John Reginald Neville, CM, OBE (2 May 1925 – 19 November 2011) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

theatre and film actor who moved to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

in 1972. He enjoyed a resurgence of international attention in the 1980s as a result of his starring role in Terry Gilliam's '' The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (1988).

Early life and education

Neville was born in Willesden, London, the son of Mabel Lillian (''née'' Fry) and Reginald Daniel Neville, a lorry driver. He was educated at Willesden and

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district of west London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and F ...

County Schools for Boys and, after service in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

during the

Second World War 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 opposi ...

, trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before starting his professional career as a member of the Trent Players.Hayward, Anthon
"John Neville: Shakespearean actor and director who became a theatrical force in Canada "
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'', 26 November 2011

Career

United Kingdom

Neville was a West End star of the 1950s, hailed as "one of the most potent classical actors of the Richard Burton–Peter O'Toole generation".Jeremy Lewis, "A Real Class Act", '' Nottingham Post'', 5 March 1999 A leading member of London's Old Vic Company, he played many classical leading roles, including Romeo in Shakespeare's ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'' (a role he repeated on American television for the anthology series '' Producers' Showcase''), and an acclaimed Richard in ''

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father ...

'', with

Virginia McKenna Dame Virginia Anne McKenna, (born 7 June 1931) is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner. She is best known for the films ''A Town Like Alice'' (1956), ''Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958), ''Born Free'' (1966), and ...

as Queen Anne. He also alternated with Richard Burton the parts of Othello and Iago in ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyp ...

''. He was a frequent performer at the Bristol Old Vic. He received good reviews in the musical adaptation of ''

Lolita ''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Hum ...

'', called '' Lolita, My Love'', which closed in Boston. Known for his classical good looks and mellifluous voice, the young Neville was regularly described as the young John Gielgud's natural successor. For a while, he took over the leading role of Nestor Le Fripé from Keith Michell in the original West End production of the musical '' Irma La Douce'', with

Elizabeth Seal Elizabeth Anne Seal (born 28 August 1933) is a British actress. In 1961, she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in the title role of '' Irma La Douce''. Career Elizabeth Seal made her professional de ...

as Irma. He returned to the London stage for a brief period in 1963, playing the title role in '' Alfie'' by Bill Naughton, but by then his theatrical commitment lay outside London. In 1961, his weekly pay declining from £200 to £50, he joined the

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and F ...

, becoming joint artistic director with Frank Dunlop and

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

when the current Playhouse opened in 1963. It became one of Britain's leading regional repertory theatres. Though Dunlop and Ustinov soon left, Neville remained at the theatre until 1967, when he resigned over funding disputes with the local authority and the Arts Council. Neville starred as the Duke of Marlborough in the

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...

serial ''

The First Churchills ''The First Churchills'' is a BBC serial from 1969 about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. It stars John Neville as the duke and Susan Hampshire as the duchess, was writ ...

'' (1969), a major television role which also maintained his international profile when the show was broadcast as the very first '' Masterpiece Theatre'' series in the United States in 1971.

Canada

With his family, he left Britain for Canada in 1972, becoming a citizen there. He devoted his later career to the Canadian theatre. He took up the post of artistic director at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta (1973–78), and later took similar positions with the Neptune Theatre in Halifax, Nova Scotia (1978–83) and other Canadian theatre companies, including as artistic director of the Stratford Festival of Canada from 1985 to 1989, while continuing his acting career. On top of his artistic decisions, Neville helped eliminate the Neptune's deficit with canny promotions, such as giving free tickets to the local taxi drivers and their families, correctly anticipating that recipients would enthusiastically discuss the theatre with passengers and tourists. Director Terry Gilliam cast him as the lead in '' The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (1988). In the film, Neville plays the character at three different stages of his life; in his 30s, his 50s and his 70s. From 1995 to 1998, Neville had a prominent recurring role in ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

'' television series as The Well Manicured Man, and in 1998, he reprised the role in the feature film ''

''. Although he made numerous other television appearances and occasional film roles, the main focus of Neville's career was always on the theatre. In his later years, Neville had numerous cameo appearances in films, including primate of the Anglican Church in Australia in ''

The Man Who Sued God ''The Man Who Sued God'' is a 2001 Australian comedy film starring Billy Connolly and Judy Davis, and directed by Mark Joffe. The film was a financial success, debuting at number one at the Australian box office in the week of its launch. Pl ...

'' and an admiral in the Earth Space Navy in '' The Fifth Element''. He had a small role as Terrence in

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...

's ''

Spider Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

'' (2002). Around the same time, he appeared with

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...

in the film adaptation of '' Crime and Punishment'' (also 2002). In 2003, Neville performed a stage reading of

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and politica ...

's '' Samson Agonistes'', with Claire Bloom at Bryn Mawr College at the behest of poet Karl Kirchwey. He appeared in an episode of the soap opera ''

Train 48 ''Train 48'' was a Canadian improvised soap opera, broadcast on Global Television Network and CH from 2003 until 2005. ''Train 48'' was based on the format of an Australian television program called '' Going Home''. History The show was broadc ...

'' (2005) as the grandfather of Zach Eisler, who was played by his grandson Joe Dinicol. He was appointed a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

in 2006.

Death

According to publicists at Canada's

Stratford Shakespeare Festival The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival ...

, Neville died "peacefully surrounded by family" on 19 November 2011, aged 86. Neville suffered from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...

in his later years. He was survived by his wife Caroline (née Hooper) and their six children.

Select filmography

John Neville Claire Bloom Romeo and Juliet 1957

* ''

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

'' (1960) – Lord Alfred Douglas * '' Mr. Topaze'' (1961) – Roger de Bersac * ''

Billy Budd ''Billy Budd, Sailor (An Inside Narrative)'' is a novella by American writer Herman Melville, left unfinished at his death in 1891. Acclaimed by critics as a masterpiece when a hastily transcribed version was finally published in 1924, it quickl ...

'' (1962) – Julian Radcliffe, Second Lieutenant * ''

Unearthly Stranger ''Unearthly Stranger'' is a 1963 British science fiction film directed by John Krish and starring John Neville. It was released in the UK by Independent Artists (Production) Limited.John Hamilton, ''The British Independent Horror Film 1951-70'', ...

'' (1963) – Dr. Mark Davidson * ''

A Study in Terror ''A Study in Terror'' is a 1965 British thriller film directed by James Hill and starring John Neville as Sherlock Holmes and Donald Houston as Dr. Watson. It was filmed at Shepperton Studios, London, with some location work at Osterley Hou ...

'' (1965) –

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 ...

* '' Shaggy Dog'' (1968, TV Series) – Wilkie * ''

The Adventures of Gerard ''The Adventures of Gerard'' is a 1970 British-Italian-Swiss adventure comedy film directed by Jerzy Skolimowski and starring Peter McEnery, Claudia Cardinale, Eli Wallach and Jack Hawkins. It was based on the 1896 collection '' The Exploits ...

'' (1970) – Duke of Wellington * ''Boswell's Life of Johnson'' (1971, TV Movie) – David Garrick * '' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'' (1973, TV Series) – Dr Thorndyke * ''Reil'' (1979, TV Movie) – General Wolseley * '' The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (1988) – Hieronymus Karl Frederick Baron von Munchausen * '' Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (1993, TV Movie) – Dr. Cecil Chambers * ''

Star Trek - The Next Generation ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (''TNG'') is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It originally aired from September 28, 1987 to May 23, 1994 in syndication, spanning 178 episodes over seven seasons. Th ...

(1993, Season six, Episode 26: " Descent") – Sir Isaac Newton * '' Dieppe'' (1993, TV Movie) – Gen. Sir Alan Brooke * '' Stark'' (1993, TV Mini-Series) – De Quincy * '' Baby's Day Out'' (1994) – Mr. Andrews * ''

The Road to Wellville ''The Road to Wellville'' is a 1993 novel by American author T. Coraghessan Boyle. Set in Battle Creek, Michigan, during the early days of breakfast cereals, the story includes a historical fictionalization of John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of ...

'' (1994) – Endymion Hart-Jones * ''

Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the live ...

'' (1994) – Mr. Laurence * '' Dangerous Minds'' (1995) – Waiter * '' The Song Spinner'' (1995, TV Movie) – Frilo, the Magnificent * ''Sabotage'' (1996) - Prof. Follenfant * ''Adventures of Smoke Bellew'' (1996, TV Mini-Series) – Dwight Sanderson * '' Swann'' (1996) – Cruzzi * '' High School High'' (1996) – Thaddeus Clark * '' The Fifth Element'' (1997) – General Staedert * '' Regeneration'' (1997) – Dr. Yealland * ''

Time to Say Goodbye? ''Time to Say Goodbye?'' is a 1997 American made-for-television drama film directed by David Jones and starring Eva Marie Saint. The film is centered on the decision of an elderly family patriarch to end his life, when faced with the degradat ...

'' (1997) – Michigan Judge * '' Dinner at Fred's'' (1997) – Uncle Henrick * '' My Teacher Ate My Homework'' (1997) – Shopkeeper * ''Johnny 2.0'' (1997, TV Movie) – Bosch * '' Goodbye Lover'' (1998) – Bradley * ''

'' (1998) – The Well-Manicured Man * ''

Urban Legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...

'' (1998) – Dean Adams * '' Emily of New Moon'' (1998–2000, TV Series) – Uncle Malcolm * ''Water Damage'' (1999) – Jock Beale * '' Sunshine'' (1999) – Gustave Sors * '' The Duke'' (1999) – the Duke * ''

Bonhoeffer Dietrich Bonhoeffer (; 4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have ...

: Agent of Grace'' (2000) – Bishop George Bell * ''Custody of the Heart'' (2000, TV Movie) – Judge H. Chadwick * ''

Harvard Man ''Harvard Man'' is a 2001 American crime comedy-drama thriller film written and directed by James Toback, and starring Adrian Grenier, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Joey Lauren Adams, Rebecca Gayheart, Ray Allen, and Eric Stoltz. Plot The story concern ...

'' (2001) – Dr. Reese * ''The Stork Derby'' (2002, TV Movie) – Mr. Cunningham * '' Trudeau'' (2002, TV Movie) – British High Commissioner * ''

Time of the Wolf ''Time of the Wolf'' (french: Le temps du loup) is a 2003 French dystopian post-apocalyptic drama film written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke. Set in France at an undisclosed time, the plot follows the story of a family: George ...

'' (2002) – Preacher * ''

'' (2002) – Terrence * '' Crime and Punishment'' (2002) – Marmeladov, Sonia's alcoholic father * ''

Between Strangers ''Between Strangers'' is a 2002 film written and directed by Edoardo Ponti. It stars an ensemble cast including Sophia Loren, Mira Sorvino, Deborah Kara Unger, Pete Postlethwaite, Klaus Maria Brandauer, and Malcolm McDowell. It premiered at the V ...

'' (2002) – Orson Stewart * '' Escape from the Newsroom'' (2002, TV Movie) – George's Father * '' Control Factor'' (2003, TV Movie) – Director * '' Moving Malcolm'' (2003) – Malcolm Woodward * '' Hollywood North'' (2003) – Henry Neville * '' The Statement'' (2003) – Old Man * '' Rolie Polie Olie'' (2003) - Klanky Klaus (replacing Howard Gerome) * ''White Knuckles'' (2004) – Narrator (voice) * ''

Separate Lies ''Separate Lies'' is a 2005 British drama film directed by Julian Fellowes, who also wrote the screenplay, updating the 1951 novel ''A Way Through the Wood'' by Nigel Balchin, which had already been turned into a stage play under the title '' ...

'' (2005) – Lord Rawston * '' The Tragic Story of Nling'' (2006) - Donkey

References

External links

John Neville at The Canadian Encyclopedia
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Neville, John 1925 births 2011 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Canadian artistic directors English expatriates in Canada English male film actors English male Shakespearean actors English male stage actors English male television actors Members of the Order of Canada Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Willesden County Grammar School People from Willesden Royal Navy personnel of World War II