Don Fellows (December 2, 1922 – October 21, 2007) was an American actor known for his roles in British theater and television.
Born in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
and raised in
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
, Fellows served in the
United States Merchant Marine
United States Merchant Marines are United States civilian mariners and U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of the government and private sectors, an ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He was a graduate of the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
and a member of the
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
. He moved to London in 1973 to further his stage career.
Fellows' TV appearances included ''
Space: 1999'', ''
Z Cars
''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debuted ...
'', ''
Lillie'', ''
The Sandbaggers
''The Sandbaggers'' is a British spy drama television series about men and women on the front lines of the Cold War. Set contemporaneously with its original broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980, ''The Sandbaggers'' examines the effect of espionag ...
'', ''
The Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...
'', ''
The Beiderbecke Tapes
''The Beiderbecke Tapes'' is a two-part British television drama serial written by Alan Plater and broadcast in 1987. It is the second serial in '' The Beiderbecke Trilogy'' and stars James Bolam and Barbara Flynn as schoolteachers Trevor Cha ...
'', ''
The Bill
''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983.
The programme focused on ...
'' and ''
Inspector Morse
Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, GM, is the eponymous fictional character in the series of detective novels by British author Colin Dexter. On television, he appears in the 33-episode drama series ''Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000), ...
''.
His film appearances included ''
Spy Story'' (1976), ''
The Omen
''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer ...
'' (1976), ''
Twilight's Last Gleaming
''Twilight's Last Gleaming'' is a 1977 thriller film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Burt Lancaster and Richard Widmark. The film was a West German/American co-production, shot mainly at the Bavaria Studios.
Loosely based on a 1971 nov ...
'' (1977), ''
Valentino'' (1977), ''
Licensed to Love and Kill
'' Licensed to Love and Kill'' is a 1979 imitation James Bond film starring Gareth Hunt as British secret agent Charles Bind. It was directed and written by Lindsay Shonteff and produced by his wife Elizabeth Gray. The film had the working title ...
'' (1979), ''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronal ...
'' (1981), ''
Eye of the Needle'' (1981), ''
Who Dares Wins
''Who Dares Wins'' (Latin: ''Qui audet adipiscitur''; el, Ο Τολμών Νικά, ''O tolmón niká''; french: Qui ose gagne; it, Chi osa vince; Portuguese: ''Quem ousa vence''; German: ''Wer wagt, gewinnt'') is a motto made popular in the ...
'' (1982), ''
Electric Dreams'' (1984), ''
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' (1987) and ''
Velvet Goldmine
''Velvet Goldmine'' is a 1998 musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes from a story by Haynes and James Lyons. It is set in Britain during the glam rock days of the early 1970s, and tells the story of fictional bisexual pop star B ...
'' (1998).
He featured alongside fellow American expatriate actor
Ed Bishop
George Victor Bishop (11 June 1932 – 8 June 2005), known professionally as Ed Bishop or sometimes Edward Bishop, was an American actor. He was known for playing Commander Ed Straker in ''UFO'', Captain Blue in ''Captain Scarlet and the Myste ...
in the radio series ''
The BBC Presents: Philip Marlowe''.
In 1992, he played the part of Conn Kortchmar, an American GI, in the Radio 4 drama ''
The Archers
''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural settin ...
''.
Throughout his life, Fellows suffered from a
stutter
Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the ...
, which he was able to suppress while acting. He died in 2007, at the age of 84.
Filmography
* ''
The Detective'' (1968) as Reporter (uncredited)
* ''
Pretty Poison'' (1968) as Detective
* ''
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm'' (1968) as Himself
* ''
Trick Baby
''Trick Baby'' is a 1972 Blaxploitation film directed by Larry Yust and starring Kiel Martin and Mel Stewart. This crime-drama is based and named after a novel by Iceberg Slim written in 1967. The film was produced by Marshal Backlar and James Le ...
'' (1972) as Phillips
* ''
Soft Beds, Hard Battles
''Soft Beds, Hard Battles'' is a 1974 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting, starring Peter Sellers (in several roles), Curt Jurgens, Lila Kedrova and Jenny Hanley. Sellers reunited with the Boulting brothers for this farce, in which the ...
'' (1974) as Senior Counsellor (uncredited)
* ''
The Spikes Gang
''The Spikes Gang'' is a 1974 American Western film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Lee Marvin. Produced by the Mirisch Company and based on the novel ''The Bank Robber'' by Giles Tippette, the supporting cast features Gary Grimes, ...
'' (1974) as Cowboy
* ''
Inside Out'' (1975) as U.S. Colonel
* ''
The Omen
''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer ...
'' (1976) as Thorn's Second Aide
* ''Death Play'' (1976) as Arthur
* ''
Spy Story'' (1976) as Colonel Schlegel
* ''
Twilight's Last Gleaming
''Twilight's Last Gleaming'' is a 1977 thriller film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Burt Lancaster and Richard Widmark. The film was a West German/American co-production, shot mainly at the Bavaria Studios.
Loosely based on a 1971 nov ...
'' (1977) as Gen. Stonesifer
* ''
Valentino'' (1977) as
George Melford
George H. Melford (born George Henry Knauff, February 19, 1877 – April 25, 1961) was an American stage and film actor and director. Often taken for granted as a director today, the stalwart Melford's name by the 1920s was, like Cecil B. DeMil ...
* ''
Lillie'' (1978, TV) as
J. M. Whistler
* ''
The London Connection
''The Omega Connection'' is a 1979 American made-for-television action spy film directed by Robert Clouse for Walt Disney Productions. It stars Jeffrey Byron and Larry Cedar. It was released theatrically in other countries as ''The London Connecti ...
'' (1979) as General
* ''
Licensed to Love and Kill
'' Licensed to Love and Kill'' is a 1979 imitation James Bond film starring Gareth Hunt as British secret agent Charles Bind. It was directed and written by Lindsay Shonteff and produced by his wife Elizabeth Gray. The film had the working title ...
'' (1979) as Vice-President
* ''
Ike
Ike or IKE may refer to:
People
* Ike (given name), a list of people with the name or nickname
* Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II and President of the United States Surname
...
'' (1979, TV) as
Gen. Carl Spaatz
* ''
Tales of the Unexpected'' (1979, TV) as Renshaw
* ''
Superman II
''Superman II'' is a 1980 superhero film directed by Richard Lester and written by Mario Puzo and David and Leslie Newman from a story by Puzo based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the second installment in the ''Superman'' film seri ...
'' (1980) as General
* ''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronal ...
'' (1981) as Col. Musgrove
* ''
Eye of the Needle'' (1981) as American Colonel
* ''
Who Dares Wins
''Who Dares Wins'' (Latin: ''Qui audet adipiscitur''; el, Ο Τολμών Νικά, ''O tolmón niká''; french: Qui ose gagne; it, Chi osa vince; Portuguese: ''Quem ousa vence''; German: ''Wer wagt, gewinnt'') is a motto made popular in the ...
'' (1982) as Ambassador Franklin
* ''
Enigma
Enigma may refer to:
*Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling
Biology
*ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain
Computing and technology
* Enigma (company), a New York-based data-technology startup
* Enigma machine, a family ...
'' (1982)
* ''
Electric Dreams'' (1984) as Mr. Ryley
* ''
Odin: Photon Sailer Starlight'' (1985) as Suzuka (1992) (English version, voice)
* ''
Reunion at Fairborough
''Reunion at Fairborough'' is a 1985 American romantic drama television film directed by Herbert Wise, written by Albert Ruben, and starring Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr. It premiered on HBO on May 12, 1985.
Plot
After 40 years, a disillusio ...
'' (1985) as Duffy
* ''
The American Way'' (1986) as Capt. War Hero
* ''
Haunted Honeymoon
''Haunted Honeymoon'' is a 1986 American comedy horror film starring Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, Dom DeLuise and Jonathan Pryce. Wilder also served as writer and director. The title ''Haunted Honeymoon'' was previously used for the 1940 U.S. ...
'' (1986) as Producer
* ''
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' (1987) as Levon Hornsby
* ''
Patlabor: The Movie'' (1989) as Jitsuyama (1995) (English version, voice)
* ''Ekkusu'' (1996) as Nataku (English version, voice, uncredited)
* ''
Velvet Goldmine
''Velvet Goldmine'' is a 1998 musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes from a story by Haynes and James Lyons. It is set in Britain during the glam rock days of the early 1970s, and tells the story of fictional bisexual pop star B ...
'' (1998) as Lou
* ''
The Man Who Cried
''The Man Who Cried'' is a 2000 drama film written and directed by Sally Potter, and starring Christina Ricci, Cate Blanchett, Johnny Depp, Harry Dean Stanton and John Turturro.
The film tells the story of a young Jewish girl who, after being ...
'' (2000) as Joe
External links
*
Don Fellowsat the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
'
Actors Studio Audio Collection* in ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', November 21, 2007
Obituaryin ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', January 21, 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fellows, Don
1922 births
2007 deaths
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American emigrants to England
Male actors from Wisconsin
American expatriate male actors in the United Kingdom
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male radio actors
American male stage actors
Actors from Madison, Wisconsin
United States Merchant Mariners of World War II
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni