Richard Johnson
Famous for his rakish charm and easygoing manner, British actor Richard Johnson had a career that spanned seven decades. Born in Essex in 1927, Johnson attended Felsted School. He eventually made his professional debut at the age of 17, appearing in a production of "Hamlet" with John Gielgud's repertory theater in 1944. The next year, however, World War II compelled the young actor to join the Royal Navy in service of his country. When he completed his service in 1948, he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Johnson began his career as an actor on the stage, starring in a number of productions with London's Shakespeare Memorial Theatre throughout the '50s and '60s, including "Romeo and Juliet," "As You Like It," and "Julius Caesar." When the troupe was renamed the Royal Shakespeare Company under the direction of Peter Hall, Johnson was named as an Associate Artist of the company. In 1957, he married actress Sheila Sweet. Though the union lasted only five years, the couple produced a son and a daughter. Johnson was cast in his first credited film role, playing Captain Danny De Mortimer in "Never So Few" (1959). His performance persuaded the executives at MGM to grant him a contract. The studio even wrote a part for him into the biblical epic "King of Kings" (1961), though the role was eventually cut from the final film. Johnson remained a popular actor during this period, however, starring in films like the horror classic "The Haunting" (1963). By Johnson's own account, he was even offered the role of James Bond in the film "Dr. No" (1962), but turned the part down. A particularly memorable on-set experience came along for the actor in 1965, when he appeared in the historical comedy "The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders" (1965) with Kim Novak. A romance bloomed between Johnson and his co-star, and the two were married that same year, though they divorced a year later. The '70s found Johnson appearing in films like the Italian film "Zombi 2" (1979) and the thriller "Hennessy" (1975), for which he wrote the original story. Johnson also served as a council member for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts during this period. In 1981, the enterprising performer decided to form his own production company, founding British United Artists. He would serve as CEO of the company for the following ten years, producing films like "Turtle Diary" (1985). In 1982, he married Scandinavian beauty Marie-Louise Norlund, with whom he would have a daughter. Johnson's marriage to Norlund ended in 1989, but his acting career remained prolific. He starred in acclaimed mini-series like "The Chamomile Lawn" (Channel Four, 1992) and "Anglo-Saxon Attitudes" (ITV, 1992). The new millennium found Johnson playing the head of the Illuminati in the action blockbuster "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (2001). He married Lynne Gurney in 2004, and continued acting in new projects like the Woody Allen comedy "Scoop" (2006) and the holocaust drama "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" (2008). Johnson's final film was the dark comedy "Radiator" (2015). Richard Johnson died on June 5, 2015 in London. He was 89 years old.
Photos
Richard Johnson
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
63% |
|
The Man Who Knew Infinity | Vice Master Henry Jackson (Character) | $3.9M | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Drifter | Don (Character) | - | 2014 |
100% |
|
Radiator | Leonard (Character) | - | 2014 |
65% |
|
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas | Grandpa (Character) | $9.0M | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Two Families | Don Cataldo (Character) | - | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Raven |
Narrator/ |
- | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
Jump! | Judge Larcher (Character) | - | 2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Whatever Love Means | Lord Mountbatten (Character) | - | 2005 |
20% |
|
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider | Distinguished Gentleman (Character) | $131.1M | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
Milk | John (Character) | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Echo | Lawrence (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Breaking the Code | Dilwyn "Dilly" Knox (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Anglo-Saxon Attitudes | Unknown (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Crucifer of Blood | Dr. Watson (Character) | - | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Crackdown Big City Blues | Unknown (Character) | - | 1991 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Secret Life of Ian Fleming | Gen. Halmsden (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet |
|
Treasure Island | Squire Trelawney (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Diving In | Richard Anthony (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Man for All Seasons | Duke of Norfolk (Character) | - | 1988 |
91% |
|
Castaway | Executive Producer | $229.9K | 1987 |
82% |
|
Turtle Diary |
Mr. Johnson (Character), Producer |
$2.2M | 1985 |
No Score Yet |
|
What Waits Below | Ben Gannon (Character) | - | 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Aerodrome | Air Commander (Character) | - | 1982 |
75% |
|
The Monster Club | Busotsky's Father (Character) | - | 1981 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Portrait of a Rebel: The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger | Havelock Ellis (Character) | - | 1980 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Marquise | Raoul De Vriac (Character) | - | 1980 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square | Inspector Watford (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Great Alligator | Prophet Jameson (Character) | - | 1979 |
43% |
|
Zombi 2 | Dr. David Menard (Character) | - | 1979 |
60% |
|
Screamers | Edmond Rackham (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Comeback | Macauley (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Four Feathers | Abou Fatma (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Night Child | Michael Williams (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet |
|
Aces High | Major Lyle (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Take All of Me | Richard Lasky (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet |
|
Hennessy | Insp. Hollis (Character) | - | 1975 |
60% |
|
Beyond the Door | Dimitri (Character) | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Murder in Mind | George Drew (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Fifth Day of Peace | Cap. John Miller (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Restless | Orestes (Character) | - | 1970 |
40% |
|
Julius Caesar | Caius Cassius (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lady Hamilton | Horatio Nelson (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Beloved | Orestes (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Some Girls Do | Hugh Drummond (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Twist of Sand | Geoffrey Peace (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Oedipus the King | Creon (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Making of a Lady | Horatio Nelson (Character) | - | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Rover | Real (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Danger Route | Jonas Wilde (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet |
|
Deadlier Than the Male | Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Witch | Sergio Logan (Character) | - | 1966 |
100% |
|
Khartoum | Col. J.D.H. Stewart (Character) | - | 1966 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders | Jemmy (Character) | - | 1965 |
75% |
|
Operation Crossbow | Duncan Sandys (Character) | - | 1965 |
69% |
|
The Pumpkin Eater | Giles (Character) | - | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cairo | Ali (Character) | - | 1963 |
87% |
|
The Haunting | Dr. John Markway (Character) | - | 1963 |
No Score Yet |
|
80,000 Suspects | Dr. Steven Monks (Character) | - | 1963 |
40% |
|
Never So Few | Capt. Danny De Mortimer (Character) | - | 1959 |
100% |
|
Captain Horatio Hornblower | Macrae (Character) | - | 1951 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Silent Witness | Sir William Embleton (Guest Star) | 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lewis | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2010 |
82% | 96% | Doc Martin | Colonel Gilbert Spencer (Guest Star) | 2004 |
No Score Yet | 85% | Midsomer Murders | James Fitzroy (Character) | 1999 |
82% | 90% | Tales From the Crypt | Unknown (Character) | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Masterpiece Theatre | Unknown (Character) | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Camomile Lawn | Unknown (Character) | 1992 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Murder, She Wrote | Lord Geoffrey Constable (Guest Star) | 1987 |
No Score Yet | 95% | Magnum, P.I. | Brigadier General Alistair Ffolkes (Guest Star) | 1981 1983 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Dukes of Hazzard | Skip (Guest Star) | 1983 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tales of the Unexpected | James (Character) | 1980-1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hart to Hart | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Unknown (Character) | 1965 |