Keith Joseph Michell (1 December 1926 – 20 November 2015) was an Australian actor who worked primarily in the United Kingdom, and was best known for his television and film portrayals of King

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. He appeared extensively in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 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 ...

and other classics and musicals in Britain, and was also in several Broadway productions. He was an

artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogu ...

of the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

in the 1970s and later had a recurring role on ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' as the charming thief Dennis Stanton. He was also known for illustrating a collection of

Jeremy Lloyd John Jeremy Lloyd (22 July 1930 – 23 December 2014) was an English writer, screenwriter, author, poet and actor. He was the co-writer of several successful British sitcoms, including '' Are You Being Served?'' and '' 'Allo 'Allo!''. Early ...

's poems '' Captain Beaky'', and singing the title song from the associated album. Michell was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Film for his performance as Harry Bell in ''True as a Turtle'' (1957). He later won the

BAFTA Award for Best Actor Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognise an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in ...

for playing

in ''The Six Wives of Henry VIII'' (1970).

Early life

Michell was born in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, and brought up in Warnertown, near

Port Pirie Port Pirie is a small city on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, north of the state capital, Adelaide. Port Pirie is the largest city and the main retail centre of the Mid North region of South Australia. The city has an ex ...

. His parents were Joseph, a cabinet-maker, and Alice (née Aslat). Educated at Port Pirie High School, Adelaide Teachers' College and Adelaide University, he began his career as an art teacher and made his professional acting debut in 1947 in the comedy ''Lover's Leap'', by Bill Daily, at Adelaide's Playbox Theatre. He then worked in radio for ABC in Adelaide. In 1949, he moved to Britain to study at 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, Mai ...

Theatre School.

Career

Michell joined the Young Vic theatre company and made his first appearance in London by 1951. An early role there was Bassanio in ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

''. His first London musical was ''And So to Bed'', playing King Charles II. With the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company in 1952–1953, he toured in Australia. Then, at

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...

, he appeared in a series of Shakespeare plays: ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

Troilus and Cressida ''The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida'', often shortened to ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ), is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forc ...

'', and ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

''. In 1956, on television, he played Henry Higgins in ''Pygmalion'' by

Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

and, the same year, 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 West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

, he starred in the title role in

Ronald Duncan Ronald Frederick Henry Duncan (6 August 1914 – 3 June 1982) was an English writer, poet and playwright of German descent, now best known for his poem ''The Horse (poem), The Horse'' and for preparing the libretto for Benjamin Britten's opera ' ...

's ''Don Juan'' and in several Old Vic Company productions as Benedick in ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

'', Proteus in ''

The Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first ten ...

'', Antony in ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

'' and Aaron in ''

Titus Andronicus ''The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus'', often shortened to ''Titus Andronicus'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first t ...

''. In 1958, he played Nestor-Le-Fripe in the musical '' Irma La Douce'', also starring in the role with the National Theatre in Washington, DC, and on Broadway in 1960–1961. At the newly opened

, in 1962, he played Don John in '' The Chances'' and then Ithocles in '' The Broken Heart'', and in British television adaptations, he starred as Heathcliff in ''Wuthering Heights'' (1962) and, in a series of Roman plays titled ''The Spread of the Eagle'', he played

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman people, Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the Crisis of the Roman Republic, transformation of the Roman Republic ...

(1963). He later sang in a series of television specials written for him. Also on Broadway, he played the Count in ''The Rehearsal'' by

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; ; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ...

(1963). In 1964 in London, he starred as

Robert Browning Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian literature, Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentar ...

in the musical '' Robert and Elizabeth'', opposite Australian soprano June Bronhill. He played the dual role of

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( ; ; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelist ...

and his fictional creation

Don Quixote , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...

in the musical ''

Man of La Mancha ''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay '' I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervan ...

'', first starring in the original London production of the musicalAllMusic – Keith Michell biography
cast album
''Man of La Mancha'' sound recording – Trove entry
/ref> and then on Broadway. He also starred as Abelard in the Broadway play ''Abelard and Heloise'' with

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...

by Ronald Millar (1971) and as Georges in '' La Cage aux Folles'' in the 1980s. On stage, in film and on television, he appeared several times as King

, perhaps most memorably in the BBC series '' The Six Wives of Henry VIII'' in 1970 and the similar film '' Henry VIII and His Six Wives'' (1972). For this he won an Emmy. The actual Emmy was given to Julie Andrews, who presented him with it when he appeared on her show, for the 2nd time. He reprised the role in a 1996 television series adaptation of ''

The Prince and the Pauper ''The Prince and the Pauper'' is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. The plot conce ...

''. In the late 1950s Michell was under contract to the Rank Organisation who gave him roles in films such as ''True as a Turtle'', ''The Gentleman and the Gypsy'' and ''Dangerous Exile''. Other films included '' The Hellfire Club'' (1961), '' Seven Seas to Calais'' (1962) and '' The Executioner'' (1970). He appeared in a series of

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...

TV adaptations by Brent Walker. On American television from 1988 to 1993, Michell made appearances on the mystery series ''

'', playing Dennis Stanton, a former jewel thief turned insurance claims investigator. He was the artistic director of the Chichester Festival Theatre from 1974 to 1977, appearing in many of their productions, including as the Director in '' Tonight We Improvise'', as the title character in ''

Oedipus Tyrannus ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' (, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Classical Athens, Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. While some scholars have argued that the play was first performed , this is highly uncerta ...

'', and in '' A Month in the Country'' and '' The Confederacy'' by Vanbrugh. As well as acting, Michell wrote the musical ''Pete McGynty and the Dreamtime'', an Australian rendering of

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

's ''

Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five-Act (drama), act play in verse written in 1867 by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen. It is one of Ibsen's best known and most widely performed plays. ''Peer Gynt'' chronicles the journey of its title character fr ...

'', the performance of which used Michell's own paintings as backdrops. He enjoyed a recording career as a soloist, with one of his singles, ''I'll Give You the Earth'', which he co-wrote, reaching No. 30 in the UK charts in 1971, boosted by his high-profile on television at the time. He also illustrated a limited edition run of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 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 nation ...

sonnet A sonnet is a fixed poetic form with a structure traditionally consisting of fourteen lines adhering to a set Rhyme scheme, rhyming scheme. The term derives from the Italian word ''sonetto'' (, from the Latin word ''sonus'', ). Originating in ...

s, for which he did the calligraphy; and wrote and illustrated a number of macrobiotic cookbooks. Michell himself was a proponent of the

macrobiotic diet A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics) is an unconventional restrictive diet based on ideas about types of food drawn from Zen Buddhism. The diet tries to balance the supposed yin and yang elements of food and cookware. Major principles of macrobi ...

and philosophy. Michell illustrated '' Captain Beaky'', a collection of

's poems. The Captain Beaky character enjoyed success in the UK in the early 1980s, among both children and adults. The song "Captain Beaky", sung by Michell, peaked at No. 5 and No. 36 in the UK and Australia respectively in 1980.

Personal life and death

He married the actress Jeanette Sterke in 1957. They had a son, Paul who was the lead singer of 80s band the Roaring Boys, and a daughter, Helena, who appeared in the films ''

Prick Up Your Ears ''Prick Up Your Ears'' is a 1987 British film, directed by Stephen Frears, about the playwright Joe Orton and his lover Kenneth Halliwell. The screenplay was written by Alan Bennett, based on the 1978 biography by John Lahr. The film stars G ...

'' and '' Maurice''. Michell died in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

, London, eleven days before his 89th birthday.

Filmography

*'' True as a Turtle'' (1957) – Harry Bell *'' Dangerous Exile'' (1957) – Colonel St. Gerard *'' The Gypsy and the Gentleman'' (1958) – Sir Paul Deverill *''Dow Hour of Great Mysteries'' (1960, TV series) – Baron Von Ragastein *'' The Hellfire Club'' (1961) – Jason Caldwell *'' All Night Long'' (1962) – Cass Michaels *''Wuthering Heights'' (1962, TV movie) – Heathcliff *''Dominatore dei sette mari, Il'' (1962) – Malcolm Marsh *'' The Shifting Heart'' (1962) (TV) *''The Spread of the Eagle'' (1963, TV mini-series) – Marc Antony *''The Bergonzi Hand'' (1963, TV series) – Gabriel Cordier *''Soldier in Love'' (1967, TV movie) – John Churchill *''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...

'' (1967, TV movie) – John Churchill *'' Kain'' (1967, TV play) *''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' (1968, TV series) – Martin *'' Prudence and the Pill'' (1968) – Dr. Alan Hewitt *''

House of Cards A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a struc ...

'' (1968) – Général Sébastien Henri René de Villemont / Dr Morillon *''

Play of the Month ''Play of the Month'' is a BBC television anthology series, which ran from 1965 to 1983 featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays (or adaptations) which were usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different wor ...

'' (1968–1969, TV series) – Caliban *'' The Six Wives of Henry VIII'' (1970, TV mini-series) – King Henry VIII *'' The Executioner'' (1970) – Adam Booth *''Wiltons'' (1970, TV series) – Music Hall Performer *'' The Morecambe and Wise Show'' (1971, TV series) – Himself / Captain Tony Snug-Fitting *'' Henry VIII and His Six Wives'' (1972) – King Henry VIII *''Keith Michell at Her Majesty's Show of the Week'' (1972, TV series) – Himself *'' The Julie Andrews Hour'' (1972-1973, two episodes, guest)''The Julie Andrews Hour'' DVDs *'' The Story of Jacob and Joseph'' (1974, TV movie) – Jacob *'' Moments'' (1974) – Peter Samuelson *'' The Story of David'' (1976, TV movie) – Older David *''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

'' (1979, TV movie) – Marcus Antonius *'' The Tenth Month'' (1979, TV movie) – Matthew Poole *'' The Day Christ Died'' (1980, TV movie) – Pontius Pilate *''

Grendel Grendel Grendel ''Grendel Grendel Grendel'' is a 1981 Australian animated film written, directed and designed by Alex Stitt, Alexander Stitt and starring Peter Ustinov. It was based on John Gardner (American writer), John Gardner's novel ''Grendel (novel), Grend ...

'' (1981) – The Shaper (voice) *''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

'' (1982, TV movie) – Major General Stanley *'' The Gondoliers'' (1982, TV movie) – Don Alhambra del Bolero *'' Ruddigore'' (1982, TV movie) – Robin Oakapple / Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd *''

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...

'' (1983, TV movie) – Marsh *'' Cross Creek'' (1983) – Preston Turner *''The Miracle'' (1985, TV movie) *'' My Brother Tom'' (1986, TV mini-series) – Edward Quayle *'' Captain James Cook'' (1986, TV TV mini-series) – Captain James Cook *'' The Deceivers'' (1988) – Colonel Wilson *''

'' (1988–1993, TV series) – Dennis Stanton (recurring role) *''The Prince and the Pauper'' (1996, TV mini-series) – King Henry VIII *'' Love/Loss'' (2010) – Joe

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Michell, Keith 1926 births 2015 deaths Australian male television actors Australian male film actors Australian male stage actors Australian expatriates in England Australian expatriate male actors in the United Kingdom Diet food advocates Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Port Pirie 20th-century Australian male actors Macrobiotic diet advocates 21st-century Australian male actors Spark (UK record label) artists