Anthony Frederick Charles "Tom" Adams (9 March 1938 – 11 December 2014) was an English

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

with roles in adventure, horror and mystery films and several TV shows. He was best known for his role as Daniel Fogarty in several series of ''

The Onedin Line ''The Onedin Line'' is a BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham. The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and covers the rise of a fictional shipping company, the Onedin Line, nam ...

''.

Early life

Adams was born in Poplar,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and his father was a commercial chauffeur. After school he did

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

, then joined the

Unity Theatre, London Unity Theatre was a theatre club formed in 1936, and initially based in St Judes Hall, Britannia Street, Somers Town, London NW1. In 1937, it moved to a former chapel in Goldington Street, also in Somers Town, an area which is part of the prese ...

. He adopted the stage name of Tom Adams and taught English and drama at the Cardinal Griffin secondary modern school, Poplar, in the 1960s between acting jobs with repertory companies.Tom Adams obituary at Daily Express
Retrieved 20 December 2014Tom Adams obituary The Guardian
Retrieved 20 December 2014

Career

He appeared in television series such as '' The Avengers'', ''

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created b ...

'' and '' Ghost Squad'' as well as films from 1961 and made his West End debut, supporting

Anton Walbrook Adolf Anton Wilhelm Wohlbrück (19 November 18969 August 1967) was an Austrian actor who settled in the United Kingdom under the name Anton Walbrook. A popular performer in Austria and pre-war Germany, he left in 1936 out of concerns for his ...

and

Peter Sallis Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

, in ''Masterpiece'' at the

Royalty Royalty may refer to: * Any individual monarch, such as a king, queen, emperor, empress, etc. * Royal family, the immediate family of a king or queen regnant, and sometimes his or her extended family * Royalty payment for use of such things as int ...

in 1961. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962 as one of an infusion of new actors into Michael Elliott’s production of '' As You Like It'' at the

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...

. His first big screen break was a role as Nimmo in '' The Great Escape'' (1963), in which the salary from the film allowed him to buy his first car. He starred as the lead of a

film series A film series or movie series (also referred to as a film franchise or movie franchise) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. This article explains what film series are ...

featuring a low budget imitation

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

named Charles Vine in three films beginning with '' Licensed to Kill'' (aka ''The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World'', 1965) and the sequels ''

Where the Bullets Fly ''Where the Bullets Fly'' is a 1966 British comedy spy film directed by John Gilling and starring Tom Adams as Charles Vine and John Arnatt reprising their roles from '' Licensed to Kill''. It also stars Dawn Addams, Tim Barrett and Michael R ...

'' (1966) and ''

Somebody's Stolen Our Russian Spy ''Somebody's Stolen Our Russian Spy'' or '' O.K. Yevtushenko'' (the film shot the same year as ''O.K. Connery'') is a 1967 Spanish/British international co-production Eurospy film shot in Spain and Portugal. The film was co-produced by James Ward ...

'' (aka "O.K. Yevtushenko" 1967) that was shot in Spain. He was the second male lead in the 1966 Disney film ''

The Fighting Prince of Donegal ''The Fighting Prince of Donegal'' is a 1966 adventure film starring Peter McEnery and Susan Hampshire, based on the novel ''Red Hugh: Prince of Donegal'' by Robert T. Reilly. It was released by the Buena Vista Distribution Company. Plot Set i ...

'' after he replaced

Mark Eden Douglas John Malin (14 February 1928 – 1 January 2021), known professionally as Mark Eden, was an English actor. He was best known for his portrayal of villainous Alan Bradley in ''Coronation Street'' from 1986 to 1989. Early life Mark Ede ...

who broke his ankle during the film's shooting and menaced

Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress. She first won attention for her role in '' Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hamm ...

in '' Fathom''. Adams' television credits include ''

Emergency – Ward 10 ''Emergency Ward 10'' is a British medical soap opera series shown on ITV between 1957 and 1967. Like ''The Grove Family'', a series shown by the BBC between 1954 and 1957, ''Emergency Ward 10'' is considered to be one of British television's ...

'' where he played Dr Guy Marshall from 1964 to 1967 and later the similar Dr Guy Wallman in '' General Hospital'' between 1975 and 1978; starred as Major Sullivan in the BBC counter-espionage drama ''

Spy Trap ''Spy Trap'' was a BBC drama that ran from 1972 to 1975 on BBC1, and set around "The Department", a British counter-espionage organisation. It starred Paul Daneman as Commander Paul Ryan, a naval officer and spy chief, Prentis Hancock as Lieut ...

'' from 1973 to 1975, ''

'' as Daniel Fogarty (1977–79); ''

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 u ...

'' as Vorshak in ''

Warriors of the Deep ''Warriors of the Deep'' is the first serial of the 21st season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was broadcast in four twice-weekly parts on BBC1 from 5 to 13 January 1984. In the serial, two human power b ...

'' (1984); and ''

Emmerdale Farm ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, '' ...

'' (1987) as Malcolm Bates. He took the lead in ''

The Enigma Files ''The Enigma Files'' is a British television police procedural that ran for one series of fifteen episodes in 1980. Plot summary The series was a police procedural, written by Derek Ingrey, about a police officer who has been sidelined from ...

'' in 1980. During the late 1970s, he appeared in TV commercials for Dixons, and for many years in the 1980s and 1990s he was the face of the furniture store chain DFS/ Northern Upholstery. In 2011, he was seen in a series of commercials advertising the Aero Biscuit, and he later appeared in an ad for Stannah Stairlifts and

Hyundai Hyundai is a South Korean industrial conglomerate ("chaebol"), which was restructured into the following groups: * Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested ** Hyundai Mobis, Korean car parts company ** Hyundai ...

. He was noted as a voice-over artist, and became the continuity announcer for UK television channel, E4. A keen golfer, he authored a 1996 book of short stories ''Shakespeare Was a Golfer: A Collection of Golfing Shorts''.

Death

Adams died on 11 December 2014 at the age of 76 at

Wexham Park Hospital Wexham Park Hospital is a large National Health Service, NHS hospital in Slough, Berkshire. It has been managed by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust since 2014. Andrew Valentine Morris, Sir Andrew Morris is the chief executive of Frimley Health ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

, of cancer.

TV and filmography

* ''

A Chance of Thunder ''A Chance of Thunder'' is a 1961 British television series written by John Hopkins and produced by the BBC. It was transmitted in six episodes.Baskin p. 59 The BBC later wiped the series, and none of the six episodes are thought to survive. C ...

'' (1961, TV series) .... Evans *'' The Avengers'' (1961-1969, TV Series) .... PC Butterworth / Rayner / Grenville *''

A Pair of Briefs ''A Pair of Briefs'' is a 1962 black and white British courtroom comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Michael Craig, Mary Peach, Brenda De Banzie and James Robertson Justice. The screenplay concerns a newly qualified female barri ...

'' (1962) .... Wheelchair attendant (uncredited) *'' Play It Cool'' (1962) .... Reporter #2 (uncredited) *'' A Prize of Arms'' (1962) .... Corporal Glenn *'' The Great Escape'' (1963) .... Dai Nimmo, "Diversions" *''

This Is My Street ''This Is My Street'' is a 1963 British black and white kitchen sink drama film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring Ian Hendry, June Ritchie, Avice Landone, John Hurt and Meredith Edwards. The screenplay is by Bill MacIlwraith from a novel ...

'' (1964) .... Paul *''

'' (1964, TV Series) .... Mr. Guy Marshall *'' The Peaches'' (1964, British short subject) .... The Boy *''

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 debuted ...

'' (1965, TV Series) .... Steve *'' R3'' (1965,TV Series) .... John Rawlins *'' Licensed to Kill'' (1965) .... Charles Vine *'' The Spies'' (1966, TV Series) .... Stefan *''

'' (1966) .... Charles Vine *''

'' (1966) .... Henry O'Neill *'' Fathom'' (1967) .... Mike *'' Subterfuge'' (1968) .... Peter Langley *'' O.K. Yevtushenko'' (1968) .... Charles Vine *''

Journey to Midnight ''Journey to Midnight'' is a 1971 British made-for-television horror film featuring two episodes derived from the 1968–1969 anthology television series ''Journey to the Unknown'' starring Chad Everett and Julie Harris, directed by Roy Ward B ...

'' (1968) .... Jerry Crown (segment "The Indian Spirit Guide") *''

Strange Report ''Strange Report'' is a British television crime drama series starring Anthony Quayle as Adam Strange. It was produced by ITC Entertainment and first broadcast in 1969 on ITV In the United States, NBC broadcast ''Strange Report'' between 8 Ja ...

'' (1969, TV Series) .... Clinton *''

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...

'' (1970, Episode: "

The Psychobombs "The Psychobombs" is the twelfth episode aired of the first series of ''UFO'', a 1970 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth. The screenplay was written by Tony Barwick and the director was Jeremy Summers. The ...

") .... Captain Lauritzen *''

The House That Dripped Blood ''The House That Dripped Blood'' is a 1971 British anthology horror film directed by Peter Duffell and distributed by Amicus Productions. It stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Nyree Dawn Porter, Denholm Elliott, and Jon Pertwee. The ...

'' (1970) .... Richard / Dominic (segment 1 "Method for Murder") *''

Von Richthofen and Brown ''Von Richthofen and Brown'', alternatively titled ''The Red Baron'', is a 1971 war film directed by Roger Corman and starring John Phillip Law and Don Stroud as Manfred von Richthofen and Roy Brown. Although names of real people are used and ...

'' aka ''The Red Baron'' (1971) .... Owen *''

The Persuaders! ''The Persuaders!'' is an action-comedy series starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore, produced by ITC Entertainment, and initially broadcast on ITV and ABC in 1971. The show has been called 'the last major entry in the cycle of adventure ser ...

'' , ('The Time and the Place', episode) (1971, TV Series) .... Piers Emerson *''The Fast Kill'' (1972) .... Max Stein *'' The Daredevil Men'' (1972, British short subject) .... Unidentified leading man *''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...

'' (1972-1976, TV Series) .... Charlie Mann / Johnny Orwell / Jack Montelbetti *''

Madigan ''Madigan'' is a 1968 American neo-noir crime drama thriller film directed by Don Siegel (as Donald Siegel) and starring Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda and Inger Stevens The screenplay—originally titled ''Friday, Saturday, Sunday''—wa ...

'' (1972–1973, TV Series) .... Detective Jaqueta *''

'' (1973) .... Major Sullivan *'' General Hospital'' (1975–1978, TV Series) .... Dr. Guy Wallman *''

'' (1977–1979, TV Series) .... Daniel Fogarty *''

'' (1980, TV Series) .... Det Chief Insp Nick Lewis *''

'' (1984, TV Series) .... Commander Vorshak *''

Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from O ...

'' (1984, TV Series) .... Richard Moreland *''Strike It Rich!'' (1986–1987, TV Series) .... Ken Stevenson *''

Pyrates ''Pyrates'' is a 1991 comedy film, starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick about a couple who experience pyrokinesis after having sex. Directed and written by Noah Stern, the film was released on VHS on December 18, 1991. Plot When Ari (Kevin B ...

'' (1991) .... Calico Jack (uncredited) *''Day of the Sirens'' (2002) .... Chat Show Host (final film role)

References

External links

*
Tom Adams; Aveleyman.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Tom 1938 births 2014 deaths English male film actors Male actors from London Deaths from cancer in England English male soap opera actors English male stage actors Royal Shakespeare Company members 20th-century English male actors People from Poplar, London Coldstream Guards soldiers