Richard Wilson (Scottish actor)
Richard Wilson | |
---|---|
Born | Iain Carmichael Wilson 9 July 1936 Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland |
Occupation | Actor • theatre director • broadcaster |
Years active | 1964–present |
Notable work | See below |
Television | Only When I Laugh One Foot in the Grave Born and Bred Britain's Best Drives Merlin |
Richard Wilson
Early life
Wilson was born in Greenock, Scotland. He went to the Lady Alice Primary school in Greenock. He studied science subjects at Greenock Academy,[3] then completed his National Service with the Royal Army Medical Corps, serving in Singapore.[4]
Career
Wilson worked in a laboratory at
Wilson initially turned down the role of Victor Meldrew and it was almost offered to Les Dawson before Wilson changed his mind.[8]
Wilson was awarded the OBE in the 1994 Birthday Honours[9] for services to Drama. In April 1996, he was elected Rector of the University of Glasgow for a term of three years.[5]
The narration of "The Man Who Called Himself Jesus", from Strawbs' eponymous first album, was performed by Wilson.[10]
Wilson's biography, One Foot on the Stage: The Biography of Richard Wilson, was written by James Roose-Evans.[11]
In March 2011, Wilson presented an edition of the Channel 4 current affairs programme Dispatches entitled Train Journeys From Hell, with transport journalist Christian Wolmar highlighting the failings of the British railway network.[12]
Personal life and political views
Wilson has lived in London since 1959.[13]
Wilson has been a campaigner for gay rights for many years.
Wilson is a supporter of his local football club,
Wilson is one of the patrons of Scottish Youth Theatre.[20] Wilson is also a long-time supporter of the charity Sense and in 2007 hosted their annual award ceremony.[21] He is also one of the honorary patrons of the London children's charity, Scene & Heard.[22] He has been Honorary President of the Scottish Community Drama Association (SCDA) since 1998.[23]
Wilson is a supporter of the Labour Party. He donated more than £5,000 to the party in 1997[24] and recorded the party's manifesto on audio for the 2010 general election.[25][26]
It was reported on 12 August 2016 that Wilson had suffered a heart attack. He had been due to reprise the role of Victor Meldrew in a one-man show at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[27]
In June 2021 Wilson was the guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. His choices included "Hammond Song" by The Roches, Symphony No. 6 in D minor by Sibelius and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack. His book choice was the poetry of Robert Burns and his luxury item was a subscription to The Guardian.[28]
Wilson had one older sister, Moira, who died in 2021 aged 91.[28][29]
Filmography
Films
- Junket 89 (1970) as Mr Potter
- The Trouble with 2B (1972) as Mr Potter
- Mark Gertler: Fragments of a Biography (1981) as Clive Bell
- Those Glory Glory Days (1983, TV Movie) as Arnold – Journalist
- A Passage to India (1984) as Turton
- Foreign Body (1986) as Col. Partridge
- Whoops Apocalypse (1986) as Nigel Lipman
- Prick Up Your Ears (1987) as Psychiatrist
- How to Get Ahead in Advertising[30] (1989) as Bristol
- A Dry White Season (1989) as Cloete
- Soft Top Hard Shoulder (1992) as Uncle Salvatore
- Carry On Columbus (1992) as Don Juan Felipe
- The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997) as Sir Roger Daggenhurst
- Women Talking Dirty (1999) as Ronald
- Love and Other Disasters (2006) as Registrar
- Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) as Mr. Capulet (voice)
- Sherlock Gnomes (2018) as Mr. Capulet (voice)[31]
Television
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956) (Uncredited)
- Crown Court (1970s) – as Jeremy Parsons QC (1972–1984)[32]
- My Good Woman (1972–1974)
- Soldier and me (1974) – as Dr Nixon
- A Sharp Intake of Breath 1977 to 1980
- The Sweeney episode "The Bigger They Are" as DCI Anderson (1978)
- Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em episode "Wendy House" as Mr Harris The Insurance Man (1978)
- Only When I Laugh (1979–1982) as Gordon Thorpe
- In Loving Memory as Percy Openshaw (in two episodes)
- Andy Robson (1982–1983)
- The Red Headed League as Duncan Ross (1985)[33]
- Have I Got News for You
- Screen Two: Poppyland (1985) as Theodore Watts-Dunton
- Howards' Way (1986 one episode) as Viscount Cunningham
- Emmerdale (1986)
- Room at the Bottom (1986–1988) as Toby Duckworth
- High & Dry as Richard Talbot
- Tutti Frutti (1987)
- Hot Metal (1988)
- The Play on One: Normal Service (1988) as Max
- Screen Two: Fellow Traveller (1989) Sir Hugo
- One Foot in the Grave (1990–2000) as Victor Meldrew
- Cluedo (1991) as Reverend Jonathan Green
- Selling Hitler (1991)[34]
- Mr. Bean – episode The Trouble with Mr. Bean as Mr A. M. Peggit The Dentist (1992)
- Inspector Morse – episode "Absolute Conviction (1992)"
- The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends as Mr. McGregor (1992)
- Under the Hammer (1994) (as Ben Glazier)
- Gulliver's Travels (1996)
- Lord of Misrule (1996) (as Bill Webster). Filmed at Fowey in Cornwall
- Duck Patrol (1998)
- Father Ted – episode "The Mainland" as himself (1998)
- The Mrs Merton Show (1998) guest appearance alongside Bernard Manning
- Other Animals (1999) (as Alex Cameron)
- High Stakes (2001)
- Life As We Know It (2001)
- Jeffrey Archer: The Truth as Duke of Edinburgh (2002)
- King of Fridges (2004) (as Frank)
- Doctor Who – episodes "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" (2005) – Doctor Constantine
- Born and Bred (2005)
- The F Word – Appeared as himself in the middle of the first series. (2005)
- A Harlot's Progress (2006)
- Would I Lie to You? (2007)
- Thank God You're Here (2008)
- Merlin – (all 65 episodes + 2 Children in Need specials) as Gaius (2008–2012)
- Demons – as Father Simeon (2009)
- Britain's Best Drives (2009)
- New Tricks (2009) – as Father Bernárd in episode "The War Against Drugs"
- Confessions from the Underground – Narrated (2012)
- All Aboard East Coast Trains – Narrated (2013)
- Richard Wilson on the Road[35] (2015)
- Trollied (2015)
- Coming Oot! A Fabulous History of Gay Scotland - Narrated (2015)
- Richard Wilson's Highland Fling at IMDb(2017) travel in style by rail and ship through the Scottish Highlands (documentary)
- Around the World in 80 Days (2021)
- Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2023)
- One Foot in the Grave - 30 Years Of Laughs (2023)
Stage acting
- Twelfth Night, as Malvolio – Royal Shakespeare Company
- Whipping it Up by Steve Thompson – Bush Theatre, Ambassadors Theatre
- What the Butler Saw, as Dr Rance – Royal National Theatre
- Peter Pan, as Mr Darling/Captain Hook – Royal Festival Hall
- Waiting for Godot, as Vladimir – Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
- Uncle Vanya, as Vanya – Traverse Theatre
- A Little Hotel on the Side by Georges Feydeau – Theatre Royal, Bath, August 2013
- Krapp's Last Tape, as Krapp, Sheffield Crucible Theatre, 25 June – 19 July 2014
- Forty Years On by Alan Bennett – Chichester Festival Theatre, as the Headmaster 21 April – 20 May 2017.
Theatre direction
Wilson won the
- J B Priestley – The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, 1986
- A Wholly Healthy Glasgow by Ian Heggie – The Royal Exchange Theatre, Edinburgh International Festival, The Royal Court, 1988/89
- Women Laughing by Michael Wall – The Royal Exchange Theatre, (1992)
- The Lodger by Simon Burke. World premiere at the Royal Exchange Theatre, (1994)
- Primo2004
- The Woman Before by Roland Schimmelpfennig – Royal Court, May 2005
- East Coast Chicken Supper by Martin J Taylor – The Traverse, 2005
- Rainbow Kiss by Simon Farquhar – Royal Court, April 2006
- Kingston upon Thames, March and April 2013
- Blasted by Sarah Kane – Sheffield Studio, 2015
- Peggy For You by Alan Plater – Hampstead Theatre, 2021
Radio
- The Corrupted (BBC Radio 4 2017) as Melford Stevenson
- Believe It! (BBC Radio 4). As himself in a spoof comic autobiography written by Jon Canter[36]
- Radio Diaries (BBC Radio 4 2021) as Archie, a former tango dance partner/teacher on cruise liners, now in a care home, looking back over his life relationship with the tango. Written by Ron Hutchinson.
Exercise videos
- Let's Dance (1996)
References
- ^ Walker, Lynne (12 June 1999). "he's all the rage". The Herald. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "BBC - Press Office - Merlin press pack: Richard Wilson". BBC. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ "Richard Wilson's Beacon Theatre hopes". Greenock Telegraph. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ a b Dugan, Emily (21 November 2010). "Richard Wilson: Retire? He doesn't believe in it". The Independent. UK: Independent Print. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ a b c "Richard Wilson – Drama Faces". BBC. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
- ^ "RADA Student & graduate profiles: Richard Wilson". rada.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- ^ "Richard Wilson - Past Performances". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ Plunkett, Richard (26 July 2016). "I don't believe it! Victor Meldrew role almost went to Les Dawson". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ United Kingdom list: "No. 53696". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 June 1994. pp. 1–30.
- ^ "Strawbs website". Strawbsweb.co.uk. 22 November 1968. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
- ^ "One Foot on the Stage on Vialibri". Vialibri.net. Retrieved 7 August 2011.[dead link]
- ^ "Train Journeys From Hell". Dispatches. Channel 4. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
- ^ "He's all the rage". 12 June 1999.
- ^ Rees, Jasper (26 June 2014). "Richard Wilson, interview: 'A lot of Scots hate me'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ Ahad, Nick (4 July 2011). "The big interview: Richard Wilson". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ Maddocks, Fiona (15 November 2015). "Interview. Richard Wilson: 'For a long time I thought Tony Blair was the greatest thing since cream cheese'". The Observer. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ Earp, Catherine (2 March 2013). "'Merlin's Richard Wilson: 'I don't mind people knowing I'm gay'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "Richard Wilson". joinmust.org. Manchester United Supporters Trust. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ McLean, Craig (12 July 2016). "Interview: Richard Wilson and Angus Deayton on how they won't be painting Edinburgh red together this Fringe". The List. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "Scottish Youth Theatre website". Scottishyouththeatre.org. 26 March 2008. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
- ^ "Celebrity supporters of Sense". Listal.com. 24 June 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
- ^ "Scene & Heard – Who We Are". sceneandheard.org. 2010. Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
- ^ "Honorary Presidents and Members – SCDA". Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ "'Luvvies' for Labour". BBC News. 30 August 1998. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ "Delay in Labour braille and audio manifesto criticised". BBC News. BBC. 15 April 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
- ^ Young, Kevin (20 April 2010). "Election 2010: Political celebrities – then and now". BBC News. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
- ^ "Victor Meldrew actor Richard Wilson suffers heart attack". BBC News. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ a b "BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Richard Wilson, actor and director". BBC. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ Jones, Marcus (2016). "Richard Wilson's sister 'praying' as Victor Meldrew star suffers heart attack". Premier Christianity. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ How to Get Ahead in Advertising, retrieved 8 May 2020
- ^ Sherlock Gnomes (2018) - IMDb, retrieved 8 May 2020
- ^ "Richard Wilson Archive". richardwilsonarchive.com.
- ^ The Red Headed League, retrieved 8 May 2020
- ^ Selling Hitler, retrieved 8 May 2020
- ^ "Richard Wilson On The Road Episode 2 | presscentre".
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Believe It!". BBC.
Further reading
- J. Roose-Evans, One Foot on the Stage: The Biography of Richard Wilson