Donald Moffat (26 December 1930 – 20 December 2018) was a British–American actor with a decades-long career in film and stage in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. He began his acting career on- and off-

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, which included appearances in ''

The Wild Duck ''The Wild Duck'' (original Norwegian title: ''Vildanden'') is an 1884 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It is considered the first modern masterpiece in the genre of tragicomedy. ''The Wild Duck'' and ''Rosmersholm'' are "often ...

'' and '' Right You Are If You Think You Are'', earning a Tony Award nomination for both, as well as '' Painting Churches'', for which he received an Obie Award. Moffat also appeared in several feature films, including '' The Thing'' and '' The Right Stuff'', along with his guest appearances in the television series ''

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman ''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' is an American Western drama television series created and executive produced by Beth Sullivan and starring Jane Seymour, who plays Dr. Michaela Quinn, a physician who leaves Boston in search of adventure in the O ...

'' and ''

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White Hous ...

''.

Early life

Moffat was born in Plymouth,

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

, the only child of Kathleen Mary ( née Smith) and Walter George Moffat, an insurance agent. His father was Scottish. His parents ran a boarding house in

Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-southwest of Torquay and abo ...

. Completing his studies at the local King Edward VI School and

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

from 1949 to 1951, Moffat trained at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Career

Stage

Moffat began his career as a stage actor in

and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. His first work was at the

Old Vic Theatre The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, not-for-profit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

Company in London. After moving to the United States, Moffat worked as a bartender and a lumberjack in

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

, his wife's home state. "After six months," he said, "I realized that I was an actor and I would always be an actor. And an actor must act. So I started acting again." His first acting job in the United States was in

Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...

. He worked as a carpenter, and his wife did ironing in order to supplement his $25 per week pay. He joined APA (The Association of Producing Artists), a repertory company on

, and was nominated for a Tony for Best Actor in a Play in 1967 for his roles in revivals of Henrik Ibsen's ''

'' and Pirandello's '' Right You Are If You Think You Are''. He was nominated for

Drama Desk Awards The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for Outstanding Actor in a Play for his work in ''Play Memory'' (1984) and for Outstanding Featured Actor in the revival of

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

's ''

The Iceman Cometh ''The Iceman Cometh'' is a play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939. First published in 1946, the play premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 9, 1946, directed by Eddie Dowling, where it ran for 136 perf ...

'' (1986) with

Jason Robards Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill, Robards received two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes ...

. He won an Obie for '' Painting Churches''. In 1998, he was nominated for a Gemini Award for his performance as attorney Joe Ruah in the CBC miniseries ''The Sleep Room''. He also appeared in many

and Off-Broadway plays, including John Guare's ''A Few Stout Individuals'' (as Ulysses S. Grant), ''

The Heiress ''The Heiress'' is a 1949 American romantic drama film directed and produced by William Wyler, from a screenplay written by Ruth and Augustus Goetz, adapted from their 1947 stage play of the same title, which was itself adapted from Henry Jame ...

'', ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...

'', ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a 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. 1387 The play ...

'',Criscitiello, Alexa (December 20, 2018)
"Award-Winning Actor and Director Donald Moffat Passes Away At Age 87"
''Broadway World''. Retrieved December 22, 2018. ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sn ...

'', '' The Affair'' and ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

''.

Film

Among Moffat's best-known film roles are as

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

in '' The Right Stuff'' (1983), the corrupt U.S. president in ''

Clear and Present Danger ''Clear and Present Danger'' is a political thriller novel, written by Tom Clancy and published on August 17, 1989. A sequel to '' The Cardinal of the Kremlin'' (1988), main character Jack Ryan becomes acting Deputy Director of Intelligence in ...

'', and as Garry, the station commander in '' The Thing''.

Television

Moffat played Enos in the CBS western miniseries ''

The Chisholms ''The Chisholms'' is a CBS western miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used inter ...

'',Terrace, pp. 185–186. Lars Lundstrom in the ABC drama '' The New Land''.Terrace, p. 755. and Rem in the CBS science-fiction series '' Logan's Run''.Terrace, pp. 617–618. He also appeared in '' Columbo'', ''

'', ''

'' and ''

Tales of the City ''Tales of the City'' is a series of nine novels written by American author Armistead Maupin from 1978 to 2014, depicting the life of a group of friends in San Francisco, many of whom are LGBT. The stories from ''Tales'' were originally serial ...

'', in which his performance as dying executive Edgar Halcyon earned him many new fans. One of his final roles was as Baseball Commissioner

Ford Frick Ford Christopher Frick (December 19, 1894 – April 8, 1978) was an American sportswriter and baseball executive. After working as a teacher and as a sportswriter for the ''New York American'', he served as public relations director of the Natio ...

in the HBO movie, '' 61*''. Moffat's last role was as a judge in an episode of '' Law & Order: Trial by Jury'' in 2005.

Personal life

Moffat married actress Anne Murray in 1954; they had a daughter, Wendy, and a son, Gabriel, before divorcing in 1968. He later married actress Gwen Arner. Moffat died on 20 December 2018 in Sleepy Hollow, New York due to complications from a stroke at the age of 87.

Selected TV and filmography

* '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (U.S. title ''Pursuit of the Graf Spee'') (1956) as Swanston,

Lookout A lookout or look-out is a person in charge of the observation of hazards. The term originally comes from a naval background, where lookouts would watch for other ships, land, and various dangers. The term has now passed into wider parlance. ...

, (uncredited) * '' Rachel, Rachel'' (1968) as Niall Cameron * '' R. P. M.'' (1970) as Perry Howard * ''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions ...

'' (1970) as Henry Simmons * ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...

'' (1971) " Pickman's Model" as Uncle George * '' The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid'' (1972) as Manning * '' Showdown'' (1973) as Art Williams * '' Gunsmoke'' (1974) "The Foundling" (S19E18) as Joseph Graham * '' The Terminal Man'' (1974) as Dr. Arthur McPherson * ''

Earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

'' (1974) as Dr. Harvey Johnson * ''

The Call of the Wild ''The Call of the Wild'' is a short adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named ...

'' (1976) as Simpson * '' Ebony, Ivory & Jade'' (1976) as Ian Cabot * ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...

'' (1977) as Mr. Morgan * ''

Family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

'' (1977) as Philip Raskin * '' Exo-Man'' (1977) as Wallace Rogers * '' Logan's Run'' (1977-1978) as Rem * ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest (Wisconsin, Kansas, ...

'' (1978) as Mr Mears (2 episodes) * '' Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years'' (1977) as Harry Hopkins * '' Land of No Return'' (1978) as Air Traffic Controller * '' The Word'' (1978) as Henri Aubert * '' Promises in the Dark'' (1979) as Dr. Walter McInerny * '' On the Nickel'' (1980) as Sam * ''

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar. * ''

'' CBS miniseries (1980) as Enos * '' The Thing'' (1982) as M.T. Garry * '' The Right Stuff'' (1983) as U.S. Vice President

* '' License to Kill'' (1984) as Webster * ''

Alamo Bay ''Alamo Bay'' is a 1985 American drama film about a Vietnam veteran who clashes with Vietnamese immigrants who move to his Texas bay hometown. The film was directed by Louis Malle, and stars Amy Madigan and Ed Harris. Future Texas A&M and Dallas ...

'' (1985) as Wally * '' The Best of Times'' (1986) as the Colonel * '' Monster in the Closet'' (1986) as General Franklin D. Turnbull * '' The Bourne Identity'' (1988) as David Abbott; in the 2002 film version the role is re-imagined as Deputy Director Ward Abbott (played by Brian Cox) * ''

The Unbearable Lightness of Being ''The Unbearable Lightness of Being'' ( cs, Nesnesitelná lehkost bytí) is a 1984 novel by Milan Kundera, about two women, two men, a dog and their lives in the 1968 Prague Spring period of Czechoslovak history. Although written in 1982, the no ...

'' (1988) as Chief Surgeon * '' Far North'' (1988) as Uncle Dane * ''

Music Box A music box (American English) or musical box (British English) is an automatic musical instrument in a box that produces musical notes by using a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder or disc to pluck the tuned teeth (or ''lamellae'' ...

'' (1989) as Harry Talbot * ''

The Bonfire of the Vanities ''The Bonfire of the Vanities'' is a 1987 novel by Tom Wolfe. The story is a drama about ambition, racism, social class, politics, and greed in 1980s New York City, and centers on three main characters: WASP bond trader Sherman McCoy, Jewish as ...

'' (1990) as Mr. McCoy * ''

Class Action A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class actio ...

'' (1991) as Quinn * ''

Regarding Henry ''Regarding Henry'' is a 1991 American drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by J.J. Abrams. It stars Harrison Ford as a New York City lawyer from a dysfunctional family, who struggles to regain his memory and recover his speech and mo ...

'' (1991) as Charlie Cameron * ''

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

'' (1991) as Jacob Ruppert * '' Housesitter'' (1992) as George Davis * '' Love, Cheat & Steal'' (1993) as Frank Harrington * ''

'' (1994) as the fictional President Bennett * '' Trapped in Paradise'' (1994) as Clifford Anderson * ''

The Evening Star ''The Evening Star'' is a 1996 American comedy-drama film. It is a sequel to the Academy Award-winning 1983 film ''Terms of Endearment'' starring Shirley MacLaine, who reprises the role of Aurora Greenway, for which she won an Oscar in the origin ...

'' (1996) as Hector Scott * ''

The Sleep Room ''The Sleep Room'' is a 1998 Canadian television movie about experiments on Canadian mental patients that were carried out in the 1950s and 1960s by Donald Ewen Cameron and funded by the CIA's MKUltra program. It originally aired as a miniseries a ...

'' (1998) as Joe Ruah * ''

Cookie's Fortune ''Cookie's Fortune'' is a 1999 American black comedy film directed by Robert Altman and starring Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Liv Tyler, Patricia Neal, Charles S. Dutton, and Chris O'Donnell. It follows a dysfunctional family in small-town Mi ...

'' (1999) as Jack Palmer * '' 61*'' (2001) as

* ''

'' (2003) as Talmidge "Tal" Cregg (C.J.'s Father) * '' Law & Order: Trial by Jury'' (2005) as a Judge (final appearance)

References

Bibliography

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moffat, Donald 1930 births 2018 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English emigrants to the United States English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors English people of Scottish descent American people of Scottish descent Male actors from Plymouth, Devon People from Totnes