Kavanagh QC | James Kavanagh, Q.C. | 6 series |
1999 | Plastic Man | Joe McConnell | |
1999 | The Second World War in Colour | Narrator | |
2000 | Monsignor Renard | Monsignor Augustine Renard | |
2001 | The Glass | Jim Proctor | (final TV role) |
Television films
Year | Title | Roles |
---|---|---|
1961 | Serjeant Musgrave's Dance | |
1963 | The Lads | |
1964 | I Can Walk Where I Like, Can't I? | |
1964 | The Other Man | |
1966 | The Making of Jericho | |
1974 | Regan | |
1977 | Sweeney! | |
1978 | Dinner at the Sporting Club | |
1980 | Drake's Venture | Francis Drake |
1984 | Killer Waiting
|
Major Peter Hastings |
1984 | The Life and Death of King John | Hubert de Burgh |
1985 | We'll Support You Ever More | Geoff Hollins |
1986 | Stainheads | |
1987 | "The Sign of Four" (full-length episode of The Return of Sherlock Holmes | Jonathan Small |
1989 | Bomber Harris | Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris |
1993 | The Mystery of Morse | |
1994 | The Absence of War | |
1996 | Into the Blue | Harry Barnett |
1998 | Goodnight Mister Tom | Tom Oakley |
1999 | The Waiting Time | Joshua Mantle |
2000 | The Last Morse | |
2000 | Inspector Morse: Rest in Peace | Inspector Morse |
2001 | Hidden Treasure / Buried Treasure | Harry (final film role) |
Guest appearances
Date | Show title | Episode title |
---|---|---|
28 May 1962 | Probation Officer | |
15 August 1963 | ITV Television Playhouse | "The Lads" |
18 September 1963 | Z-Cars | "A La Carte" |
25 September 1963 | Z-Cars | "Light the Blue Paper" |
2 October 1963 | Z-Cars | "A Quiet Night" |
16 October 1963 | Z-Cars | "Hide – And Go Seek" |
14 March 1964 | The Avengers | "Esprit De Corps" |
12 October 1965 | A Poor Gentleman | |
19 October 1965 | A Poor Gentleman | |
31 October 1965 | The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre | "Dead Man's Chest" |
29 September 1967 | Inheritance | "Murder" |
1 December 1967 | Inheritance | "A Man of His Time" |
25 March 1969 | The Borderers | "Dispossessed" |
28 June 1969 | ITV Saturday Night Theatre | "The Haunting" |
30 August 1969 | ITV Saturday Night Theatre | "The Talking Head" |
11 October 1969 | ITV Saturday Night Theatre | In Another Country |
9 November 1969 | Strange Report | "Report 2475: Revenge – When a Man Hates" |
20 September 1970 | Play of the Month | "Macbeth" |
12 December 1970 | Happy Ever After | "Don't Walk Away" |
25 June 1971 | Budgie | "Sunset Mansions or Whatever Happened to Janey Baib?" |
5 October 1971 | Armchair Theatre | "Competition" |
14 December 1971 | Suspicion | "I'll Go Along With That" |
24 December 1971 | The Onedin Line | "Mutiny" |
9 April 1972 | Pretenders | "The Paymaster" |
21 July 1972 | The Frighteners | "Old Comrades" |
29 August 1972 | Armchair Theatre | "What Became of Me?" |
6 September 1972 | ITV Playhouse | "Refuge for a Hero" |
30 September 1972 | The Adventures of Black Beauty | "The Hostage" |
4 March 1973 | The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes | "The Sensible Action of Lieutenant Horst" |
26 April 1973 | Menace | "Tom" |
16 May 1973 | BBC Play of the Month | "Caucasian Chalk Circle" |
20 May 1973 | ITV Saturday Night Theatre | "Passengers" |
28 December 1973 | The Protectors | "Mauro Carpiano" |
25 December 1976 | The Morecambe & Wise Show | "1976 Christmas Show" |
5 January 1977 | This Is Your Life | "Sheila Hancock" |
26 November 1978 | The South Bank Show | |
18 March 1981 | This Is Your Life | "John Thaw" |
4 December 1982 | Saturday Night Thriller | "Where is Betty Buchus?" |
1987 | Sherlock Holmes | "The Sign of Four |
Theatrical films
Year | Title | Roles |
---|---|---|
1962 | Smashing Day | Stan |
1962 | The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner | Bosworth (uncredited) |
1962 | Nil Carborundum | ACI Neville Harrison |
1963 | Five To One | Alan Roper |
1965 | Dead Man's Chest | |
1968 | The Bofors Gun | Featherstone |
1970 | Praise Marx and Pass the Ammunition | Dom |
1970 | The Last Grenade | Terry Mitchell |
1972 | Dr. Phibes Rises Again | Shavers |
1977 | Sweeney! | Detective Inspector Jack Regan |
1978 | Sweeney 2 | Detective Inspector Jack Regan |
1981 | Killing Heat | Dick Turner |
1987 | Cry Freedom | Jimmy Kruger |
1988 | Business As Usual | Kieran Flynn |
1992 | Chaplin | Fred Karno |
1996 | Masculine Mescaline | The Man |
1998 | Goodnight Mister Tom | Tom |
Stage
Year | Title |
---|---|
1958 | Cymbeline |
1958 | As You Like It |
1958 | The Cherry Orchard |
1958 | Pillars of Society |
1958 | The Taming of the Shrew |
1958 | A Winter's Tale |
1958 | The Lady's Not For Burning |
1958 | Twelfth Night |
1958 | Macbeth |
1959 | Hobson's Choice |
1959 | Paradise Lost |
1959 | Antigone |
1959 | Alcestis |
1959 | Faust |
1959 | The Knight of the Burning Pestle |
1960 | A Shred of Evidence |
1960 | The Wind and the Rain |
1960 | Staircase |
1961 | The Fires Raisers |
1961 | Chips With Everything |
1961 | Two into One |
1962 | Women Beware Women |
1962 | Semi-Detached |
1964 | The Father |
1967 | Around The World in 80 Days |
1967 | Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs |
1969 | So What About Love? |
1970 | Random Happenings in the Hebrides |
1971 | The Lady from the Sea |
1972 | Chinamen |
1972 | The New Quixote |
1972 | Black And Silver |
1972 | The Two of Us |
1973 | Collaborators |
1976 | Absurd Person Singular |
1977 | The Two of Us |
1978 | Night and Day |
1982 | Serjeant Musgrave's Dance |
1983 | Twelfth Night |
1983 | The Time of Your Life |
1983 | Henry VIII |
1984 | Pygmalion |
1986 | Two into One |
1988 | All My Sons |
1993 | The Absence of War by David Hare |
2001 | Peter Pan |
Honours and awards
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Evening Standard British Film Award
|
Best Actor | "Sweeney!" | Won |
1988 | British Academy Award
|
Best Actor in a Supporting Role | "Cry Freedom" | Nominated |
1990 | British Academy Award | Best Actor | "Inspector Morse" | Won |
1991 | British Academy Award | Best Actor | "Inspector Morse" | Nominated |
1992 | British Academy Award | Best Actor | "Inspector Morse" | Nominated |
1993 | British Academy Award | Best Actor | "Inspector Morse" | Won |
1994 | CBE
|
Won | ||
1995 | Aftonbladet TV Prize, Sweden | Best Foreign TV Personality – Male (Bästa utländska man) | Won | |
1998 | National Television Award
|
Most Popular Actor | "Inspector Morse" | Won |
1998 | Special Recognition Award | Most Popular Actor | "Inspector Morse" | Won |
1999 | National Television Award | Most Popular Actor | "Goodnight, Mister Tom" | Won |
2000 | National Television Award | Most Popular Actor | "Monsignor Renard" | Nominated |
2001 | National Television Award | Most Popular Actor | "Inspector Morse" and Academy Fellowship | Won |
2002 | National Television Award | Most Popular Actor | "Buried Treasure" | Nominated |
A memorial bench is dedicated to Thaw within the grounds of
References
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/76933. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ ""Inspector remorse; Thaw's pain over lost childhood.." The Free Library. 1998 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday". The Free Library. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "John Thaw - Obituary". The Scotsman. 25 February 2002. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Dibben, Kay (10 March 2002), "Mother's rejection that haunted my brother John Thaw – Brisbane man tells of family heartache", The Sunday Mail
- ^ "John Thaw: Forever Morse". BBC News. 21 February 2002. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ "No one else should play Inspector Morse, says his creator Colin Dexter". The Guardian. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ McCann, Jaymi (22 October 2017). "Inspector Morse's legacy: John Thaw's daughter makes Endeavour appearance". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ "Great Britain population mid-year estimate – Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ Goodnight Mister Tom synopsis Archived 24 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine. ITV. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
- ^ Shut It!
- ^ Express on Sunday.
- ^ a b c d Driscoll, Margarette (19 December 2004). "The Morse Saga – Interview". The Sunday Times.
- ^ Lee, David (22 February 2002). "Friends' tribute to Morse star Thaw". The Scotsman.
- ^ Guinness, Daphne (11 November 2004). "Morse: More Sad, More Angry Than You Ever Knew". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ a b c "John Thaw – Obituary". The Times. 23 February 2002.
- ^ "It's a family affair: John Thaw's daughter Abigail stars in Endeavour's new series 7 with daughter Molly playing her mother Sally..." Ox In A Box. 4 February 2020.
- ^ "John Thaw: Forever Morse". BBC News. 21 February 2002.
- ^ Sengupta, Kim (5 September 2002). "Prince and Cherie Booth at Thaw memorial". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022.
- ^ "No Mystery Here". The Buffalo News. 19 March 1993.
- ^ "Who dares WINS, Rodders! – David Greatest TV Star for 50 Years". News of the World. 10 September 2006.
- London Evening Standard. 19 June 2001.
- ^ "John Thaw Pledges Comeback as He Reveals Cancer Battle". The Guardian. 20 June 2001.
- ^ "Thaw's Cancer Setback". Herald Sun. 6 January 2002.
- The Free Library.
- ^ "Sold Down the River". Western Daily Press. 19 April 2006.
- ^ Cowling, James (27 February 2002). "Actor Thaw Remembered for 'Generosity and Kindness'". Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Counties Publications.
- ^ "Charles joins Thaw memorial". BBC News. 4 September 2002.
- ^ "London's Famous Bench Dedications". Londonist.com. 21 October 2016. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
Bibliography
- Hancock, Sheila (2004). The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-7020-2
- John Thaw: The Biography. Stafford Hildred and Tim Ewbank. London: Andre Deutsch. ISBN 0-233-99475-0
External links
- John Thaw at IMDb