Mark Dignam

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Mark Dignam (born March 20, 1909 in London , England , † September 29, 1989 there ) was a British actor .

Life

Dignam grew up in Sheffield and studied journalism . During his school days he already appeared in numerous school performances. In 1930 he made his acting debut in a production of The Lonely House at the Country Theater in St Albans . Two years later he made his debut on the London stage at the Kingsway Theater in a production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth . In 1933 he toured the United Kingdom for the first time with A Cup of Happiness . In the 1930s he appeared as Bernado in Hamlet , Colonel Pickering in Pygmalion and Buckingham in Richard III at the Old Vic Theater in London's West End . Between 1938 and 1939 he was seen in the Broadway production of the same name based on the life of Oscar Wilde . In the 1940s he continued to perform primarily in London theaters and toured with the Old Vic Company . Between 1947 and 1950 he was a permanent member of the Old Vic Company. From 1956 to 1958 he played in Stratford-upon-Avon with the Royal Shakespeare Company in numerous Shakespeare productions such as Othello , Was ihr wollt and Romeo and Juliet .

After he had had isolated television appearances from 1938, his film career did not begin until the 1950s. At first he played minor supporting roles that were not mentioned in the credits, such as in the comedy film Aber, Herr Doktor ... In a slightly larger role he was seen in the same year on the side of Peter Ustinov and Elizabeth Taylor in the film drama Beau Brummell . In 1959 he portrayed the grandfather in the British four-part TV series Heidi . In the 1960s, he played in the films The Last Ride of Bismarck and The Taming of the Shrew, and also appeared in British TV series such as Secret Order for John Drake , The Baron and Simon Templar on.

In 1970 he starred alongside Frank Finlay , Gemma Jones and Joss Ackland in the BAFTA Award- winning BBC television production The Lie , for which Ingmar Bergman wrote the script . In the 1970s, Dignam had recurring roles as Crown Attorney John Cross on the Crown Court series and as Fairfax on The XYY Man series . In the 1980s he was mostly seen in television films, including as Duncan in a television adaptation of Macbeth .

Dignam was married for the third time. His brother Basil Dignam and his wife Mona Washbourne also worked as actors.

Filmography (selection)

Broadway

  • 1938–1939: Oscar Wilde
  • 1969: Hamlet

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Dignam, Mark
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British actor
DATE OF BIRTH March 20, 1909
PLACE OF BIRTH London , England
DATE OF DEATH September 29, 1989
Place of death London , England