John Edward Thaw, (3 January 1942 – 21 February 2002) was an English actor who appeared in a range of television, stage, and cinema roles. He starred in the television series '' Inspector Morse'' as title character Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, '' Redcap'' as Sergeant John Mann, ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective Insp ...

'' as Detective Inspector Jack Regan, '' Home to Roost'' as Henry Willows, and ''

Kavanagh QC ''Kavanagh QC'' is a British television series made by Central Television for ITV between 1995 and 2001. All five series are available on DVD in both Region 1 and Region 2. Plot The series starred John Thaw as barrister James Kavanagh QC, ...

'' as title character James Kavanagh.

Early life

Thaw was born in Gorton,

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

, to working-class parents John Edward ("Jack") Thaw (died 1997), a tool-setter at the Fairey Aviation Company aircraft factory, later a long-distance lorry driver, and Dorothy (née Ablott). Thaw had a difficult childhood as his mother left when he was seven years old. His younger brother, Raymond Stuart "Ray" emigrated to Australia in the mid-1960s. Thaw grew up in Gorton and

Burnage Burnage is a suburb of the city of Manchester in North West England, about south of Manchester city centre and bisected by the dual carriageway of Kingsway. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, the population of th ...

, attending the

Ducie Technical High School Manchester Academy is a coeducational secondary school within the English Academy programme, in Moss Side, Manchester. It is situated on Moss Lane East (B5219), near Denmark Road, with the University of Manchester nearby to the north and the Whi ...

for Boys. He entered the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

(RADA) at the age of 16.

Career

Soon after leaving RADA, Thaw made his formal stage début in ''A Shred of Evidence'' at the Liverpool Playhouse and was awarded a contract with the theatre. His first film role was a bit part in the adaptation of ''

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner" is a short story by Alan Sillitoe, published in 1959 as part of a short story collection of the same title. The work focuses on Smith, a poor Nottingham teenager from a dismal home in a working clas ...

'' (1962) starring

Tom Courtenay Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Courtenay achieved prominence in the 1960s with a series of acclaimed film roles, including ''The Loneliness of t ...

and he also acted on-stage opposite

Sir 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 British stage o ...

in ''

Semi-Detached A semi-detached house (often abbreviated to semi) is a single family duplex dwelling house that shares one common wall with the next house. The name distinguishes this style of house from detached houses, with no shared walls, and terraced hous ...

'' (1962) by David Turner. He appeared in several episodes of the BBC police series ''

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 deb ...

'' in 1963–64 as a detective constable. Between 1964 and 1966, he starred in two series of the

ABC Weekend Television ABC Weekend TV was the popular name of the British broadcaster ABC Television Limited, which provided the weekend service in the Midlands and Northern England regions of the Independent Television (ITV) network from 1956 to 1968. It was one ...

/ ITV production '' Redcap'', playing the hard-nosed military policeman Sergeant John Mann. He was also a guest star in an early episode of '' The Avengers''. In 1967 he appeared in '' Bat Out of Hell''. In 1967 he appeared in the Granada TV/ITV series, ''

Inheritance Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Of ...

'', alongside James Bolam and Michael Goodliffe, as well as appearing in TV plays such as ''The Talking Head'' and episodes of series such as '' Budgie'', where he played against type (opposite

Adam Faith Terence Nelhams Wright (23 June 1940 – 8 March 2003), known as Adam Faith, was an English singer, actor, and financial journalist. A teen idol, he scored consecutive No. 1 hits on the UK Singles Chart with " What Do You Want?" (1959) and "P ...

) as the son of an elderly prostitute Budgie is "noncing" for: an effeminate failed playwright with a full beard and a Welsh accent. Thaw will perhaps be best remembered for two television roles: the hard-bitten, tough-talking Flying Squad detective Jack Regan in ''

'' (1975–1978), and the quietly spoken, introspective, well-educated and bitter Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse in '' Inspector Morse'' (1987–93, with later specials until 2000). His role as Regan in the

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

/ ITV series, along with two film spin-offs, established him as a major star in the United Kingdom. Thaw was only 32 when he was cast in ''The Sweeney'', although many viewers thought he was older. Alongside his put-upon Detective Sergeant Robert "Robbie" Lewis ( Kevin Whately), Morse became a high-profile character—"a cognitive curmudgeon with his love of classical music, his drinking, his classic Jaguar and spates of melancholy". According to ''

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 ...

'', "Thaw was the definitive Morse, grumpy, crossword-fixated, drunk, slightly anti-feminist, and pedantic about grammar." Inspector Morse became one of the UK's most loved TV series; at its peak in the mid-90's, ratings hit 18 million people, about one third of the British population. He won "Most Popular Actor" at the 1999

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are vot ...

and won two BAFTA awards for his role as Morse. He subsequently played liberal working-class Lancastrian

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...

James Kavanagh in ''

'' (1995–99, and a special in 2001). Thaw also appeared in two sitcoms—'' Thick as Thieves'' ( London Weekend/ITV, 1974) with

Bob Hoskins Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor. His work included lead roles in films and television series such as '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Long Good Friday'' (1980), ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), ''Who ...

and '' Home to Roost'' ( Yorkshire/ITV, 1985–90). Thaw is mainly known in America for the Morse series, as well as the BBC series '' A Year in Provence'' (1993) with Lindsay Duncan. He appeared in a number of films for director

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisi ...

, including ''

Cry Freedom ''Cry Freedom'' is a 1987 epic apartheid drama film directed and produced by Richard Attenborough, set in late-1970s apartheid-era South Africa. The screenplay was written by John Briley based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods. ...

'', where he portrayed the conservative South African justice minister Jimmy Kruger (for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor), and '' Chaplin'' alongside Robert Downey Jr. Thaw also appeared in the TV adaptation of the Michelle Magorian book '' Goodnight Mister Tom'' (

Carlton Television Carlton Television (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties from 9.25am every Monday to 5.15pm every Friday. The company is now managed with London Weekend Tele ...

/ITV). It won "Most Popular Drama" at the

, 1999.Goodnight Mister Tom synopsis
. ITV. Retrieved 20 February 2010. During the 1970s and 1980s, Thaw appeared in productions with the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

and National Theatre. He was the subject of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1981 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

in the foyer of the National Theatre in London.

Personal life

In the summer of 1964, Thaw married

Sally Alexander Sally A. Alexander (born 1943) is an English historian and feminist activist. Career When she was sixteen, Alexander trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art as an actress. She completed a diploma in history at Ruskin College, Oxford from ...

, a feminist activist and theatre stage manager, and now professor of history at

Goldsmiths, University of London Goldsmiths, University of London, officially the Goldsmiths' College, is a constituent research university of the University of London in England. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the ...

. They divorced four years later. He met actress

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 music ...

in 1969 on the set of a London comedy, ''So What About Love?'' She was married to fellow actor Alexander "Alec" Ross, and after Thaw professed his love to Hancock, she told him that she would not have an affair. Following the death of her husband (from oesophageal cancer) in 1971, Thaw and Hancock married on 24 December 1973 in

Cirencester Cirencester (, ; see below for more variations) is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, west of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. It is the home of ...

, and he remained with her until his death in 2002 (also from oesophageal cancer). He had three daughters (all of whom are actresses):

Abigail Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death ( 1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's second wife, after Saul and Ahinoam's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later ma ...

from his first marriage to Sally Alexander, Joanna from his second marriage to

, and he also adopted Sheila Hancock's daughter Melanie Jane, from Hancock's first marriage to Alec Ross. Melanie Jane legally changed her surname from Ross to Thaw. His granddaughter Molly Whitmey made a cameo in the '' Endeavour'' episode ''Oracle'' (series 7, episode 1, broadcast 1 February 2020) as the younger version of her grandmother Sally Alexander. Thaw was a committed socialist and a lifelong supporter of the Labour Party. He was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in March 1993 by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

. In September 2006, Thaw was voted by the general public as number 3, after

David Jason Sir David John White (born 2 February 1940), known professionally by his stage name David Jason, is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the BBC sitcom '' Only Fools and Horses'', Detective Inspector ...

and

Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, workin ...

, in a poll of TV's 50 Greatest Stars for the past 50 years.

Illness and death

A heavy drinker until going

teetotal Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or is ...

in 1995, and a heavy smoker from the age of 12, Thaw was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus in June 2001. He underwent

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...

in hope of overcoming the illness, and at first had appeared to respond well to the treatment. However, just before Christmas 2001 he was informed that the cancer had spread and the prognosis was

terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together * Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output devi ...

. He died on 21 February 2002, seven weeks after his 60th birthday, the day after he signed a new contract with ITV, and the day before his wife's birthday. At the time of his death he was living at his country home, near the villages of

Luckington Luckington is a village and civil parish in the southern Cotswolds, in north-west Wiltshire, England, about west of Malmesbury. The village is on the B4040 road linking Malmesbury and Old Sodbury. The parish is on the county border with Glouces ...

and Sherston in Wiltshire, and was cremated in Westerleigh, near Yate in

South Gloucestershire South Gloucestershire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, South West England. Towns in the area include Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Filton, Patchway and Bradley Stoke, the latter three forming ...

, in a private service. A memorial service was held on 4 September 2002 at

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since at least the mediev ...

church in

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...

, attended by 800 people including the Prince of Wales,

and

Cherie Blair Cherie, Lady Blair, (; born 23 September 1954), also known professionally as Cherie Booth, is an English barrister and writer. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Tony Blair. Early life and education Boot ...

Television, film and stage performances

Television series

*1961: ''The Younger Generation'' – Customer / Max / Edward / Charlie / Peter / Denny / Martin *1963: ''

Edgar Wallace Mysteries The ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' is a British second-feature film series mainly produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 48 films in the series, which were released between 1960 and 1965. The series was screened as ''The E ...

'' (Episode: "

Five to One (film) ''Five To One'' is a 1963 British crime film directed by Gordon Flemyng and starring Lee Montague, Ingrid Hafner and John Thaw. It was made at Merton Park Studios as part of the long-running series of Edgar Wallace adaptations; this being adap ...

") – Alan Roper *1963: ''Z Cars'': Detective Constable Elliot *1964 to 1966: '' Redcap'' (Two Series) – Sergeant John Mann *1965: ''

'' (Episode: "

Dead Man's Chest "Dead Man's Chest" (also known as "Fifteen Men on the Dead Man's Chest" or "Yo, Ho, Ho (And a Bottle of Rum)") is a fictional''Fictional sea-song'' - in this sense means a sea-song that first appeared in a work of fiction, and not an authentic se ...

") – David Jones *1966: ''Bat Out of Hell'' – Mark Paxton *1967: ''

'' – Will Oldroyd *1972. ''The Frighteners'' ep.5 (old comrades). *1974: ''Thick As Thieves'' – Stan *1974: ''The Capone Investment'' – Tom *1975 to 1978: ''

'' (Four Series & 2 movies) – Det. Insp. Jack Regan *1984: ''Mitch'' – Mitch *1985 to 1990: '' Home to Roost'' (Four Series) – Henry Willows *1987 to 2000: '' Inspector Morse'' (Thirty-three television films) – Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse *1991: ''Stanley and the Women'' – Stanley Duke *1992: '' A Year in Provence'' –

Peter Mayle Peter Mayle ( "mail"; 14 June 1939 – 18 January 2018) was a British businessman turned author who moved to France in the 1980s. He wrote a series of bestselling memoirs of his life there, beginning with '' A Year in Provence'' (1989). Early l ...

*1995 to 2001: ''

'' (Six Series) – James Kavanagh QC *1999: ''Plastic Man'' – Joe McConnell *2000: ''

Monsignor Renard ''Monsignor Renard'' was a four-part ITV television drama set in occupied France during World War II. It starred John Thaw as Monsignor Augustin Renard, a French priest who is drawn into the Resistance movement. The series was later shown in th ...

'' – Monsignor Augustine Renard *2001: ''The Glass'' – Jim Proctor

Television films

*1961: ''Serjeant Musgrave's Dance'' *1963: ''The Lads'' *1964: ''I Can Walk Where I Like, Can't I?'' *1964: ''The Other Man'' *1966: ''The Making of Jericho'' *1974: ''Regan'' *1977: ''

Sweeney! ''Sweeney!'' is a 1977 British action crime drama film and extension of the ITV television series ''The Sweeney'' which aired on ITV from 1975 to 1978. The film did well enough at the box office that a sequel, ''Sweeney 2'', was released in ci ...

'' *1978: ''Dinner at the Sporting Club'' *1980: ''Drake's Venture'' – Francis Drake *1984: '' Killer Waiting'' – Major Peter Hastings *1984: ''The Life and Death of King John'' – Hubert de Burgh *1985: ''We'll Support You Ever More'' – Geoff Hollins *1986: ''Stainheads'' *1987: "

The Sign of Four ''The Sign of the Four'' (1890), also called ''The Sign of Four'', is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes by British writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories featuring the fictional detective. Pl ...

" (full-length episode of ''

The Return of Sherlock Holmes ''The Return of Sherlock Holmes'' is a 1905 collection of 13 Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1903–1904, by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories were published in the ''Strand Magazine'' in Britain and ''Collier's'' in ...

'') – Jonathan Small *1989: '' Bomber Harris'' – Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris *1993: ''The Mystery of Morse'' *1994: ''The Absence of War'' *1996: ''Into the Blue'' – Harry Barnett *1998: '' Goodnight Mister Tom'' – Tom Oakley *1999: ''The Waiting Time'' – Joshua Mantle *2000: ''The Last Morse'' *2000: ''Inspector Morse: Rest in Peace'' – Inspector Morse *2001: ''Hidden Treasure / Buried Treasure'' – Harry (final film role)

Guest appearances

*1962 Probation Officer: Episode No. 4.4 (28 May 1962) *1963 ITV Television Playhouse: The Lads (15 August 1963) *1963 Z-Cars: A La Carte (18 September 1963) *1963 Z-Cars: Light the Blue Paper (25 September 1963) *1963 Z-Cars: A Quiet Night (2 October 1963) *1963 Z-Cars: Hide – And Go Seek (16 October 1963) *1964 The Avengers: Esprit De Corps (14 March 1964) *1965 A Poor Gentleman: Episode No. 1.1 (12 October 1965) *1965 A Poor Gentleman: Episode No. 1.2 (19 October 1965) *1965 The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre: Dead Man's Chest (31 October 1965) *1967 Inheritance: Murder (29 September 1967) *1967 Inheritance: A Man of His Time (1 December 1967) *1969 The Borderers: Dispossessed (25 March 1969) *1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre: The Haunting (28 June 1969) *1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre: The Talking Head (30 August 1969) *1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre: In Another Country (11 October 1969) *1969 Strange Report: Report 2475: Revenge – When a Man Hates (9 November 1969) *1970 Play of the Month: Macbeth (BBC, 20 September 1970) *1970 Happy Ever After: Don't Walk Away (12 December 1970) *1971 Budgie: Sunset Mansions or Whatever Happened to Janey Baib? (25 June 1971) *1971 Armchair Theatre: Competition (5 October 1971) *1971 Suspicion: I'll Go Along with That (14 December 1971) *1971 The Onedin Line: Mutiny (24 December 1971) *1972 Pretenders: The Paymaster (9 April 1972) *1972 The Frighteners: Old Comrades (21 July 1972) *1972 Armchair Theatre: What Became of Me? (29 August 1972) *1972 ITV Playhouse: Refuge for a Hero (6 September 1972) *1972 The Adventures of Black Beauty: The Hostage (30 September 1972) *1973 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes: The Sensible Action of Lieutenant Horst (4 March 1973) *1973 Menace: Tom (26 April 1973) *1973 BBC Play of the Month: Caucasian Chalk Circle (16 May 1973) *1973 ITV Saturday Night Theatre: Passengers (20 May 1973) *1973 The Protectors: Mauro Carpiano (28 December 1973) *1976 The Morecambe & Wise Show: 1976 Christmas Show (25 December 1976) *1977 This Is Your Life: Sheila Hancock (5 January 1977) *1978 The South Bank Show (26 November 1978) *1981 This Is Your Life: John Thaw (18 March 1981) *1982 Saturday Night Thriller: Where is Betty Buchus? (4 December 1982) *1987 Sherlock Holmes episode: The Sign of Four (portrayed Jonathan Small)

Theatrical films

*1962: ''Smashing Day'' – Stan *1962: ''

'' – Bosworth (uncredited) *1962: ''Nil Carborundum'' – ACI Neville Harrison *1963: ''

Five To One "Five to One" is a song by American rock band the Doors, from their 1968 album ''Waiting for the Sun''. The song's lyrics were written by lead singer Jim Morrison, though the songwriting credit identified each member of the Doors as songwriters. ...

'' – Alan Roper *1965: ''Dead Man's Chest'' *1968: ''

The Bofors Gun ''The Bofors Gun'' is a 1968 British drama film directed by Jack Gold and starring Nicol Williamson, David Warner, Ian Holm and John Thaw. It was based on the play ''Events While Guarding the Bofors Gun'' by John McGrath. It is set in 1954, ...

'' – Featherstone *1970: ''Praise Marx and Pass the Ammunition'' – Dom *1970: '' The Last Grenade'' – Terry Mitchell *1972: ''

Dr. Phibes Rises Again ''Dr. Phibes Rises Again'' is a 1972 British horror-dark comedy film, produced by Louis M. Heyward, directed by Robert Fuest, that stars Vincent Price and Robert Quarry. The film is a sequel to ''The Abominable Dr. Phibes'' (1971). After seekin ...

'' – Shavers *1977: ''

'' – Det. Insp. Jack Regan *1978: '' Sweeney 2'' – Det. Insp. Jack Regan *1981: '' Killing Heat'' – Dick Turner *1987: ''

'' (aka Biko – Biko Asking for Trouble) – Jimmy Kruger *1988: '' Business As Usual'' – Kieran Flynn *1992: '' Chaplin'' – Fred Karno *1996: ''Masculine Mescaline'' (short) – The Man *1998: ''Goodnight Mister Tom'' – Tom

Stage

*1958 Cymbeline *1958 As You Like It *1958 The Cherry Orchard *1958 Pillars of Society *1958 The Taming of the Shrew *1958 A Winter's Tale *1958 The Lady's Not For Burning *1958 Twelfth Night *1958 Macbeth *1959 Hobson's Choice *1959 Paradise Lost *1959 Antigone *1959 Alcestis *1959 Faust *1959 The Knight of the Burning Pestle *1960 A Shred of Evidence *1960 The Wind and the Rain *1960 Staircase *1961 The Fire Raisers *1961 Chips With Everything *1961 Two into One *1962 Women Beware Women *1962 Semi-Detached (with Laurence Olivier) *1964 The Father *1967 Around The World in 80 Days *1967 Little Malcom And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs *1969 So What About Love? *1970 Random Happenings in the Hebrides by John McGrath *1971 The Lady from the Sea *1972 Chinamen *1972 The New Quixote *1972 Black And Silver *1972 The Two of Us *1973 Collaborators *1976 Absurd Person Singular *1977 The Two of Us (Revival) *1978 Night and Day *1982 Serjeant Musgrave's Dance *1983 Twelfth Night *1983 The Time of Your Life *1983 Henry VIII *1984 Pygmalion *1986 Two into One (Revival) *1988 All My Sons *1993 The Absence of War by David Hare *2001 Peter Pan as Captain Hook

Honours and awards

Won *1977

Evening Standard British Film Award The Evening Standard British Film Awards were established in 1973 by London's ''Evening Standard'' newspaper. The Standard Awards is the only ceremony "dedicated to British and Irish talent," judged by a panel of "top UK critics." Each ceremony ...

– Best Actor for: Sweeney! *1990

British Academy Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...

– Best Actor for: "Inspector Morse" *1993 British Academy Award – Best Actor for: "Inspector Morse" *1994 CBE *1995 Aftonbladet TV Prize, Sweden – Best Foreign TV Personality – Male (Bästa utländska man) *1998 National Television Award – Most Popular Actor for: "Inspector Morse" *1998

Special Recognition Award The Special Recognition Award is presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, in conjunction with their annual Saturn Award ceremony. Recipients Below is a list of recipients and the year the award was presented: *''Marc ...

– Most Popular Actor for: "Inspector Morse" *1999 National Television Award – Most Popular Actor for: "Goodnight, Mister Tom" *2001 National Television Award – Most Popular Actor for: "Inspector Morse" and Academy Fellowship Nominated *1988 British Academy Award – Best Actor in a Supporting Role for: "Cry Freedom" *1991 British Academy Award – Best Actor for: "Inspector Morse" *1992 British Academy Award – Best Actor for: "Inspector Morse" *2000 National Television Award – Most Popular Actor for: "Monsignor Renard" *2002 National Television Award – Most Popular Actor for: "Buried Treasure" A memorial bench is dedicated to Thaw within the grounds of

St Paul's Covent Garden St Paul's Church is a Church of England parish church located in Bedford Street, Covent Garden, central London. It was designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission for the 4th Earl of Bedford in 1631 to create "houses and buildings fit fo ...

References

Bibliography

*Hancock, Sheila (2004). ''The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw''. London: Bloomsbury. *''John Thaw: The Biography''. Stafford Hildred and Tim Ewbank. London: Andre Deutsch.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thaw, John 1942 births 2002 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English male television actors English male film actors English male stage actors English socialists Male actors from Manchester BAFTA fellows Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People from Gorton Deaths from esophageal cancer Inspector Morse Deaths from cancer in England Labour Party (UK) people People educated at Ducie Technical High School for Boys Royal Shakespeare Company members