Michael Denison
John Michael Terence Wellesley Denison (born November 1, 1915 in Doncaster , Yorkshire , † July 22, 1998 in Amersham , Buckinghamshire ) was a British actor .
Life
After the early death of his mother, Denison grew up with uncle and aunt in the south of England. There he attended Harrow School , where he was inspired by Terence Rattigan for the theater. While studying modern languages at Magdalen College , Oxford, he played a small part, directed by John Gielgud, in a production of Shakespeare's Richard II with Vivien Leigh in the role of Queen. He then broke off his studies with the approval of his uncle and attended the Webster-Douglas Acting School in London, where he met the young actress Dulcie Gray . Denison and Gray married in 1939.
In 1938 Denison made his stage debut as "Lord Fancourt Babberley" in the comedy Charley's Aunt in Frinton-on-Sea. In the same year he appeared as "Paris" in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida for the first time in London. There he quickly developed into a sought-after actor for productions by George Bernard Shaw , especially since the poet himself appreciated Denison's style of representation very much.
During the Second World War Denison, who was engaged with his wife in Aberdeen, interrupted his acting activities and did his military service in the Royal Signals and Intelligence Corps .
Although he made his feature film debut ( Tilly of Bloomsbury , 1940) during the war , it was not until the late 1940s that he was able to gain a foothold in this medium. Together with Dulcie Gray, he first starred in films with sentimental subjects such as My Brother Jonathan and The Glass Mountain . A few years later he was able to show greater versatility when he played both as "Algy" in Oscar Wilde's Ernst sein alles (alongside Michael Redgrave as "Ernst") and in the war drama Angels One-Five in 1951 .
He was also known to a wide audience for his lead role in the series Boyd, QC , which was produced between 1957 and 1963. He also impersonated “Jeeves” for PG Wodehouses and “Colonel Percival” in Cold Warrior . His last film appearance was in Shadowlands in 1994 .
In the last years of his life, Denison was back on stage. A few months before his death he was on stage with Dulcie Gray with the joint theater program Double Act .
Michael Denison was also active in the actors' union for many years, for which he held several honorary positions.
Denison and his wife also co-authored several books: 1964 The Actor and His World and the memoirs Overture and Beginners (1973) and Double Act (1985).
Filmography
- 1940: Tilly of Bloomsbury
- 1946: The Copper Mountain ( Hungry Hill )
- 1947: Strong Hearts ( My Brother Jonathan )
- 1947: Echo of Love ( The Glass Mountain )
- 1951: The Wonderful Flicker Box ( The Magic Box )
- 1952: Being Earnest ( The Importance of Being Ernest )
- 1951: Angels One-Five
- 1952: The Franchise Affair
- 1957-63: Boyd, QC
- 1978 The Professionals (Sir Arden's Confession) Series Season 1, Episode 8
- 1993: Shadowlands
Web links
- Michael Denison in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dennis Barker, "Perfect antidote to kitchen sink drama," in: Guardian, July 23, 1998.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Denison, Michael |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Denison, John Michael Terence Wellesley (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 1, 1915 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Doncaster , Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 22, 1998 |
| Place of death | Amersham , Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom |