Ralph Bates (actor)

Ralph Bates (born February 12, 1940 in Bristol , United Kingdom , † March 27, 1991 in London ) was a British actor in stage, film and television.

Live and act

Bates was a great-great-nephew of the eminent French researcher Louis Pasteur and received his education at Trinity College Dublin , the university of the Irish capital. With a scholarship in his pocket, he continued his education at the Yale School of Drama . Back in Ireland, Bates made his debut there in 1963 as a stage actor in a production of Shaw's You Never Can Tell at the Dublin Gate Theater . He then appeared at various repertory theater stages and took part in classical plays à la Hedda Gabler as well as in high-spirited comedies.

In 1965 Ralph Bates made his début in front of the camera and initially worked in less significant television productions, mostly with guest roles in series. Bates became famous in the early 1970s when he starred in several films from the Hammer Films production . With black, medium-length hair, an angular skull and a mostly grim look, he was mostly allowed to play sinister anti-heroes and veritable villains, such as the monster creator Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein's horror or the nefarious experimenter Dr. Jekyll in the Jekyll & Hyde variation Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde . Also in two awesome vampire films, How does Dracula's blood taste? and Only vampires kiss bloody , he worked in a prominent position, once even on the side of the experienced horror film star Christopher Lee . In 1972 he was partner of the other great hammer star Peter Cushing in The Fear .

Just as quickly as Bates appeared out of nowhere and was built into a new horror film star, after a few years he also disappeared from the public eye again. From then on, Bates received continuous roles in series such as Moonbase 3, Dangerous Knowledge, Crown Court and most recently Dear John , where he was exceptionally used as a humorous popular figure, a newly divorced single. But also on television Bates was mostly considered with parts of villainous, power-hungry or unscrupulous characters, such as Caligula in The Caesars (1968) or as George Warleggan in the 29-part series Poldark (1975-77). He made guest appearances in numerous other TV series. Ralph Bate's last role in front of the camera was the LeDuc in the horse history King of the Winds in 1989 . Immediately afterwards, Ralph Bates developed pancreatic cancer , a disease to which he succumbed in March 1991. A year after his early death, the Ralph Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund named after him was founded.

Private

Bates was married twice: his first wife was the actress Joanna Van Gyseghem (* 1941), his second, the actress Virginia Wetherell (* 1943), he married in 1973. The marriage lasted until his death. From this marriage the children Daisy (born 1974) and William Bates (born 1977) emerged.

Filmography (small selection)

• 1965: Broad and Narrow (TV series)
• 1967: Conflict (TV series, one episode)
• 1967: Boy Meets Girl (TV series, episode)
• 1968: Crime Buster (TV series, episode)
• 1968: The Caesars (TV series)
• 1969: Happy Ever After (TV series, one episode)
• 1969: What does Dracula's blood taste like? (Taste the Blood of Dracula)
• 1970: The Woodlanders (TV series)
• 1970: The Six Wives of Henry VIII (TV series)
• 1970: The Horror of Frankenstein (The Horror of Frankenstein)
• 1970: Only vampires kiss bloody (Lust for a Vampire)
• 1971: Jason King (TV series, episode)
• 1971: The 2 ( The Persuaders , TV series, an episode)
• 1971: Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde)
• 1972: Love Story (TV series, one episode)
• 1972: The Fear (Fear in the Night)
• 1973: Moonbase 3 (TV series)
• 1973: No Pardon for Guardian Angels ( The Protectors , TV series, an episode)
• 1974: Persecution ( Persecution )
• 1975: The Devil In Her ( I Don't Want to Be Born )
• 1976: Dangerous Knowledge (TV series)
• 1976: Task Force Police (TV series, episode)
• 1975–1977: Poldark (TV series)
• 1975-1978: Crown Court
• 1979: Penmarric (TV series)
• 1979: Secret Army (TV series)
• 1981: Second Chance (TV series)
• 1982: The Incredible Stories of Roald Dahl ( Tales of the Unexpected . TV series, an episode)
• 1982: The Agatha Christie Hour ( The Agatha Christie Hour . TV series, an episode)
• 1983: Storyboard (TV series, an episode)
• 1983: The Gentle Touch (TV series, episode)
• 1984: The Odd Job Man (TV series)
• 1985: The Watcher ( Minor TV series, one episode)
• 1986: Les louves
• 1986–1987: Dear John (TV series)
• 1988: Screen Two (TV series, one episode)
• 1990: King of the Wind

Web links

• Ralph Bates in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Biography on the website of his foundation