Keith Joseph Michell (1 December 1926 – 20 November 2015) was an Australian actor who worked primarily in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and was best known for his television and film portrayals of King Henry VIII. He appeared extensively in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

and other classics and musicals in Britain, and was also in several Broadway productions. He was an artistic director of the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

in the 1970s and later had a recurring role on '' Murder, She Wrote'' as the charming thief Dennis Stanton. He was also known for illustrating a collection of

Jeremy Lloyd John Jeremy Lloyd, OBE (22 July 1930 – 23 December 2014) was an English writer, screenwriter, author, poet and actor. He was the co-writer of several successful British sitcoms, including ''Are You Being Served?'' and Allo 'Allo!''. Ear ...

's poems ''

Captain Beaky ''Captain Beaky & His Band (Not Forgetting Hissing Sid!!!)'', commonly shortened to ''Captain Beaky & His Band'' or ''Captain Beaky'', is the title of two albums (volumes 1 and 2) of poetry by Jeremy Lloyd set to music by Jim Parker and recited ...

'', and singing the title song from the associated album.

Early life

Michell was born in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, and brought up in Warnertown, near

Port Pirie Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, north of the state capital, Adelaide. The city has an expansive history which dates back to 1845. Port Pirie was the first proclaimed regional city in South A ...

. His parents were Joseph, a cabinet-maker, and Alice (née Aslat). Educated at Port Pirie High School, Adelaide Teachers' College and Adelaide University, he began his career as an art teacher and made his professional acting debut in 1947 in the comedy ''Lover’s Leap'', by Bill Daily, at Adelaide's Playbox Theatre. He then worked in radio for ABC in Adelaide. In 1949, he moved to Britain to study at the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

Theatre School.

Career

Michell joined the Young Vic theatre company and made his first appearance in London by 1951. An early role there was Bassanio in ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

''. His first London musical was ''And So to Bed'', playing King Charles II. With the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company in 1952–1953, he toured in Australia. Then, at Stratford-upon-Avon, he appeared in a series of Shakespeare plays: ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

Troilus and Cressida ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ) is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forced to leave Troy to join her father in the Greek camp. Meanwh ...

'', and '' Romeo and Juliet''. In 1956, on television, he played Henry Higgins in ''Pygmalion'' by

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 ...

and, the same year, at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...

, he starred in the title role in

Ronald Duncan Ronald Frederick Henry Duncan (6 August 1914 – 3 June 1982) was an English writer, poet and playwright of German descent, now best known for his poem '' The Horse'' and for preparing the libretto for Benjamin Britten's opera ''The Rape of Lucr ...

's ''Don Juan'' and in several Old Vic Company productions as Benedick in ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'', Proteus in ''

The Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first tentative steps in laying ...

'', Antony in '' Antony and Cleopatra'' and Aaron in ''

Titus Andronicus ''Titus Andronicus'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593, probably in collaboration with George Peele. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy and is often seen as his attempt to emul ...

''.

In 1958, he played Nestor-Le-Fripe in the musical ''

Irma La Douce ''Irma la Douce'' (, "Irma the Sweet") is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder from a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond, based on the 1956 French stage musical of the same name by Marguerite Monnot and Alexa ...

'', also starring in the role with the National Theatre in Washington, DC, and on Broadway in 1960–1961. At the newly opened

, in 1962, he played Don John in ''

The Chances ''The Chances'' is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy written by John Fletcher. It was one of Fletcher's great popular successes, "frequently performed and reprinted in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries." The play's Prologue assigns the ...

'' and then Ithocles in ''

The Broken Heart ''The Broken Heart'' is a Caroline era tragedy written by John Ford, and first published in 1633. "The play has long vied with Tis Pity She's a Whore'' as Ford's greatest work...the supreme reach of his genius...." The date of the play's authorshi ...

'', and in British television adaptations, he starred as Heathcliff in ''Wuthering Heights'' (1962) and, in a series of Roman plays titled ''The Spread of the Eagle'', he played

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the au ...

(1963). He later sang in a series of television specials written for him. Also on Broadway, he played the Count in ''The Rehearsal'' by

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an a ...

(1963). In 1964 in London, he starred as Robert Browning in the musical ''

Robert and Elizabeth ''Robert and Elizabeth'' is a musical with music by Ron Grainer and book and lyrics by Ronald Millar. The story is based on an unproduced musical titled ''The Third Kiss'' by Judge Fred G. Moritt, which in turn was adapted from the play '' The ...

'', opposite Australian soprano

June Bronhill June Mary Bronhill (26 June 192924 January 2005), also known as June Gough, was an Australian coloratura soprano opera singer, performer and actress, She was well known for light opera, operetta and musical theatre in London West End theatr ...

. He played the dual role of

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best kno ...

and his fictional creation

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

in the musical '' Man of La Mancha'', first starring in the original London production of the musicalAllMusic – Keith Michell biography
cast album
''Man of La Mancha'' sound recording – Trove entry
/ref> and then on Broadway. He also starred as Abelard in the Broadway play ''Abelard and Heloise'' with

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 193810 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series '' The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in ''On H ...

Ronald Millar Sir Ronald Graeme Millar (12 November 1919 – 16 April 1998) was an English actor, scriptwriter, and dramatist. Life and career After attending Charterhouse School, Millar studied at King's College, Cambridge for a year before joining th ...

(1971) and as Georges in '' La Cage aux Folles'' in the 1980s. On stage, in film and on television, he appeared several times as King Henry VIII, perhaps most memorably in the series '' The Six Wives of Henry VIII'' in 1970 and the similar film ''

Henry VIII and his Six Wives ''Henry VIII and His Six Wives'' is a 1972 British historical film adaptation, directed by Waris Hussein, of the BBC 1970 six-part miniseries '' The Six Wives of Henry VIII''. Keith Michell, who plays Henry VIII in the TV series, also portrays ...

'' (1972). For this he won an Emmy. The actual Emmy was given to Julie Andrews, who presented him with it when he appeared on her show, for the 2nd time. He reprised the role in a 1996 television series adaptation of ''

The Prince and the Pauper ''The Prince and the Pauper'' is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. Set in 1547 ...

''. Other films included ''

Dangerous Exile ''Dangerous Exile'' is a 1957 British historical drama film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Louis Jourdan, Belinda Lee, Anne Heywood and Richard O'Sullivan. It concerns the fate of Louis XVII, who died in 1795 as a boy, yet was pop ...

'' (1957), ''

The Hellfire Club Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high-society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century. The name most commonly refers to Francis Dashwood's Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe. Such clubs, r ...

'' (1961), ''

Seven Seas to Calais ''Seven Seas to Calais'' (in Italy ''Il dominatore dei sette mari'') is a 1962 Italian adventure film in Eastmancolor and CinemaScope, produced by Paolo Moffa, directed by Rudolph Maté (his final film) and Primo Zeglio, that stars Rod Taylor, K ...

'' (1962) and '' The Executioner'' (1970). He appeared in a series of Gilbert and Sullivan TV adaptations by Brent Walker. On American television from 1988 to 1993, Michell made appearances on the mystery series '' Murder, She Wrote'', playing Dennis Stanton, a former jewel thief turned insurance claims investigator. He was the artistic director of the Chichester Festival Theatre from 1974 to 1977, appearing in many of their productions, including as the Director in '' Tonight We Improvise'', as the title character in ''

Oedipus Tyrannus ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Gr ...

'', and in '' A Month in the Country'' and ''

The Confederacy The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized Secession in the United States, breakaway republic in the ...

'' by Vanbrugh. As well as acting, Michell wrote the musical ''Pete McGynty and the Dreamtime'', an Australian rendering of Henrik Ibsen's '' Peer Gynt'', the performance of which used Michell's own paintings as backdrops. He enjoyed a recording career as a soloist, with one of his singles, ''I'll Give You the Earth'', which he co-wrote, reaching No. 30 in the UK charts in 1971, boosted by his high-profile on television at the time. He also illustrated a limited edition run of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's sonnets, for which he did the calligraphy; and wrote and illustrated a number of macrobiotic cookbooks. Michell himself was a proponent of the

macrobiotic diet A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics) is a fad diet based on ideas about types of food drawn from Zen Buddhism. The diet tries to balance the supposed yin and yang elements of food and cookware. Major principles of macrobiotic diets are to reduce ...

and philosophy. Michell illustrated ''

'', a collection of

's poems. The Captain Beaky character enjoyed success in the UK in the early 1980s, among both children and adults. The song "Captain Beaky", sung by Michell, peaked at No. 5 and No. 36 in the UK and Australia respectively in 1980.

Personal life and death

He married the actress

Jeanette Sterke Jeanette Laura Sterke is a British actress. Sterke was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her parents emigrated to England to escape the Nazis. She went to school in England and attended RADA. She has had a long stage and television career. She ...

in 1956, and they had a son, Paul who was the lead singer of 80s band the Roaring Boys, and a daughter, Helena, who appeared in the films ''

Prick Up Your Ears ''Prick Up Your Ears'' is a 1987 British film, directed by Stephen Frears, about the playwright Joe Orton and his lover Kenneth Halliwell. The screenplay was written by Alan Bennett, based on the 1978 biography by John Lahr. The film stars Gar ...

'' and ''

Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

''. Michell died in Hampstead, London, eleven days before his 89th birthday.

Filmography

*''

True as a Turtle ''True as a Turtle'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Wendy Toye and starring John Gregson, Cecil Parker, June Thorburn and Keith Michell. In the film, a young couple embark on a voyage on a ketch named ''Turtle''. John Coates wrote t ...

'' (1957) – Harry Bell *''

'' (1957) – Colonel St. Gerard *''

The Gypsy and the Gentleman ''The Gypsy and the Gentleman'' is a 1958 British costume drama film directed by Joseph Losey. It stars Melina Mercouri and Keith Michell Keith Joseph Michell (1 December 1926 – 20 November 2015) was an Australian actor who worked primaril ...

'' (1958) – Sir Paul Deverill *''Dow Hour of Great Mysteries'' (1960, TV series) – Baron Von Ragastein *''

'' (1961) – Jason Caldwell *'' All Night Long'' (1962) – Cass Michaels *''Wuthering Heights'' (1962, TV movie) – Heathcliff *''Dominatore dei sette mari, Il'' (1962) – Malcolm Marsh *''The Spread of the Eagle'' (1963, TV mini-series) – Marc Antony *''The Bergonzi Hand'' (1963, TV series) – Gabriel Cordier *''Soldier in Love'' (1967, TV movie) – John Churchill *'' Hallmark Hall of Fame'' (1967, TV movie) – John Churchill *'' Kain'' (1967, TV play) *''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' (1968, TV series) – Martin *''

Prudence and the Pill ''Prudence and the Pill'' is a 1968 British comedy film made by Twentieth Century-Fox. It was directed by Fielder Cook and Ronald Neame and produced by Kenneth Harper and Ronald J. Kahn from a screenplay by Hugh Mills, based on his 1965 novel. ...

'' (1968) – Dr. Alan Hewitt *''

House of Cards A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a structu ...

'' (1968) – Général Sébastien Henri René de Villemont / Dr Morillon *''

Play of the Month ''Play of the Month'' is a BBC television anthology series, which ran from 1965 to 1983 featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays (or adaptations) which were usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different wo ...

'' (1968–1969, TV series) – Caliban *'' The Six Wives of Henry VIII'' (1970, TV mini-series) – King Henry VIII *'' The Executioner'' (1970) – Adam Booth *''Wiltons'' (1970, TV series) – Music Hall Performer *'' The Morecambe and Wise Show'' (1971, TV series) – Himself / Captain Tony Snug-Fitting *''

Henry VIII and His Six Wives ''Henry VIII and His Six Wives'' is a 1972 British historical film adaptation, directed by Waris Hussein, of the BBC 1970 six-part miniseries '' The Six Wives of Henry VIII''. Keith Michell, who plays Henry VIII in the TV series, also portrays ...

'' (1972) – King Henry VIII *''Keith Michell at Her Majesty's Show of the Week'' (1972, TV series) – Himself *''

The Julie Andrews Hour ''The Julie Andrews Hour'' was a television variety series starring Julie Andrews that was produced by ATV and distributed by ITC Entertainment. It aired on the ABC network in the United States. Known as the Julie Andrews Show in the UK and air ...

'' (1972-1973, two episodes, guest)''The Julie Andrews Hour'' DVDs *''

The Story of Jacob and Joseph ''The Story of Jacob and Joseph'' is a 1974 American Biblical drama television film directed by Michael Cacoyannis, based on the Biblical ''Book of Genesis'' with a screenplay written by Ernest Kinoy. It stars Keith Michell as Jacob, Tony Lo Bianc ...

'' (1974, TV movie) – Jacob *'' Moments'' (1974) – Peter Samuelson *''

The Story of David ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' (1976, TV movie) – Older David *''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

'' (1979, TV movie) – Marcus Antonius *'' The Tenth Month'' (1979, TV movie) – Matthew Poole *'' The Day Christ Died'' (1980, TV movie) – Pontius Pilate *''

Grendel Grendel Grendel ''Grendel Grendel Grendel'' is a 1981 Australian animated film written, directed and designed by Alexander Stitt and starring Peter Ustinov. It was based on John Gardner's novel '' Grendel''. The music was composed and conducted by Bruce Smea ...

'' (1981) – The Shaper (voice) *''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 187 ...

'' (1982, TV movie) – Major General Stanley *''

The Gondoliers ''The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria'' is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances (at that time the ...

'' (1982, TV movie) – Don Alhambra del Bolero *''

Ruddigore ''Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse'', originally called ''Ruddygore'', is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written tog ...

'' (1982, TV movie) – Robin Oakapple / Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd *''

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

'' (1983, TV movie) – Marsh *'' Cross Creek'' (1983) – Preston Turner *''The Miracle'' (1985, TV movie) *'' My Brother Tom'' (1986, TV mini-series) – Edward Quayle *''

Captain James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and ...

'' (1986, TV TV mini-series) – Captain James Cook *'' The Deceivers'' (1988) – Colonel Wilson *'' Murder, She Wrote'' (1988–1993, TV series) – Dennis Stanton (recurring role) *''The Prince and the Pauper'' (1996, TV mini-series) – King Henry VIII *'' Love/Loss'' (2010) – Joe

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Michell, Keith 1926 births 2015 deaths Australian male television actors Australian male film actors Australian male stage actors Australian expatriates in England Australian expatriates in the United Kingdom Diet food advocates Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Port Pirie 20th-century Australian male actors 21st-century Australian male actors