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Nigel Stock (21 September 1919 - 23 June 1986) was a British actor who played character roles in many films and television dramas. He was perhaps best known for his stint as
Dr Watson John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel '' A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). The last work by Doyle ...
in TV adaptations of the
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 ...
stories, for his supporting roles as a solidly reliable English soldier or bureaucrat in several war and historical film dramas, and for playing the title role in ''
Owen, M.D. ''Owen, M.D.'' was a BBC 1 television series that ran from 1971 to 1973. It centred around the eponymous lead character's new country practice, following his departure from '' The Doctors'', which had been set in north London. Two-part stories a ...
''.


Early life

Stock was born in
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, the son of an Army captain. He grew up in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
before attending St Paul's School, London and 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 ...
, where he earned the Leverhulme Exhibition, Northcliffe Scholarship, and the Principal's Medal.


Military service

Stock served in 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 ...
with the
London Irish Rifles The London Irish Rifles (LIR) was a reserve infantry regiment and then company of the British Army. The unit's final incarnation was as D (London Irish Rifles) Company, the London Regiment. On 1 April 2022 soldiers in the company transferred to ...
and the Assam Regiment of the Indian Army in
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
and Kohima. He was honourably discharged with the rank of
Major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...
, having twice been
mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
.


Acting

He made his stage debut in 1931, and during his career achieved numerous classical and contemporary credits at various distinguished theatres, including 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 ...
and on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
, with productions of ''
The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some cri ...
'', ''
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 ...
'', ''
She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays from the 18th ...
'', ''
Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the di ...
''. His start in films came with uncredited bit parts in ''
The Man Who Could Work Miracles ''The Man Who Could Work Miracles'' is a 1937 London Films British fantasy-comedy film directed by Lothar Mendes and produced by Alexander Korda. The film stars Roland Young with a cast of supporting players including Sir Ralph Richardson. ...
'' (1938) and '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939). In 1937 he made his first credited film appearance in ''
Lancashire Luck ''Lancashire Luck'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Henry Cass. It is notable as the film debut of Wendy Hiller, and the first credited appearance of Nigel Stock. Plot The film is set around the paterfamilia of the Lovejoy family in ...
''. After his wartime service, he returned to acting. His film appearances included popular releases such as '' Brighton Rock'' (1947), '' The Dam Busters'' (1955), '' The Great Escape'' (1963), '' The Lion in Winter'' and '' The Lost Continent'' (both 1968), and '' Russian Roulette'' (1975). Between 1964 and 1968, Nigel Stock became a household name in the UK for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in a series of
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 ...
dramas for BBC television. Later in life, he portrayed the mentor of Sherlock Holmes in '' Young Sherlock Holmes''. His other numerous television credits included ''
Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...
'' (1965), '' The Avengers'' (1964 & 1966), ''
The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...
'' (1967), '' The Doctors'' (1969–71), ''
Owen, M.D. ''Owen, M.D.'' was a BBC 1 television series that ran from 1971 to 1973. It centred around the eponymous lead character's new country practice, following his departure from '' The Doctors'', which had been set in north London. Two-part stories a ...
'' (1971–73), ''
Quiller Quiller is a fictional character created by English novelist Elleston Trevor. Quiller, whose one-word name is a pseudonym, works as a spy, and he is the hero of a series of 19 Cold War thrillers written under the pseudonym Adam Hall, and becam ...
'' (1975), ''
Van der Valk ''Van der Valk'' is a British television crime drama series produced for the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The first series ran from 1972 to 1992; followed by a remake in 2020. Created by Nicolas Freeling and based on his novels about a dete ...
'' (1977), the ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
'' serial ''
Time Flight ''Time-Flight'' is the seventh and final serial of the 19th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts on BBC1 from 22 to 30 March 1982. The serial is set at the ...
'' (1982), ''
Yes Minister ''Yes Minister'' is a British political satire sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. Comprising three seven-episode series, it was first transmitted on BBC2 from 1980 to 1984. A sequel, ''Yes, Prime Minister'', ran for 16 episodes fr ...
'' (1982), ''
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' is a 1974 spy novel by British author John le Carré. It follows the endeavours of taciturn, aging spymaster George Smiley to uncover a Soviet mole in the British Secret Intelligence Service. The novel has receive ...
'' (1979) and for a BBC dramatisation of ''
A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...
'' (1980) as well as ''
The Pickwick Papers ''The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club'' (also known as ''The Pickwick Papers'') was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with '' Sketches by Boz'' published in 1836, Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to ...
'' (1985) as
Mr. Pickwick Samuel Pickwick is a fictional character and the main protagonist in ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836), the first novel by author Charles Dickens. One of the author's most famous and loved creations, Pickwick is a retired successful businessman an ...
. Stock and his third wife, Richenda Carey, had just appeared together on stage in the world premiere of ''Mumbo Jumbo'' in May 1986, when, on 23 June 1986, he died in
Camden, London The London Borough of Camden () is a London borough in Inner London. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the area of the former boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn, and ...

of a Myocardial infarction, heart attack, aged 66.


Personal life and death

Stock was married three times. He married his first wife, Catherine Hodnett, in 1943; the couple had one son and divorced in 1947. His second marriage was to Sonia Williams in 1951. They divorced in 1980 after having three children together. Stock's third marriage was to actress Richenda Carey in 1979. They remained married until his death. Stock was found dead of "
natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distin ...
" on Monday 23 June 1986 at his home in north London.


Radio

*'' Wimsey - Have His Carcase (BBC radio)''(1981) Inspector Umpelty *''
Space Force A space force is a military branch of a nation's armed forces that conducts military operations in outer space and space warfare. The world's first space force was the Russian Space Forces, established in 1992 as an independent military service. ...
'' (1984–85) Magnus Carter *''221B'' (1986) Dr Watson


Selected filmography

* ''
The Man Who Could Work Miracles ''The Man Who Could Work Miracles'' is a 1937 London Films British fantasy-comedy film directed by Lothar Mendes and produced by Alexander Korda. The film stars Roland Young with a cast of supporting players including Sir Ralph Richardson. ...
'' (1936) – Office Boy (uncredited) * ''
Lancashire Luck ''Lancashire Luck'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Henry Cass. It is notable as the film debut of Wendy Hiller, and the first credited appearance of Nigel Stock. Plot The film is set around the paterfamilia of the Lovejoy family in ...
'' (1937) – Joe Lovejoy * ''
Break the News ''Break the News'' is the third studio album by Swedish singer Darin. It was released on 22 November 2006 in Sweden. The album reached the top of the Swedish Album Charts. Four singles were released from the album in Sweden with an additional t ...
'' (1938) – Stage Boy (uncredited) * ''
Luck of the Navy ''Luck of the Navy'' is a 1938 British comedy thriller film directed by Norman Lee and starring Geoffrey Toone, Judy Kelly and Clifford Evans. Shot at Elstree StudiosWood p.98 it was based on the play '' The Luck of the Navy'' by Mrs Cliffor ...
'' (1938) * '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939) – John Forrester (uncredited) * '' Sons of the Sea'' (1939) – Rudd * '' It Always Rains on Sunday'' (1947) – Ted Edwards * '' Brighton Rock'' (1947) – Cubitt * '' The Lady with a Lamp'' (1951) * '' Derby Day'' (1952) – Jim Molloy * ''
Appointment in London ''Appointment in London'' (known as ''Raiders in the Sky'' in the U.S.) is a 1953 British war film set during the Second World War and starring Dirk Bogarde. The film was directed by Philip Leacock and based on a story by John Wooldridge, who ...
'' (1953) – Co-Pilot (uncredited) * '' Malta Story'' (1953) – Giuseppe Gonzar aka Ricardi * '' Aunt Clara'' (1954) – Charles Willis * '' The Night My Number Came Up'' (1955) – The Pilot * '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) – Flying / Off. F. M. Spafford, D.F.C., D.F.M. * '' Eyewitness'' (1956) – Barney * '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956) – Chief Officer, Tairoa, Prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited) * '' The Silent Enemy'' (1958) – Able Seaman Fraser * ''
Never Let Go ''Never Let Go'' is a 1960 British thriller film starring Richard Todd, Peter Sellers and Elizabeth Sellars. It concerns a man's attempt to recover his stolen Ford Anglia car. Sellers plays a London villain, in one of his rare serious roles. P ...
'' (1960) – Regan * '' Victim'' (1961) – Phip * ''
H.M.S. Defiant ''H.M.S. Defiant'' (released as ''Damn the Defiant!'' in the United States) is a British naval war CinemaScope and Technicolor film from 1962 starring Alec Guinness and Dirk Bogarde. It tells the story of a mutiny aboard the fictitious ship of ...
'' (1962) – Senior Midshipman Kilpatrick * ''
The Password Is Courage ''The Password Is Courage'' is a 1962 British comedy-drama war film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, based on John Castle's 1954 World War II memoir of the same name. Written, produced, and directed by Andrew L. Stone, the film stars Dirk Bogarde, Mar ...
'' (1962) – Cole * ''
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: 'To Have and to Hold') (1963) – George Matthews - (Working Title: ''
BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
'': 'Sleep Long, My Love') * '' The Great Escape'' (1963) – Flt. Lt. Dennis Cavendish "The Surveyor" * ''
Espionage (TV series) ''Espionage'' is a British-produced TV spy anthology series broadcast in the United States on NBC from October 2, 1963, until September 2, 1964. Synopsis Made from actual case histories, episodes used newsreel and documented narratives to sho ...
'' ('Medal for a Turned Coat', episode) (1964) - Harry Forbes * '' Nothing but the Best'' (1964) – Ferris * ''
Weekend at Dunkirk ''Weekend at Dunkirk'' (french: Week-end à Zuydcoote) is a 1964 war drama film directed by Henri Verneuil and starring Jean-Paul Belmondo. It is based on the 1949 Prix Goncourt winning novel ''Week-end at Zuydcoote'' (French: ''Week-end à Zuyd ...
'' (1964) – Un soldat brûlé * '' The High Bright Sun'' (1964) – Lt. Col. N. Park * ''
The Night of the Generals ''The Night of the Generals'' is a 1967 World War II mystery film directed by Anatole Litvak and produced by Sam Spiegel. It stars Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet and Philippe Noiret. The screenplay ...
'' (1967) – Otto * '' The Lost Continent'' (1968) – Dr. Webster * '' The Lion in Winter'' (1968) – William Marshal * ''
Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
'' (1970) – Sir Edward Hyde * '' Bequest to the Nation'' (1973) – George Matcham * '' Russian Roulette'' (1975) – Ferguson * ''
Operation Daybreak ''Operation Daybreak'' (also known as ''The Price of Freedom'' in the U.S. and ''Seven Men at Daybreak'' during production) is a 1975 war film based on the true story of Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of SS general Reinhard Heydrich in ...
'' (1975) – General * ''
The Mirror Crack'd ''The Mirror Crack'd'' is a 1980 British mystery film directed by Guy Hamilton from a screenplay by Jonathan Hales and Barry Sandler, based on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novel ''The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side'' (1962). It stars Ange ...
'' (1980) – Inspector Gates ('Murder at Midnight') * '' Yellowbeard'' (1983) – Admiral * '' Young Sherlock Holmes'' (1985) – Rupert T. Waxflatter


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stock, Nigel 1986 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art British Army personnel of World War II English male film actors English radio actors English male stage actors English male television actors London Irish Rifles officers People educated at St Paul's School, London 20th-century English male actors British Indian Army officers Indian Army personnel of World War II