John Wells (satirist)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2008) |
John Wells | |
---|---|
Born | John Campbell Wells 17 November 1936 Ashford, England |
Died | 11 January 1998 London, England | (aged 61)
Education | St Edmund Hall, Oxford (BA) |
Occupation(s) | Actor, writer and satirist |
Spouse |
Teresa Chancellor (m. 1982) |
Children | Dolly |
John Campbell Wells[1] (17 November 1936 – 11 January 1998) was an English actor, writer and satirist.
Early life
The son of a
Career
Wells started in cabaret at Oxford and began his television career as a writer on
In 1971, with
Wells was one of the original contributors to the satirical magazine
In 1988, Leonard Bernstein started working on a new version of his much-revised operetta Candide. The author of the original book, Hugh Wheeler, had died, and John Wells was asked to help revise the text.[3] The first production of this "final version", by Scottish Opera, was followed by a "final revised version" in 1989, performances of which have been released on CD and DVD. An insert in the DVD ("Bernstein and Voltaire"), written by Wells, explained what Bernstein had wanted in this final revised version.
In 1997 Wells appeared in the BBC situation comedy Chalk as ineffectual headmaster Richard Nixon.[4] His fellow cast members do not recall him being ill on set, but he was too unwell to participate in the second series.[5]
Wells' last book, House of Lords, was a best-seller and published a year before his death in 1998. The book is a historical and humorous study of the British peerage system.
Personal life
From 1982, Wells was the second husband of Teresa Chancellor (daughter of Sir Christopher and sister of Alexander). His daughter Dolly is an actress.
Wells died of cancer in London in 1998 at the age of 61.[6]
Filmography
Title | Year | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Casino Royale | 1967 | Fordyce, Q's assistant | |
The Bobo | 1967 | Pompadour Major Domo | |
30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia | 1968 | Honorable Gavin Hopton | |
Every Home Should Have One | 1970 | Tolworth | |
Rentadick | 1972 | Owltruss | |
For Your Eyes Only | 1981 | Denis Thatcher | |
Bullshot | 1983 | American Scientist | |
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes | 1984 | Sir Evelyn Blount | |
Revolution | 1985 | Corty | |
Consuming Passions | 1988 | Dr. Forrester | |
Princess Caraboo | 1994 | Reverend Hunt | |
Gulliver's Travels | 1996 | Flimnap the Treasurer | TV Mini-Series, 1 episode |
References
- ^ "National Portrait Gallery - Person - John Campbell Wells". npg.org.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- ^ *Satirist John Wells dies – BBC News, 11 January 1998
- ^ Andrew Porter: "Candide: an introduction" (liner notes for the CD recording), 1989
- ISBN 0-14-101221-8.
- ^ After the Chalk Dust Settled, featurette on Chalk Series 1 DVD, ReplayDVD.co.uk, prod. & dir. Craig Robins
- ^ "Obituary: John Wells". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
External links
- John Wells at IMDb