William Fox (actor)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with James Fox.

William Fox
UK
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActor
Years active1930–1988
Spouse(s)Carol Rees (1932–1937/8) (1 daughter)
Patricia Hilliard (1938–2001) (her death) (2 children)
ChildrenAlexandra (b. 1940)
Nicholas (b. 1942)
Amanda Fox[1]

William Hubert Fox

Second World War, his acting career did not reach the heights of his early years.[2][3]

Early life

Fox was born in

Central School of Speech and Drama, which had been founded by Elsie Fogerty and was at that time based at the Royal Albert Hall, London.[4] He won a scholarship, but since he was from a wealthy family, the scholarship was only given on the condition that the money be passed on to the next person on the list. Fox's father agreed to fund Fox's studies only on the basis that Fox would complete what was normally a two-year course in a single year. He achieved this, and was awarded the school's gold medal upon graduating.[2][3][5]

Pre-war career

In 1930 Fox left drama school and won a role in London's West End performing in an eight-month run of W. Somerset Maugham's new play The Breadwinner at the Vaudeville Theatre. Following this success Fox co-founded an acting troupe, based in the West Country, where they converted a former swimming baths in Teignmouth into a theatre. He staged the thriller Rope and following a glowing review from actor Cyril Maude, the play had an eight-week sold-out run. In 1932 he married Carol Rees, who was seven years his senior and already pregnant with their daughter. The relationship did not survive the divergence of their careers.[2][3][5] Rees petitioned for divorce in 1937.[6]

Fox went on to perform in

Savoy Grill by Priestley, who said he had never seen a couple "so much in love", they had a successful run in Priestley's play I Have Been Here Before which ran from 1937 until 1938.[2][3][5]

Fox also acted in and wrote

Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea.[2][3]

In 1939 Fox and Hillard were living in

Territorial Army. While he was receiving military training he also happened to be playing a Nazi officer in a play called Weep for the Spring, about life in Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. As a territorial soldier Fox was amongst the first to be called up in 1939 upon the declaration of war with Germany.[2][3][5]

Military service

Fox was an officer in the

Territorial Efficiency Decoration (TD) in 1967.[8]

Post-war career

After demobilisation Fox was considered too old to take on juvenile roles, and given that he had no experience as a lead actor, directors were wary of casting him in these parts. It was whilst in Baghdad that he decided to start the Reunion Theatre; this association was designed to help demobilised actors who had been out of the business for several years. The association did this by performing extracts from well-known plays and inviting agents and producers to watch. One actor who benefited from this was Dirk Bogarde. After several successful productions Fox handed over the chairmanship of the Reunion Theatre to Laurence Olivier.

During the 1950s and 1960s Fox's career was mixed; he did a season at

Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981) and Mata Hari
(1985).

Fox started a wine merchant business and also dealt in antiques and pictures. These activities led to his devoting less time to acting—though he continued to perform, notably in television shows such as

Yes, Prime Minister. The late 1970s saw him return to theatre and the West End in a revival of T. S. Eliot's The Family Reunion. He would also appear in an opera as Haushofmeister in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos at Glyndebourne.[2][3]

Personal life

Fox was married twice; first when aged 21, to the actress Carol Rees, with whom he had a daughter. His second wife was actress Patricia Hilliard, whom he first met in 1938 when they were in a play together. They had a son and a daughter together.

Fox was a member of the Garrick Club, and often spent time there in the company of Kenneth More and Kingsley Amis.[2][3]

References

  1. Independent.co.uk
    . 5 June 2001.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "William Fox: character actor". The Times. London. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "William Fox". The Daily Telegraph. London. 21 September 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  4. V&A
    , Theatre and Performance Special Collections, Elsie Fogerty Archive, THM/324
  5. ^ a b c d e Shorter, Eric (25 September 2008). "Obituary—William Fox—Versatile actor and connoisseur of the civilised life". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
  6. ^ "Item details J 77/372833594". The catalogue. The National Archives. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
  7. ^ "No. 42464". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 September 1961. p. 6758.
  8. ^ "No. 44227". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 January 1967. p. 574.

External links

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