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Jack Gwillim

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Years active
  
1953-2001

Name
  
Jack Gwillim

Role
  
Character actor


Jack Gwillim Jack Gwillim

Born
  
15 December 1909 (
1909-12-15
)
Canterbury, Kent, England

Died
  
July 2, 2001, Los Angeles, California, United States

Spouse
  
Olivia Selby (m. 1969–2001), Peggy Ballard (m. 1943–1958)

Children
  
David Gwillim, Sarah-Jane Gwillim, Jaxon Duff Gwillim

Movies
  
Clash of the Titans, The Battle of the River Plate, Jason and the Argonauts, The One That Got Away, In Search of the Castaways

Similar People
  
Desmond Davis, David Gwillim, Andrew Faulds, Sarah‑Jane Gwillim, Niall MacGinnis

Jack William Frederick Gwillim (15 December 1909 – 2 July 2001) was an English character actor.

Contents

Jack Gwillim Jack Gwillim Page 2

Career

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Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, he served in the Royal Navy for over twenty years, attaining the rank of Commander. During his time in the Navy, he became a champion boxer and rugby player, and when he was discharged he was one of the youngest men ever to obtain the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy. Gwillim began his acting career in earnest in the 1950s, working on both stage and screen. On stage, he appeared both at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford and at the Old Vic. He performed in an extensive amount of theatre, both classics and modern plays, in the West End of London and on Broadway.

Some of his most notable roles include: playing in Sir Ralph Richardson's production of The Merchant of Venice; The Right Honourable Gentleman with lifelong friend Anthony Quayle; a revival of My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison, playing Colonel Pickering; John Gielgud's The Constant Wife, with Ingrid Bergman; and The Iceman Cometh, with James Earl Jones.

Gwillim also featured in over sixty films and television series, usually war films or historical epics. His military background, commanding presence and deep, booming voice typecast him as soldiers and authority figures. Some of his most notable roles include playing a warship captain in Sink the Bismarck! (1960), the archbishop Hubert Walter in Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960), the obnoxious club secretary in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), King Aeëtes in Jason and the Argonauts (1963), an RAF officer in the James Bond film Thunderball (1965), the Lord Chief Justice in A Man for All Seasons (1966), General Harold Alexander in Patton (1970), Poseidon in Clash of the Titans (1981), and Van Helsing in The Monster Squad (1987). He also had a recurring role on the TV series Danger Man, The Saint, and The Troubleshooters.

He took part in a number of recordings for Caedmon Shakespeare Records.

Personal life

Gwillim was twice married: to Peggy Bollard, until 1958, and Olivia Selby, from 1969 until his death. He had two children from his first marriage, Sarah-Jane Gwillim and David Gwillim, and a third, Jaxon Duff Gwillim, from his second marriage. His children also became actors, and he acted onstage with them in 1995 in a production of On Borrowed Time, which was his last on stage performance.

Death

He died in Los Angeles, California on 2 July 2001 at the age of 91.

Filmography

Actor
2001
Blue Shark Hash as
Jonah
1998
Conan the Adventurer (TV Series) as
Rykon Pol
- The Crystal Arrow (1998) - Rykon Pol
1993
The Discoverers (Short) as
Dr. Babington
1993
The Poetry Hall of Fame (TV Movie)
1991
Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story (TV Movie) as
Jill's father
1991
Gabriel's Fire (TV Series) as
Anton Vasylenko
- A Prayer for the Goldsteins (1991) - Anton Vasylenko
1987
The Monster Squad as
Van Helsing
1987
Sicilian Connection (voice)
1987
Blind Date as
Artist
1985
Matt Houston (TV Series) as
Freddy
- Company Secrets (1985) - Freddy
1984
Antony and Cleopatra (TV Movie) as
Rustic
1984
Remington Steele (TV Series) as
Dexter Holmes
- Dreams of Steele (1984) - Dexter Holmes
1983
Mr. Smith (TV Series) as
Ben
- Mr. Smith Rescues Bobo (1983) - Ben
1982
Bring 'Em Back Alive (TV Series) as
Reverend Danberry
- The Pied Piper (1982) - Reverend Danberry
1981
Clash of the Titans as
Poseidon
1976
The Adams Chronicles (TV Mini Series) as
Lord Carmarthen
- Chapter IV: John Adams, Minister to Great Britain (1976) - Lord Carmarthen
1976
Anyone for Tennyson? The Master Poets Collection (TV Series short) as
Professor Utteridge (1976)
1970
Cromwell as
General Byron
1970
Patton as
General Sir Harold Alexander
1969
As You Like It: An Introduction (Short) as
Duke Frederick
1969
The Bushbaby as
Ardsley
1969
The Battle of Britain as
Senior Air Staff Officer
1967
Mogul (TV Series) as
Sir Charles Bliss / Chairman / Sir Giles Bliss
- Really, She Did, She Really Did (1969) - Sir Charles Bliss
- They've More Than Their Assets Frozen (1969) - Sir Charles Bliss
- The Minister of the Crown- and the Very Compromising Photograph (1968) - Sir Charles Bliss
- The Day the Sea Caught Fire (1968) - Sir Charles Bliss
- Cut Off Whose Nose (1968) - Chairman
- There's Always a Next Time (1967) - Sir Giles Bliss
1968
BBC Play of the Month (TV Series) as
Robert Lancaster
- Waters of the Moon (1968) - Robert Lancaster
1968
ITV Playhouse (TV Series) as
Admiral Sir Guy Lawrence
- Number Ten (1968) - Admiral Sir Guy Lawrence
1968
The Man in the Iron Mask (TV Series) as
Athos
- The Fortress (1968) - Athos
- The Iron Mask (1968) - Athos
- The Prisoner (1968) - Athos
- The Arrest (1968) - Athos
- The King's Mistress (1968) - Athos
1968
The Champions (TV Series) as
Carrington
- Full Circle (1968) - Carrington
1967
The Revenue Men (TV Series) as
Howes
- Deadly Cargo (1967) - Howes
1967
Mr. Rose (TV Series) as
Sir Handforth O'Grady
- The Good Loser (1967) - Sir Handforth O'Grady
1967
Casino Royale as
British Officer at Auction (uncredited)
1967
The Avengers (TV Series) as
Sir David Harper
- The Hidden Tiger (1967) - Sir David Harper
1966
A Man for All Seasons as
Chief Justice
1962
The Saint (TV Series) as
Major Carter / Superintendent Marsh
- Paper Chase (1966) - Major Carter
- The Helpful Pirate (1966) - Major Carter
- The Effete Angler (1962) - Superintendent Marsh
1966
The Wednesday Play (TV Series) as
Major Berger
- The Private Tutor (1966) - Major Berger
1966
Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die as
British ambassador
1963
Sergeant Cork (TV Series) as
Jasper Greene / Sir Gervase Walworth
- The Case of the Strolling Players (1966) - Jasper Greene
- Case of the Public Paragon (1963) - Sir Gervase Walworth
1965
Thunderball as
Senior RAF Staff Officer (uncredited)
1965
Secret Agent (TV Series) as
General White / General Carteret / General
- The Mercenaries (1965) - General White
- The Black Book (1965) - General Carteret
- Such Men Are Dangerous (1965) - General
1964
Gideon C.I.D. (TV Series) as
Commander Ripple
- State Visit (1964) - Commander Ripple (as Jack Gwilliam)
1964
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb as
Sir Giles Dalrymple
1963
The Rivals as
Rolf Neilson
1963
The World Ten Times Over as
Bolton (as Jack Gwillum)
1963
Maupassant (TV Series)
- Foolish Wives (1963)
1962
The Scales of Justice (TV Series) as
Barrister / Mr. Jepp
- The Undesirable Neighbour (1963) - Barrister (uncredited)
- The Guilty Party (1962) - Mr. Jepp
1957
ITV Play of the Week (TV Series) as
Lt.-Col. Pembridge, D.S.O., M.C / Clarence Day Sr. / Lord Conyngham
- End of Conflict (1963) - Lt.-Col. Pembridge, D.S.O., M.C
- Life with Father (1961) - Clarence Day Sr.
- Victoria Regina (1957) - Lord Conyngham
1963
Jason and the Argonauts as
King Aeetes
1963
The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (TV Series) as
Rolf Neilson
- The Rivals (1963) - Rolf Neilson
1963
About Religion (TV Series)
- The Site (1963)
1963
Walk a Tight Circle (TV Movie) as
Tom Gregg
1963
A Boy Ten Feet Tall as
District Commissioner
1963
It Happened Like This (TV Series) as
Letheridge
- The Idol's Eye (1963) - Letheridge
1962
The Largest Theatre in the World: Heart to Heart (TV Movie) as
Controller of Programmes
1962
Lawrence of Arabia as
Club Secretary
1962
In Search of the Castaways as
Captain Grant
1962
Lisa as
Insp. Cobb
1961
A for Andromeda (TV Series) as
Air Commodore Watling
- The Machine (1961) - Air Commodore Watling
1961
Drama 61-67 (TV Series) as
Rupert Eynsham / Hotel Guest
- Drama '61: Journey to Nowhere (1961) - Rupert Eynsham
- Drama '61: The Executioners (1961) - Hotel Guest
1961
The First Gentleman (TV Movie) as
Edward - Duke of York
1961
Theatre 70 (TV Series) as
Douglass Blair
- News from Jericho (1961) - Douglass Blair
1961
No Love for Johnnie as
MP (uncredited)
1961
Vanity Fair (TV Series)
- Part 1 (1961)
1960
Sentenced for Life as
John Richards
1960
Sword of Sherwood Forest as
Archbishop of Canterbury Hubert Walter
1960
Family Classics: The Three Musketeers (TV Movie) as
Duke of Buckingham
1960
On Trial (TV Series) as
Mr. Inderwick QC
- The Dilke Case (1960) - Mr. Inderwick QC
1960
Oscar Wilde as
Barrister (uncredited)
1960
Probation Officer (TV Series) as
Major Hansford-Smith
- Episode #1.38 (1960) - Major Hansford-Smith
1960
Circus of Horrors as
Supt. Andrews
1960
Let's Get Married as
Dr. Sanders
1960
The Dark Pits of War (TV Movie) as
The General
1960
Sink the Bismarck! as
Commodore Wilfrid Patterson - HMS King George V (as Jack Gwillam)
1959
Solomon and Sheba as
Josiah
1959
North West Frontier as
Brigadier Ames
1959
A Midsummer Night's Dream as
Oberon (voice)
1958
The World Our Stage (TV Series) as
Claudius (Hamlet)
- Episode #1.3 (1958) - Claudius (Hamlet)
1957
The One That Got Away as
Commandant, Grizedale
1957
Producers' Showcase (TV Series) as
Friar Lawrence
- Romeo and Juliet (1957) - Friar Lawrence
1956
Pursuit of the Graf Spee as
Captain Parry - H.M.N.Z.S. Achilles
1955
Caviar to the General (TV Movie) as
Captain Djougell
1955
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (TV Series) as
John Sandys
- The Happy Prisoner (1955) - John Sandys
1954
The Scarlet Eagle (TV Movie) as
Captain Rawlings (as Jack Gwillam)
1954
The Venusian as
Representative of Parliament (uncredited)
1953
A Time to Be Born (TV Movie) as
Kaspar (as Jack Gwillam)
1953
Life with Father (TV Series) as
Father (1955-1956)
Self
1978
Anyone for Tennyson? The Master Poets Collection (TV Series short) as
Self - Narrator
- Robert and Elizabeth Browning (1978) - Self - Narrator
1967
Death by Misadventure? (TV Series documentary) as
Narrator (1967)
1962
Shakespeare: Soul of an Age (Documentary) as
Banquo
1961
They Made History (TV Mini Series documentary) as
Sidney Herbert
- Florence Nightingale (1961) - Sidney Herbert
Archive Footage
1994
The World of Hammer (TV Series documentary) as
Archbishop of Canterbury, Hubert Walter / Sir Giles Dalrymple
- Costumers (1994) - Archbishop of Canterbury, Hubert Walter
- Mummies, Werewolves & the Living Dead (1994) - Sir Giles Dalrymple
1978
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Captain Grant
- In Search of the Castaways: Part 2 (1978) - Captain Grant
- In Search of the Castaways: Part 1 (1978) - Captain Grant

References

Jack Gwillim Wikipedia