James Laurenson (born 17 February 1940) is a New Zealand stage and screen actor.

Early life

Laurenson was born in Marton,

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-larges ...

, New Zealand. He was a student at Canterbury University College in Christchurch (now

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

) where he was directed by Dame

Ngaio Marsh Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh (; 23 April 1895 – 18 February 1982) was a New Zealand mystery writer and theatre director. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1966. As a crime writer during the " Golden Age of De ...

, notably in the title role 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 ...

'' at the Civic Theatre Christchurch in 1962. He moved to the UK in the mid-1960s and made his film debut in 1969 with a small part in ''

Women in Love ''Women in Love'' (1920) is a novel by English author D. H. Lawrence. It is a sequel to his earlier novel '' The Rainbow'' (1915) and follows the continuing loves and lives of the Brangwen sisters, Gudrun and Ursula. Gudrun Brangwen, an artist, ...

'', although he also had an uncredited part (as an Oxford rower, playing alongside Graham Chapman) in '' The Magic Christian''.

Career

He has appeared in numerous British

Shakespearean 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 ...

productions, notably ''

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father ...

'', as Rosencrantz in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'', and on radio in the marathon series, ''Vivat Rex''. He also appeared as

Piers Gaveston Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall (c. 1284 – 19 June 1312) was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of Edward II of England. At a young age, Gaveston made a good impression on King Edward I, who assigned him to the househ ...

in the 1970 production of

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (; baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights. Based upon t ...

's ''

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to ...

'', opposite

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

who later recalled that kissing Laurenson "was a bonus throughout the run". Other costume roles included a French courtier in ''

Elizabeth R ''Elizabeth R'' is a BBC television drama serial of six 85-minute plays starring Glenda Jackson as Queen Elizabeth I of England. It was first broadcast on BBC2 from February to March 1971, through the ABC in Australia and broadcast in Amer ...

'' and the Earl of Lincoln in ''

Shadow of the Tower ''The Shadow of the Tower'' is a historical drama that was broadcast on BBC2 in 1972. It was a prequel to the earlier serials '' The Six Wives of Henry VIII'' and ''Elizabeth R'' and featured several actors who had appeared in them (but in new r ...

'' (1972). That same year (1972), he took on a more modern role starring as Det. Inspector Napoleon ''"Boney"'' Bonaparte in the Australian TV drama series '' Boney'', playing a half- Aboriginal detective. This would be his most high-profile part, although the casting of a non-Aboriginal in the role was attacked by some Australian critics. In 1974, he took the lead role in the TV film ''The Prison'', based on the novel by Georges Simenon, the first instalment in the

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

/ Euston Films series ''Armchair Cinema''. He also starred as Pink's Father in the 1982 film, ''

Pink Floyd—The Wall Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...

''. Laurenson took the lead role of Julian Marsh in the West End production of Gower Champion's musical ''42nd Street'' at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...

, in 1984, his only role in a musical. He made another notable stage appearance at Greenwich Theatre in ''Falling Over England'' with Charlotte Cornwell. Throughout his career, Laurenson has had guest roles in numerous popular TV series such as ''

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 deb ...

'', '' Space: 1999'', '' The Professionals'', '' Armchair Thriller'', '' Hammer House of Horror'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Cagney and Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very di ...

'', ''

Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense ''Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense'' is a short-lived (one season) anthology television series produced in Britain in 1984/85 by Hammer Film Productions. Though similar in format to the 1980 series ''Hammer House of Horror'', the ''Mystery a ...

'', '' Inspector Morse'', '' Bergerac'', ''

Boon Boon may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Boon (game), a trick-taking card game * ''Boon'' (novel), a 1915 satirical work by H. G. Wells * ''Boon'' (TV series), a British television series starring Michael Elphick * The Ultimate Boo ...

'', ''

Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery series, based on the novels by John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six series, was originally broadcast on BBC1 between 10 January 19 ...

'', '' Prime Suspect'', '' Sharpe'', ''

A Touch of Frost A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...

'', '' Heartbeat'', ''

Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel ...

'', '' Taggart'', ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of ...

'', '' State of Play'', '' Hustle'', '' Endeavour'' and '' Spooks''. Laurenson has had many appearances on BBC Radio, including the role of the Squire of Altarnun in the 1991 adaptation of

Daphne Du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geo ...

's '' Jamaica Inn''. In 2012, he played the

Earl of Westmoreland Earl of Westmorland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The title was first created in 1397 for Ralph Neville. It was forfeited in 1571 by Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland, for leading the Rising of the Nor ...

in the

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...

adaptations of '' Henry IV, Parts I and II'', and in 2013 he appeared as Professor Hilary Ambrose in Season 2, Episode 5 of the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

's ''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective who is featured in 53 short stories published between 1910 and 1936 written by English author G. K. Chesterton. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intui ...

'' series. In 2016, he played the role of John Weir in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

series ''

The Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has differ ...

''.

Personal life

Laurenson had made his long-term home in the English market-town of

Frome Frome ( ) is a town and civil parish in eastern Somerset, England. The town is built on uneven high ground at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, and centres on the River Frome. The town, about south of Bath, is the largest in the Mendip d ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...

.BBC Interview with Helen Otter in June 2006
/ref>

Acting roles

*''

'' (1969)- Minister *'' The Magic Christian'' (1969)- Oxford crewman, ''uncredited'' *''

'' (1971, TV)- Jean de Simier *''

Assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in cr ...

'' (1971)- Greg Lomax *'' Boney'' (1971–72, TV series)- Detective Inspector Bonaparte (Boney) *'' The Shadow of the Tower'' (1972, TV)-

Earl of Lincoln Earl of Lincoln is a title that has been created eight times in the Peerage of England, most recently in 1572. The title was borne by the Dukes of Newcastle-under-Lyne from 1768 to 1988, until the dukedom became extinct. Earls of Lincoln, first ...

*'' Space: 1999: '' Catacombs of the Moon'' (1976, TV)- Patrick Osgood * ''

Esther Waters ''Esther Waters'' is a novel by George Moore first published in 1894. Overview Set in England from the early 1870s onward, the novel is about a pious young woman from a poor working-class family who, while working as a kitchen maid, is seduced ...

'' (1977, TV) - William Latch *'' Hammer House of Horror: Rude Awakening'' (1980, TV)- Mr. Rayburn *'' The Monster Club'' (1980)- Raven (The Shadmock) *'' Pink Floyd – The Wall'' (1982)- Pink's Father *'' Heartbreakers'' (1984)- Terry Ray *'' Inspector Morse'': '' The Dead of Jericho'' (1987, TV)- Tony *'' The Man Who Fell to Earth'' (1987, TV movie)- Felix Hawthorne *'' The Bourne Identity'' (1988, TV)- Gillette (2 episodes) *'' Countdown to War'' (1989, TV)- Count Ciano *'' The Man Inside'' (1990)- Mueller *'' Sharpe'' (1993, TV)- Hector Ross (5 episodes) *''

A House in the Hills ''A House in the Hills'' is a 1993 film directed by Ken Wiederhorn. It stars Michael Madsen and Helen Slater. Plot Alex is an aspiring actress, working as a waitress to make ends meet while she prepares to audition for a TV soap opera. To earn so ...

'' (1993)- Ronald Rankin *''

'' (2000, TV), “Beyond the Grave” - James Tate *''

'': '' Beyond Guilt'' (2003, TV)- Professor Peter Sachs *'' Dalziel and Pascoe'': '' Soft Touch'' (2004, TV)- Richard Mattis *'' Henry IV, Parts I and II'' (2012, TV)-

*''

'' (2016, TV)- Doctor Weir, recurring role, 5 episodes *''

'' (2014, 2017, TV), S2E6 “The Mystery Of The Rosary” (2014) - Professor Hilary Ambrose, S5E10 "The Alchemist's Secret" (2017) Professor Hilary Ambrose *'' Endeavour'': ''

Game A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (suc ...

'' (2017, TV)- Professor George Amory *''Quacks'' (2017, TV), “The Bishop’s Appendix”, Mr. Agar *''The Terror'' (2018, TV) - Episode: “Go for Broke”, “Punished as a Boy” - Sir John Barrow

References

External links

*
Interview with James Laurenson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laurenson, James 1940 births Living people Logie Award winners New Zealand emigrants to the United Kingdom New Zealand male television actors People from Marton, New Zealand