Clive Francis (born 26 June 1946) is a British stage, television and film actor.

Early life

Francis was born in

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

. He is the son of actors

Raymond Francis Raymond Francis (6 October 1911- 24 October 1987) was a British actor best known for his role as Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart in the Associated-Rediffusion detective series ''Murder Bag'', ''Crime Sheet'' and ''No Hiding Place''. ...

and his second wife Margaret Towner. His father played Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart in the 1960s series ''

No Hiding Place ''No Hiding Place'' is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967. It was the sequel to the series ''Murder Bag'' (1957–1958) an ...

''. His mother played Jira,

Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...

's friend, in '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' in 1999.

Career

Clive Francis began his acting career at the age of 16 in weekly repertory as a Penguin Player at

Bexhill-on-Sea Bexhill-on-Sea (often shortened to Bexhill) is a seaside town and civil parish situated in the county of East Sussex in South East England. An ancient town and part of the local government district of Rother, Bexhill is home to a number of arc ...

and has acted on stage, radio, television and films. He is also a

caricaturist A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. List of caricaturists * Abed Abdi (born 1942) * Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) * Alex Gard (1900–1948) * Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977) * Alfred Grévin (1827–1892) * Alf ...

and has had several exhibitions at the National Theatre. His caricatures have appeared on the covers of several books including ''Blessings in Disguise'' by

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (194 ...

and a biography of John Gielgud. His own publications include: ''Laughlines'', ''There Is Nothing Like a Dane'' (''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'') ''There Is Nothing Like a Thane'' (''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

''). ''A Star is Drawn'' and ''The Many Faces of Gielgud'', to celebrate Gielgud's 90th birthday.

Films

Francis appeared as Joe the Lodger in

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...

's ''

A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...

'' (1971). His other films include ''

Inspector Clouseau Inspector Jacques Clouseau (), later granted the rank of Chief Inspector, is a fictional character in Blake Edwards' farcical ''The Pink Panther'' series. He is portrayed by Peter Sellers in the original series, and also by Alan Arkin in the ...

'' (1968), ''

The Man Who Had Power Over Women ''The Man Who Had Power Over Women'' is a 1970 British comedy film directed by John Krish and starring Rod Taylor, Carol White and James Booth. The screenplay concerns a successful Australian talent agent who grows disenchanted with his life, w ...

'' (1970), ''

Girl Stroke Boy ''Girl Stroke Boy'' is a 1971 British comedy-drama film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Joan Greenwood, Michael Hordern and Clive Francis. It was based on the play ''Girl Friend'' by David Percival. Premise A couple worry if their son will ...

'' (1971), ''

Villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

'' (1971), '' Pierrepoint'' (2005), ''

Mr. Turner ''Mr. Turner'' is a 2014 biographical drama film based on the last 25 years of the life of artist J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851). Written and directed by Mike Leigh, the film stars Timothy Spall in the title role, with Dorothy Atkinson, Paul Je ...

'', (2014), '' The Lost City of Z'', (2015), ''

The Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

'' (2016),''

The Little Stranger :The Little Stranger ''is also the title of one of the Color Classics series produced 13 March 1936, in three-strip Technicolor, by Fleischer Studios. It is also the 2018 film adaptation of Waters' novel.'' ''The Little Stranger'' is a 2009 g ...

'' (2018), '' Official Secrets'' (2019), ''Cursed'' (2019), and '' Dolittle'' (2020).

Television

His first television role was playing Tommy Traddles opposite Ian McKellen in the 1966 production of

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

' ''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

''. Francis considers his part as Mr. Sloane in the ''

ITV Playhouse ''Playhouse'' is a British television anthology series that ran from 1967 to 1983, which featured contributions from playwrights such as Dennis Potter, Rhys Adrian and Alan Sharp. The series began in black and white, but was later shot in colour ...

'' production of ''

Entertaining Mr Sloane ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'' is a three-act play written in 1963 by the English playwright Joe Orton. It was first produced in London at the New Arts Theatre on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre on 29 June 1964. Plo ...

'' in 1968 as his first important television role, appearing alongside the likes of

Sheila Hancock Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. Hancock trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before starting her career in repertory theatre. Hancock went on to perform in plays and musica ...

and

Edward Woodward Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE (1 June 1930 – 16 November 2009) was an English actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he began his career on stage. Throughout his career, he appeared in productions ...

. He states on his website that the production was taped just a week after the murder of playwright

Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his death in 1967, was short but highly influential. During this brie ...

. Francis played the character of Willoughby in the BBC's 1971 production of ''

Sense and Sensibility ''Sense and Sensibility'' is a novel by Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously; ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might have been. It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (age 19) a ...

.'' In the BBC's first adaptation of ''

Poldark ''Poldark'' is a series of historical novels by Winston Graham, published from 1945 to 1953 and continued from 1973 to 2002. The first novel, '' Ross Poldark'', was named for the protagonist of the series. The novel series was adapted twice ...

'' (1975–76), he played Ross Poldark's weak, troubled and debt-ridden cousin Francis. He played Det. Sgt. Dexter in ''

New Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London' ...

'' in 1974. In the 1976 television adaptation of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

's '' Caesar and Cleopatra'', he portrayed Apollodorus opposite

. Francis appeared opposite

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

in ''Saturday, Sunday, Monday'', a play which was part of the ''

Laurence Olivier Presents ''Laurence Olivier Presents'' is a British television anthology series made by Granada Television which ran from 1976 to 1978. The plays, with the exception of '' Hindle Wakes'', all starred Laurence Olivier. Some of the plays were based on ...

'' series for

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...

. He also appeared as Standartenfuhrer Grunwald in '' Enemy at the Door''. In 1981, Francis played the Roman officer and imperial spy Attius in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

miniseries ''

Masada Masada ( he, מְצָדָה ', "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dea ...

'' opposite Peter O'Toole. In 1986, Francis guest starred in episode five, "The Man with the Twisted Lip," of the series ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

'', as Neville St Clair. Francis starred in the series '' The 10%ers''; '' The Piglet Files'' (which as noted above used his caricatures in the credits), as Colonel Windham in Sharpe's Company and ''

May to December ''May to December'' is a British sitcom which ran for 39 episodes, from 2 April 1989 to 27 May 1994 on BBC1. The series was created by Paul Mendelson and produced by Cinema Verity. The series was nominated for the BAFTA award for "Best Televi ...

''. Francis has guest-starred in dozens of other television programmes, including ''

Yes, Prime Minister ''Yes Minister'' is a British political satire sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. Comprising three seven-episode series, it was first transmitted on BBC2 from 1980 to 1984. A sequel, ''Yes, Prime Minister'', ran for 16 episodes fro ...

'', in which he played Luke, who, the Prime Minister is told, is a spy for the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unit ...

, a department whose policy is often in conflict with the PM's. His television work also includes: ''The Rear Column'', ''The Critic'', '' Pierrepoint'', ''New Tricks'' and '' Lipstick on Your Collar''. In 2016, he played the part of

Lord Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times for a total of over thirteen y ...

in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

series ''

''.

Theatre

His first West End appearance was in ''

There's A Girl in My Soup '' There's a Girl in My Soup'' is a 1970 British romantic comedy film based on the stage play of the same name, directed by Roy Boulting and starring Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn. The film was Sellers' last commercial success until '' Return ...

'' opposite

Donald Sinden Sir Donald Alfred Sinden (9 October 1923 – 12 September 2014) was a British actor. Sinden featured in the film ''Mogambo'' (1953), and achieved early fame as a Rank Organisation film star in the 1950s in films including ''The Cruel Sea (195 ...

. Since then he has gone on to appear in over twenty West End shows including, ''The School for Scandal'', ''The Importance of Being Ernest'', ''The Rear Column'', ''Benefactors'', '' The Return of A. J. Raffles'', ''Bloomsbury'', ''Single Spies'', ''

Look after Lulu! ''Look After Lulu!'' is a farce by Noël Coward, based on '' Occupe-toi d'Amélie!'' by Georges Feydeau. It is set in Paris in 1908. The central character is an attractive cocotte, Lulu, whose lover is called away on military service; the plo ...

'', ''The Circle'', ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'', ''What the Butler Saw'', ''Gross Indecency'', ''Enron'', ''The Madness of King George'' and ''Inspector Calls''. He also appeared at the National Theatre in ''A Small Family Business'', Tis Pity She's a Whore'', ''Never so Good'' and ''Les Blancs''. For the RSC, Francis appeared in ''Three Hours after Marriage'', ''Troilus and Cressida'' and ''A Christmas Carol''. He regularly tours his one-man version of

' ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

'', a show that he has taken from France to Ireland to Monaco and many major towns and cities in the UK.

Adaptations

Apart from adapting ''A Christmas Carol'' as his one-man show, Clive Francis has also brought from the page to the stage ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'', ''Three Men in a Boat'',

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

's ''

Our Man in Havana ''Our Man in Havana'' (1958) is a novel set in Cuba by the British author Graham Greene. He makes fun of intelligence services, especially the British MI6, and their willingness to believe reports from their local informants. The book predates ...

'', and Susan Hill's ''The Small Hand''. Together with composer Charles Miller, he adapted the book and wrote the lyrics to the ''Alice in Wonderland'' adaptation, ''Alice the Musical!''. In February 2015, he played the part of Frank Doel in the

Salisbury Playhouse Salisbury Playhouse is a theatre in the English city of Salisbury, Wiltshire. It was built in 1976 and comprises the 517-seat Main House and the 149-seat Salberg, a rehearsal room and a community & education space. It is part of Arts Council En ...

's production of ''

84, Charing Cross Road ''84, Charing Cross Road'' is a 1970 book by Helene Hanff, later made into a stage play, television play, and film, about the twenty-year correspondence between the author and Frank Doel, chief buyer of Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, loca ...

''. This was a production he repeated at the Arts Theatre, Cambridge in 2016.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1968) as Clyde Hargreaves * ''

'' (1970) as Barry Black * ''

'' (1971) as Vivian * ''

'' (1971) as Joe the Lodger * ''

'' (1973) as Laurie * ''

'' (1981, TV series) as Attius, Head Tribune * ''

Amy Amy is a female given name, sometimes short for Amanda, Amelia, Amélie, or Amita. In French, the name is spelled ''"Aimée"''. People A–E * Amy Acker (born 1976), American actress * Amy Vera Ackman, also known as Mother Giovanni (1886– ...

'' (1984, TV film) as Jim Mollison * '' Pierrepoint'' (2005) as Field Marshal

Bernard Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and t ...

* ''

'' (2014) as Sir Martin Archer Shee * ''

'' (2016–2017, TV series) as

* '' The Lost City of Z'' (2017) as Sir John Scott Keltie * '' Cursed'' (2020, TV series) as Pope Abel

References

External links

*http://www.clivefranciscaricaturist.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Clive 1946 births Living people British caricaturists People from Eastbourne English male television actors English male film actors English male stage actors 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Male actors from Sussex