Wilfrid Lawson (actor)

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Wilfrid Lawson
Born
Wilfrid Lawson Worsnop

(1900-01-14)14 January 1900
Bradford, Yorkshire, England
Died10 October 1966(1966-10-10) (aged 66)
London, England
OccupationActor
Years active1918–1966
SpouseLillian (née Fenn)
RelativesBernard Fox (nephew)

Wilfrid Lawson (born Wilfrid Lawson Worsnop; 14 January 1900 – 10 October 1966) was an English character actor of screen and stage.[1]

Life and career

Lawson was born Wilfrid Lawson Worsnop in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was educated at Hanson Boys' Grammar School, Bradford, and entered the theatre in his late teens, appearing on both the British and American stage throughout his career.

He made his film début in

Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller
.

He also had memorable leading roles in Pastor Hall (1940), as a German village clergyman who denounces the new Nazi regime in 1934; Tower of Terror (1941) as the wild-eyed maniacal lighthouse keeper Wolfe Kristen; and the title role in The Great Mr. Handel (1942), a biopic of the 18th century composer, all three showing his broad range. He also made a number of films in the United States, beginning with Ladies in Love (1936) and including John Ford's The Long Voyage Home (1940) alongside John Wayne. His last leading role was in The Turners of Prospect Road (1947).

As a result of bouts of alcoholism,

Hell Drivers (1957) and Uncle Nat in Room at the Top
(1958), filmed in Lawson's home town of Bradford.

The 1960s saw something of a career resurgence, beginning with his turn as Black George in

Alice in Wonderland
(both 1966). That same year saw his death, in London, from a heart attack.

His brother was the supporting player Gerald Lawson (born Bernard Worsnop, 30 April 1897 – 6 December 1973) and a nephew was actor Bernard Fox (born Bernard Lawson, 10 May 1927 – 14 December 2016).

Selected stage performances

Filmography

Television and radio

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-1347-2375-1. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help
    )
  2. ^ "Why Do Actors Drink?". Movieline. 1 May 1994. Retrieved 15 December 2016.

External links

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