Thomas Nicol Williamson (14 September 1936 – 16 December 2011) was a Scottish actor, once described by playwright

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...

as "the greatest actor since

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

". He was also described by

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

as "touched by genius" and viewed by many critics as "the Hamlet of his generation" during the late 1960s.

Early life

Thomas Nicol Williamson was born on 14 September 1936 (he would later claim 1938 in ''

Who's Who ''Who's Who'' (or ''Who is Who'') is the title of a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biography, biographical information on the prominent people of a country. The title has been adopted as an expression meaning a gr ...

'') in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, Lanarkshire, the son of Hugh Williamson, operator of an aluminium manufacturing plant and former hairdresser's assistant, and Mary Brown Hill, née Storrie. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Birmingham, England. Williamson was sent back to Hamilton to live with his grandparents during World War II due to Birmingham's susceptibility to bombing, but returned when the war ended, and was educated at the Central Grammar School for Boys, Birmingham. He left school at 16 to begin work in his father's factory and later attended the Birmingham School of Speech & Drama. He recalled his time there as "a disaster" and claimed "it was nothing more than a

finishing school A finishing school focuses on teaching young women social graces and upper-class cultural rites as a preparation for entry into society. The name reflects that it follows on from ordinary school and is intended to complete the education, wit ...

for the daughters of local businessmen".

Career

Stage and screen

After his national service as a gunner in the Airborne Division, Williamson made his professional debut with the Dundee Repertory Theatre in 1960 and the following year appeared with the Arts Theatre in Cambridge. In 1962 he made his London debut as

Flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

in Tony Richardson's production of ''

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 ...

'' at the Royal Court Theatre. His first major success came in 1964 with

's ''

Inadmissible Evidence Admissible evidence, in a court of law, is any testimonial, documentary, or tangible evidence that may be introduced to a factfinder—usually a judge or jury—to establish or to bolster a point put forth by a party to the proceeding. Fo ...

'', for which he was nominated for a Tony Award when it transferred to Broadway the following year. In spring 1981, he and original director Anthony Page revived the play for a six-week engagement at the Roundabout Theatre (23rd Street) in New York, fifteen years after the original Broadway run. The same year, he appeared as Vladimir in

's '' Waiting for Godot'' at the Royal Court. He starred in the film version in 1968. Williamson's '' Hamlet'' for Tony Richardson at the Roundhouse caused a sensation; it was later transferred to New York and made into a film, with a cast including Anthony Hopkins and Marianne Faithfull. Faithfull later stated in her autobiography ''Faithfull'' that she and Williamson had an affair while filming ''Hamlet''. His most celebrated film role was as

Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...

the magician in the

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

epic '' Excalibur'' in 1981. Director

John Boorman Sir John Boorman (; born 18 January 1933) is a British film director, best known for feature films such as ''Point Blank'' (1967), ''Hell in the Pacific'' (1968), ''Deliverance'' (1972), ''Zardoz'' (1974), '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' (1977), ...

cast him opposite

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

Morgana Morgana may refer to: People * Morgana Gmach (born 1994), Brazilian female rhythmic gymnast * Morgana King (1930–2018), American singer and actress * Morgana O'Reilly (born 1985), New Zealand actress * Morgana Robinson (born 1982), British c ...

over the protests of both actors; the two had previously appeared together on stage in ''

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 ...

'', with disastrous results, and they disliked each other intensely. It was Boorman's hope that the very real animosity that they had towards each other would generate more tension between them on screen. Williamson gained recognition from a much wider fanbase for his performance as Merlin. A review of ''Excalibur'' in '' The Times'' in 1981 states: "The actors are led by Williamson's witty, perceptive Merlin, missed every time he's off the screen." According to Mirren, she and Williamson, free from the problems with ''Macbeth'', "wound up becoming very good friends" during ''Excalibur''. Some of his other notable cinematic performances include as a troubled Irish soldier in the 1968 Jack Gold film ''

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, d ...

''; in 1975 as an intelligence officer in apartheid South Africa in ''

The Wilby Conspiracy ''The Wilby Conspiracy'' is a 1975 British adventure thriller film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Michael Caine, Sidney Poitier, and Nicol Williamson. Filmed in Kenya, it was written by Rodney Amateau, based on the 1972 novel by Peter Dr ...

'' (starring

Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive ...

and Michael Caine); as

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 ...

in the 1976 Herbert Ross film ''

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution ''The Seven-Per-Cent Solution: Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D.'' is a 1974 novel by American writer Nicholas Meyer. It is written as a pastiche of a Sherlock Holmes adventure, and was made into a film of the same na ...

''; and as Little John in the 1976 Richard Lester film '' Robin and Marian''. Additionally, he portrayed an MI6 bureaucrat in '' The Human Factor'' (1979) (adapted from a novel by Graham Greene); an alcoholic attorney in '' I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can'' (1982); a colonel in the Cincinnati Gestapo in the Neil Simon comedy ''

The Cheap Detective ''The Cheap Detective'' is a 1978 American mystery comedy film written by Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore. It stars Peter Falk as Lou Peckinpaugh, a parody of Humphrey Bogart. The film is a parody of Bogart films such as ''Casablanca'' ...

''; Lord Louis Mountbatten in ''Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy'' (1985); the dual roles of Dr. Worley/The Nome King in '' Return To Oz'' (1985); Father Morning in ''

The Exorcist III ''The Exorcist III'' is a 1990 American psychological horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty. It is the third installment in the ''Exorcist'' series, an adaptation of Blatty's ''Exorcist'' novel ''Legion'' (1983), and the fin ...

'' (1990); Badger in the 1996 movie adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's '' Wind in the Willows''; and as Cogliostro in the 1997 movie adaptation of Todd McFarlane's comic book '' Spawn''. Williamson made a major contribution to the documentary ''John Osborne and the Gift of Friendship'', recalling episodes from his long professional relationship with Osborne. Recorded excerpts of his award-winning stage performance in ''Inadmissible Evidence'' also feature in the video. Williamson was known for throwing onset tantrums and onstage antics. During the Philadelphia tryout of ''Inadmissible Evidence'', a play in which he delivered a performance that would win him a Tony Award nomination in 1965, he punched the equally mercurial producer

David Merrick David Merrick (born David Lee Margoulis; November 27, 1911 – April 25, 2000) was an American theatrical producer who won a number of Tony Awards. Life and career Born David Lee Margulois to Jewish parents in St. Louis, Missouri, Merrick gradua ...

. In 1968, he apologised to the audience for his performance one night while playing Hamlet and then walked off the stage, announcing he was retiring. In the early 1970s, Williamson left '' The Dick Cavett Show'' prior to a scheduled appearance, leaving the host and guest Nora Ephron to fill the remaining time. In 1976, he slapped actor Jim Litten during the curtain call for the Broadway musical '' Rex''. In 1991, he hit co-star Evan Handler on the backside with a sword during a Broadway performance of '' I Hate Hamlet''.

Other work

Following a late-night chat show appearance in which he showcased his singing talents, Williamson released an album of songs in 1971 on the CBS label (S 64045). The album contained songs such as " Didn't We", " It's Impossible" and " Help Me Make It Through the Night". In 1974, Williamson recorded an abridged reading of '' The Hobbit'' for Argo Records, authorisation for the abridgement having been provided by

J.R.R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...

's publisher. The recording was produced by

Harley Usill Harley John Vaughan Usill (13 July 1925 – 7 October 1991) was a British record company executive. He was joint founder and managing director of British record label Argo Records. After an extended period in various occupations, including a ...

. According to his official website, Williamson re-edited the original script himself, removing many occurrences of "he said", "she said", and so on, as he felt that an over-reliance on descriptive narrative would not give the desired effect; he performed each character in a distinctive voice. In 1978, he portrayed a murderous behaviour expert in the ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC f ...

'' episode "How To Dial A Murder".

Personal life

In 1971, Williamson married actress

Jill Townsend Jill Townsend (born January 25, 1945) is an Anglo-American actress best known for her roles as Elizabeth Chynoweth in ''Poldark'' and Dulcey Coopersmith in the 1967 western television series ''Cimarron Strip''. Life and career Townsend was born ...

, who had played his daughter in the Broadway production of ''Inadmissible Evidence''. They had a son, Luke, but divorced in 1977. Despite concerns over his health in the 1970s, Williamson admitted drinking heavily and claimed to smoke 80 cigarettes a day. In an episode of ''The

David Frost Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ' ...

Show'' in the 1960s, during a discussion about death, which also involved poet

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...

, Williamson revealed that he was very much afraid of dying, saying that "I think of death constantly, throughout the day" and that "I don't think there is anything after this, except complete oblivion."

Death

Williamson died on 16 December 2011, aged 75, two years after being diagnosed with

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voice ...

. In accord with Williamson's wish the news of his death was released a month later, as he did not want a fuss made over his death.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Awards

Nicol Williamson was nominated for three

BAFTA Awards 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 ...

, a

Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...

, two Tony Awards,Nicol Williamson Tony Awards Info
''BroadwayWorld.com''. Retrieved 15 December 2011. and won the Silver Shell for the Best Actor from the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 1969 for his performance in '' Laughter in the Dark''.

BAFTA Awards

, - , 1969 , ''

'' ,

Best Actor in a Leading Role Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...

, , - , 1970 , ''

'' ,

, , - , 1973 , ''The Gangster Show: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'' , Television Award for Best Actor ,

Drama Desk Awards

, - , 1969 , '' Hamlet'' , Outstanding Performance , , - , 1974 , '' Uncle Vanya'' , Outstanding Performance , , - , 1976 , '' Rex'' , Outstanding Actor in a Musical ,

Saturn Awards

, - , 1982 , '' Excalibur'' , Best Supporting Actor ,

Tony Awards

, - , 1966 , ''

'' , Best Actor in a Play , , - , 1974 , '' Uncle Vanya'' , Best Actor in a Play ,