James Anthony HazeldineBillington, Michael. "Obituary – James Hazeldine. Gifted actor whose TV fame never dulled his love of theatre". In ''

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 Gu ...

'', 20 Dec 2002. (4 April 1947 – 17 December 2002) was a British television,

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

and

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

actor and director.

Early life

Hazeldine was born the son of a

dustman A waste collector, also known as a garbageman, garbage collector, trashman (in the US), binman or (rarely) dustman (in the UK), is a person employed by a public or private enterprise to collect and dispose of municipal solid waste (refuse) and r ...

Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, where he grew up on a

council estate Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council estates, council housing, or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011 when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in so ...

."Obituaries – James Hazeldine." In ''The Telegraph'', 20 Dec 2002. (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1416629/James-Hazeldine.html) As a child, he became obsessed with the films of director Elia Kazan. At the age of 11, he found out that Kazan had started his career as an actor and stage manager, he decided to do the same. Following the death of his mother, he left school when he was 15. He was accepted as a student assistant stage manager at Salford

Repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawin ...

where he soon started taking on small acting roles. Seasons at

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actres ...

, Newcastle Playhouse and

Manchester Library Theatre Manchester Central Library is the headquarters of the Manchester Library & Information Service, city's library and information service in Manchester, England. Facing St Peter's Square, Manchester, St Peter's Square, it was designed by E. Vincent ...

followed.

Stage work

At the age of 20, Hazeldine made his London debut 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, Englan ...

Sloane Square Sloane Square is a small hard-landscaped square on the boundaries of the central London districts of Belgravia and Chelsea, located southwest of Charing Cross, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The area forms a boundary betwe ...

. Initially hired to understudy as Cliff in ''

Look Back In Anger ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...

'', Hazeldine soon started taking on small roles in Edward Bond's ''Narrow Road to the Deep North'' and ''Early Morning''. He worked constantly at the Royal Court during the 1969–1970 season. Spotting Hazeldine's potential, Peter Gill then cast him in his play ''Over Gardens Out'' and went on to direct him in ''Crete and Sergeant Pepper'' by John Antrobus. Although Hazeldine was rarely cast in starring roles, he became noted as an exceptionally honest and truthful actor who after his inductory season at the Royal Court was regularly seen in new plays, e.g. ''The Old Ones'' by

Arnold Wesker Sir Arnold Wesker (24 May 1932 – 12 April 2016) was an English dramatist. He was the author of 50 plays, four volumes of short stories, two volumes of essays, much journalism and a book on the subject, a children's book, some poetry, and oth ...

, ''The Foursome'' by EA Whitehead and ''Cato Street'' by Peter Gill. In 1981 he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company for a season to appear in productions of ''Troilus and Cressida'', ''Timon of Athens'', ''Richard III'' and Edward Bond's play ''The Fool''. In 1984 Hazeldine made his Broadway debut as Sam Evans in ''Strange Interlude'' with

Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson (born 9 May 1936) is an English actress and former Member of Parliament (MP). She has won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice: for her role as Gudrun Brangwen in the romantic drama ''Women in Love'' (1970); and again for ...

. He returned to New York in 1998 when he played Harry Hope in ''The Iceman Cometh'' starring

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolade ...

."London's Burning star Hazeldine dies", BBC News, 20 Dec 2002. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2589587.stm) His last stage performance was that of the guilt-ridden Joe Keller in Arthur Miller's ''All My Sons'' (2000), praised by John Peter of the ''Sunday Times'' as "the subtlest and most harrowing performance of his career."

Television and film

Hazeldine was also a prolific television actor who is probably best known for his role as firefighter Mike "Bayleaf" Wilson in the LWT drama '' London's Burning''. He played the role from 1986 to 1996 and also directed some episodes. Other major TV roles include that of Frank Barraclough in the 1973–1975 drama series '' Sam'' and the role of journalist Tom Crane in the 1979 paranormal thriller series ''

The Omega Factor ''The Omega Factor'' (stylized as ''The Ωmega Factor'') is a British television series produced by BBC Scotland in 1979. It was created by Jack Gerson and produced by George Gallaccio, and transmitted in ten weekly episodes between 13 June an ...

''. He also starred in the children's series ''

Chocky ''Chocky'' is a science fiction novel by British writer John Wyndham. It was first published as a novelette in the March 1963 issue of ''Amazing Stories'' and later developed into a novel in 1968, published by Michael Joseph. The BBC produce ...

'' (1984) and its sequels '' Chocky's Children'' (1985) and ''

Chocky's Challenge ''Chocky'' is a 1984 children's six-part television drama based on the 1968 novel of the same name by John Wyndham. It was first broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom from 9 January to 13 February 1984. Two six-part sequels—''Chocky's Child ...

'' (1986), all scripted by one of ''The Omega Factor's'' writers,

Anthony Read Anthony Read (21 April 1935 – 21 November 2015) was an English television producer, screenwriter, script editor and author. He was principally active in British television from the 1960s to the mid-1980s, which included a period as a script ...

. In 1983 he played the part of Kidder in Willy Russell's five part

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

drama ''One Summer'', also starring

David Morrissey David Mark Joseph Morrissey (born 21 June 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. Described by the British Film Institute as "one of the most versatile English actors of his generation", he is noted for the meticulous preparation and research h ...

. In the later 1980s Hazeldine had major roles in two BBC comedy dramas: as haulage firm owner Picard in ''Truckers'' (1987) and as Bernie in ''Streets Apart'' (1988–1989). In 1993 he played Reg Manston in the ''Heartbeat'' episode "Bitter Harvest". In 1999, He played Austin Danforth in the ITV drama '' The Last Train'' and in 2001 he appeared as Ivan Braithwaite in '' Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years''. In September 1996 he directed the ''Heartbeat'' episode "Forget Me Not". Hazeldine also appeared in Granada Television's production of "

The Musgrave Ritual "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual" is a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, featuring his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. The story was originally published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom in May 1893, and in ''Harper's ...

", as part of

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

's '' The Return of Sherlock Holmes'' series, as Richard Brunton, alongside Jeremy Brett, as well as the ''

Miss Marple Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Jane Marple lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterized as an elderly spinster, she is one of Ch ...

'' story "

The Murder at the Vicarage ''The Murder at the Vicarage'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in October 1930 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. The UK editio ...

", as Lawrence Redding, alongside

Joan Hickson Joan Bogle Hickson, OBE (5 August 1906 – 17 October 1998) was an English actress of theatre, film and television. She was known for her role as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in the television series ''Miss Marple''. She also narrated a number ...

Paul Eddington Paul Clark Eddington (18 June 1927 – 4 November 1995) was an English actor best known for playing Jerry Leadbetter in the television sitcom '' The Good Life'' (1975–78) and politician Jim Hacker in the sitcom '' Yes Minister'' (1980–84) ...

and

Cheryl Campbell Cheryl Campbell (born 22 May 1949) is an English actor of stage, film and television. She starred opposite Bob Hoskins in the 1978 BBC drama '' Pennies From Heaven'', before going on to win the 1980 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for ''Testamen ...

. Shortly before he died, Hazeldine played DI Stan Egerton in the ITV television drama '' Shipman'' (2002). His film credits are less numerous. Hazeldine made his screen debut as Stalin in ''

Nicholas and Alexandra ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' is a 1971 British epic historical drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, from a screenplay written by James Goldman and Edward Bond, based on Robert K. Massie's 1967 book of the same name, which is a partia ...

'' (1971). His credits also include '' The National Health'' (1973), ''

The Medusa Touch ''The Medusa Touch'' is a 1973 novel by Peter Van Greenaway, which was adapted fairly faithfully into a feature film in 1978. The novel tells the story of a radically disenchanted novelist with highly destructive telekinetic powers. ''The Med ...

'' (1978) and ''

Pink Floyd – The Wall ''Pink Floyd – The Wall'' is a 1982 British live-action/animated psychological musical drama film directed by Alan Parker, based on Pink Floyd's 1979 album of the same name. The screenplay was written by Pink Floyd vocalist and bassist Rog ...

'' (1982).

Death

Hazeldine was taken ill on 10 December 2002, a day after portraying

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies explained as originatin ...

in Christopher Hampton's play ''The Talking Cure'' at the

Cottesloe Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

. He died one week later of an

aortic dissection Aortic dissection (AD) occurs when an injury to the innermost layer of the aorta allows blood to flow between the layers of the aortic wall, forcing the layers apart. In most cases, this is associated with a sudden onset of severe chest or ...

, caused by complications from a triple heart bypass he had received six months earlier. Following Hazeldine's death,

Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas ...

, director of the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

, described him as "a leading actor of minutely observed truthfulness, comic brio and emotional daring" who "was also a man of infectious enthusiasm, great warmth and humanity who was universally popular amongst his colleagues".

Stage appearances

* ''Narrow Road to the Deep North'' (1969)"Obituaries: James Hazeldine." In ''The Times'', 21 Dec 2002, p.35 * ''Early Morning'' (1969) * ''Over Gardens Out'' (1969) * ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' (1970) * ''The Old Ones'' (1972) * ''Cato Street'' * ''The Foursome'' (1971) * ''Three Months Gone'' (1972) * ''Crete and Sergeant Pepper'' (1972) * ''As You Like It'' * ''Troilus and Cressida'' (1981) * ''Richard III'' (1981) * ''The Fool'' (1981) * ''Timon of Athens'' (1981) * ''The Love-Girl and the Innocent'' (1981) * ''Guys and Dolls'' (1983) * ''The Beggar's Opera'' (1983) * ''Way Upstream'' (1983) * ''Schweyk in the Second World War'' (1983) * ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' (1983) * ''The Spanish Tragedy'' (1983) * ''A Map of the World'' (1983) * ''Major Barbara'' (1983) * ''Kick For Touch'' (1983) * ''Small Change'' (1983) * ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1983) * ''Other Place'' (1983) * ''Lorenzaccio'' (1983) * ''The Rivals'' (1983) * ''You Can't Take It With You'' (1983) * ''The Trojan War Will Not Take Place'' (1983) * ''The Fawn'' (1983) * ''One Woman Plays'' (1983) * ''Tales from Hollywood'' (1983) * ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1983) * ''Strange Interlude'' (1984) * ''The Daughter-in-Law'' * ''This Story of Ours'' (1987) * ''Chips With Everything'' (1997) * ''The Iceman Cometh'' (1998) * ''All My Sons'' (2000)Binding, Paul. 2000. "The flights of a lifetime" In ''The Times Literary Supplement'', 11 Aug 2000, p.20

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1971) - Stalin * '' The Ruling Class'' (1972) - Fraser * '' The National Health'' (1973) - Student Doctor * '' Stardust'' (1974) - Brian * ''

'' (1978) - Lovelass * ''Exchange and Divide'' (1980) - Kenneth Carr * ''

'' (1982) - Lover * '' London's Burning'' (1986; TV pilot movie) - Mike 'Bayleaf' Wilson * '' Business as Usual'' (1988) - Mark * ''A Small Dance'' (1991) - Brian Matkin *''Emma'' (1996) - Mr Weston * * '' Eisenstein'' (2000) - Jack Marshall (voice)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hazeldine, James 1947 births 2002 deaths Deaths from aortic dissection English male stage actors English male television actors English male film actors Male actors from Salford 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors