Richard Keith Johnson (30 July 1927 – 5 June 2015) was an English stage and screen actor, writer and producer. Described by Michael Coveney as "a very 'still' actor – authoritative, calm and compelling," he was a staple performer in British films and television from the 1960s through the 2010s, often playing urbane sophisticates and authoritative characters. He had a distinguished theatrical career, notably as a cornerstone member of the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

, and was once acclaimed as "the finest romantic actor of his generation."

Biography

Early life and career

Johnson was born to Frances Louisa Olive (née Tweed) and Keith Holcombe Johnson in Upminster,

Essex Essex () is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the Riv ...

. Johnson went to

Felsted School (Keep your Faith) , established = , closed = , type = Public school Independent day and boarding , religion = Church of England , president = , head_label = Headmaster , head = Chris Townsend , r_head ...

, and wanted to act instead of going into the family paint business. He trained at

RADA 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 S ...

and due to the manpower shortage of wartime made his first professional appearance relatively quickly, on stage in Manchester with

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Brit ...

's company in a production of ''

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 ...

'' in 1944."Richard Johnson, actor – obituary"
''The Daily Telegraph'', 7 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015 He served in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

from 1945 to 1948.

Early screen appearances

Johnson made his screen debut in an adaptation of ''Tusitala'' for '' BBC Sunday-Night Theatre''. He made his film debut with an uncredited part in '' Captain Horatio Hornblower'' (1951) and was also uncredited in ''

Calling Bulldog Drummond ''Calling Bulldog Drummond'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Victor Saville and featuring Walter Pidgeon, Margaret Leighton, Robert Beatty, David Tomlinson and Bernard Lee.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; 20 October 1951, page 16 ...

'' (1951). He was at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre from 1952 to 1957. "It was an electric time to be in that company", he later recalled. Johnson played Mr Wickham in a 1952 TV adaptation of ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...

'' (with

Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition ...

as Darcy) and was

D'Artagnan Charles de Batz de Castelmore (), also known as d'Artagnan and later Count d'Artagnan ( 1611 – 25 June 1673), was a French Musketeer who served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard. He died at the siege of Maastricht in the ...

in a TV adaptation of ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'' (1952). He could be seen in '' Lady in the Fog'' (1952), "The Mayor of Torontal" for '' Wednesday Theatre'' (1952), '' The Heir of Skipton'' (1953), '' Saadia'' (1953) for MGM, '' A Party for Christmas'' (1954), '' The Queen Came By'' (1954), "The Rescue" for '' ITV Television Playhouse'', "The Orderly" for '' Theatre Royal'', and '' Plaintiff in a Pretty Hat'' (1955). In 1955 he was in ''The Lark'', by

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an a ...

, with

Dorothy Tutin Dame Dorothy Tutin, (8 April 19306 August 2001) was an English actress of stage, film and television. For her work in the theatre, she won two Olivier Awards and two ''Evening Standard'' Awards for Best Actress. She was made a CBE in 1967 and ...

.Pendreigh, Brian (2015
"Obituary: Richard Johnson, actor"
''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its pare ...

'' (Edinburgh, Scotland), 8 June 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2019. He was Laertes to

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was a British actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the US Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, Emmy, and Tony for his work. He won the three awards in a seve ...

's ''

'' in 1956. That was directed by

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Sha ...

who also directed Johnson in ''Heaven and Earth'' (1957). In 1958 he and Tutin played ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'' at Stratford. He also appeared in episodes of ''

Assignment Foreign Legion ''Assignment Foreign Legion'' is an American TV series made in Britain that ran for 26 episodes from 1956 to 1957. It was hosted by Merle Oberon and financed by CBS. Directors included Don Chaffey, Michael McCarthy and Lance Comfort. Premise A fe ...

'', '' The Buccaneers'', '' Armchair Theatre'', and '' Four Just Men'', and had the lead in ''

Epilogue to Capricorn ''Epilogue to Capricorn'' is a British television mini-series. It was a six-part serial which aired in 1959. Cast included Jean Kent. It was produced by Associated Television Associated Television was the original name of the British broadc ...

'' (1960).

Royal Shakespeare Company

In 1958 he appeared in Peter Hall's first production at the theatre, ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' , also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concerning the early Celti ...

'', alongside

Peggy Ashcroft Dame Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991), known professionally as Peggy Ashcroft, was an English actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was deter ...

. Reviews were strong, praising Johnson as "The finest romantic actor of his generation". Johnson appeared in the title role in

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film ''Tom Jones''. Early ...

's production of ''

Pericles, Prince of Tyre ''Pericles, Prince of Tyre'' is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio. It was p ...

'' in 1958. The same year he was in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

'' (as Sir Andrew Aguecheek) for Peter Hall. Hall took over the direction of the company in 1959 – it was renamed the

(RSC), and he invited Johnson to be part of the first group of actors to be named an Associate Artist of the RSC, a position he retained until he died.Lewis, Peter (1992). "Return of an old stage hand; Richard Johnson; Drama", ''The Times'', 28 June 1992.

MGM

After Johnson's stage performances had received excellent reviews, MGM offered him a long-term contract in June 1959. His first work for the studio was in ''

Never So Few ''Never So Few'' is a 1959 CinemaScope Metrocolor war film, directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Steve McQueen, Richard Johnson, Paul Henreid, Brian Donlevy, Dean Jones, Charles Bronson, and P ...

'' (1959) with

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

. "I never took myself very seriously as a movie star", said Johnson later. "But it was thrilling to be among the idols I'd worshipped as a kid. I did a test with Gary Cooper, went to a party with Spencer Tracy, made a film with Frank Sinatra." Johnson was director Terence Young's preferred choice for the role of

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...

in the first film in the series, but he had to turn the role down as he was under contract to MGM. Johnson said later, "Eventually they offered it to

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

, who was completely wrong for the part. But in getting the wrong man they got the right man, because it turned the thing on its head and he made it funny. And that's what propelled it to success." Johnson did '' Ondine'' on stage for the RSC with

Leslie Caron Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...

and director Peter Hall (this was filmed in 1961). Also for TV he did productions of '' Journey's End'', '' This Happy Breed'', ''Sword of Vengeance'' and ''The Sponge Room''. In 1961–62 he portrayed Clive Root on Broadway in

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

's ''

The Complaisant Lover ''The Complaisant Lover'' is a 1959 comedy play by Graham Greene. Consisting of two acts, each of two scenes, the play revolves around an affair between Mary Rhodes and Clive Root, the book seller friend of her husband, Victor. The play takes pla ...

'', which ran for 101 performances at the

Ethel Barrymore Theatre The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theater at 241 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1928, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adam styles ...

. Johnson was second-billed to George Sanders in ''

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

'' (1963) for MGM British. He co-starred with

Claire Bloom Patricia Claire Bloom (born 15 February 1931) is an English actress. She is known for leading roles in plays such as ''A Streetcar Named Desire,'' ''A Doll's House'', and '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', and has starred in nearly sixty film ...

in '' 80,000 Suspects'' (1963) for Val Guest. He was then in '' The Haunting'' (1963) also featuring

and

Julie Harris Julia Ann Harris (December 2, 1925August 24, 2013) was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary stage work, she received five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play. Harris debuted on Broadway in 1945, against the wish ...

. It was directed by

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American film director, producer, and editor. He won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his musical films ''West Side Story'' (1961) and ''The Sound of ...

who said Johnson has "the attack of the young Gable" and predicted he would be a big star. Johnson wrote a play ''The Golden Age'', composed from poems, diaries and speeches from the age of Queen Elizabeth I. It had a short run on Broadway in 1963. In 1964 he did a

Kingsley Amis Sir Kingsley William Amis (16 April 1922 – 22 October 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, short stories, radio and television scripts, and works of social ...

script, ''A Question of Happiness #1: A Question About Hell'' for TV, followed by ''A Question of Happiness #2: Another Port, Another Storm''. Johnson had a support role in '' The Pumpkin Eater'' (1964) and went to France for '' The Other Woman'' (1964). He did episodes of ''

Armchair Mystery Theatre ''Armchair Mystery Theatre'' is a 60-minute UK television anthology mystery series. Thirty-four episodes aired from 1960–1965. It was hosted by Donald Pleasence and produced by Leonard White. It was a spin-off from the successful ''Armchair ...

'', '' The Human Jungle'', and '' The Alfred Hitchcock Hour''. He also portrayed

Duncan Sandys Edwin Duncan Sandys, Baron Duncan-Sandys (; 24 January 1908 – 26 November 1987), was a British politician and minister in successive Conservative governments in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a son-in-law of Winston Churchill and played a key r ...

in '' Operation Crossbow'' (1965).

Film stardom

Johnson was second billed to

Kim Novak Marilyn Pauline "Kim" Novak (born February 13, 1933) is an American retired film and television actress and painter. Novak began her career in 1954 after signing with Columbia Pictures and quickly became one of Hollywood's top box office stars, ...

in ''

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders ''The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, and Angela Lansbury. It is based on the 1722 novel ''Moll Flanders'' by Daniel Defoe. Pl ...

'' (1965), directed by Terence Young. When filming ended, Johnson and Novak were married. Around this time he expressed interest in writing and directing as well as acting. Johnson was Colonel Stewart in ''

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

'' (1966) with

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten ...

and

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

. He was top billed in the Italian horror film '' The Witch'' (1966) then was cast as

Bulldog Drummond Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond is a fictional character, created by H. C. McNeile and published under his pen name "Sapper". Following McNeile's death in 1937, the novels were continued by Gerard Fairlie. Drummond is a First World War veteran who, ...

in '' Deadlier Than the Male'' (1967) with

Elke Sommer Elke Sommer (; born Elke Baronin von Schletz, 5 November 1940) is a German actress. She appeared in numerous films in her heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in '' The Pink Panther'' sequel '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964), th ...

for director Ralph Thomas, a James Bond-style adventure. Johnson said about playing Drummond "I consciously tried to use more of myself than in anything else I've done... I said, all right, if you want me, you'll get me, but this is a braver, more physical version of me." He supported

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

and

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

in '' The Rover'' (1967), again directed by Young. He starred in another James Bond-type spy film, ''

Danger Route ''Danger Route'' is a 1967 British spy film directed by Seth Holt for Amicus Productions and starring Richard Johnson as Jonas Wilde, Carol Lynley and Barbara Bouchet. It was based on Andrew York's 1966 novel ''The Eliminator'' that was the w ...

'' (1967) for director Seth Holt.Bryce, Allan (2000), editor. ''Amicus: The Studio That Dripped Blood'' (Winter Park, Florida: Stray Cat Publishing, 2000): 47-48. He announced he had formed his own company and would star in ''An Alibi for a Playboy'' but it was not made. Johnson was Creon in ''

Oedipus the King ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient G ...

'' (1968) with

Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. He received multiple accolades, inc ...

, then starred in the spy film ''

A Twist of Sand ''A Twist of Sand'' is a 1968 British adventure film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Richard Johnson, Jeremy Kemp, Honor Blackman and Peter Vaughan based on the novel by Geoffrey Jenkins. Plot A former British naval officer now makes his ...

'' (1968). He was a Roman officer in ''

Columna Columna may refer to: * ''Columna'' (gastropod) a genus of snails * ''The Column'' (film), a 1968 Romanian historical film directed by Mircea Drăgan . * '' Columna Lactaria'' "Milk Column" was a landmark in ancient Rome in the Forum Holitor ...

'' (1968) and

Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought a ...

in '' Emma Hamilton'' (1968), with

Michèle Mercier Michèle Mercier (born 1 January 1939 as Jocelyne Yvonne Renée Mercier) is a French actress. In the course of her career she has worked with leading directors like François Truffaut, Jean-Pierre Melville, Jacques Deray, Dino Risi, Mario Monicel ...

. He reprised his role as Drummond in ''

Some Girls Do ''Some Girls Do'' is a 1969 British comedy spy film directed by Ralph Thomas. It was the second of the revamped Bulldog Drummond films (following 1967's ''Deadlier Than the Male'') starring Richard Johnson as Drummond, made following the succes ...

'' (1969). Johnson later recalled in 2000 that "It comes as a curious shock to me now to realise that I was making around £1m a year in today's money. And I managed to spend it all having a hell of a good time... I knew it wasn't going to last for ever, but I also knew I had to enjoy it while the time was right.'" Johnson played

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally cons ...

for British TV in 1969 and was Cassius in

's version of ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

'' (1970). He did '' The Fifth Day of Peace'' (1970) with Franco Nero, ''

'' (1970) with Richard Chamberlain, '' The Beloved'' (1971) with

Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress. She first won attention for her role in '' Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hamm ...

, ''

A Man About a Dog ''A Man About a Dog'' is a 1947 thriller novel by the British-Australian writer Alec Coppel. Driven to distraction by his wife's repeated affairs, her husband decides to kidnap her latest lover and commit the perfect murder, only to be thwarted ...

'' (1972), ''A Marriage'' (1972) and ''I Want to Marry Your Son'' (1973).

Return to theatre

Johnson returned to theatre in 1972, going to Stratford to play Antony, opposite Janet Suzman's Cleopatra, in one of Trevor Nunn's season of Roman plays. He continued to act on TV in such shows as ''Thriller'' (1973) and ''

Orson Welles' Great Mysteries ''Orson Welles Great Mysteries'' is a British television series originally transmitted between 1973 and 1974, produced by Anglia Television for the ITV network. The series is an anthology of mystery stories. Each episode is introduced by Or ...

'', and filmed his ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' ( First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in aroun ...

'' (1974) for TV. He did a horror film '' Beyond the Door'' (1974), and '' Churchill's People'', ''

The Night Child ''The Cursed Medallion'' ( it, Il medaglione insanguinato; also released as ''The Night Child'') is a 1975 Italian horror film directed by Massimo Dallamano, and starring Richard Johnson, Joanna Cassidy, and Ida Galli. Plot Michael Williams, a d ...

'' (1975), and ''

Hennessy Jas Hennessy & Co., commonly known simply as Hennessy (), is a French producer of cognac, which has its headquarters in Cognac, France. It is one of the "big four" cognac houses, along with Martell, Courvoisier, and Rémy Martin, who together ma ...

'' (1975) for director

Don Sharp Donald Herman Sharp (19 April 192114 December 2011) was an Australian film director. His best known films were made for Hammer in the 1960s, and included '' The Kiss of the Vampire'' (1963) and '' Rasputin, the Mad Monk'' (1966). In 1965 he d ...

; he provided the original story of the latter. Johnson was in episodes of ''

Quiller Quiller is a fictional character created by English novelist Elleston Trevor. Quiller, whose one-word name is a pseudonym, works as a spy, and he is the hero of a series of 19 Cold War thrillers written under the pseudonym Adam Hall, and becam ...

'', '' Space: 1999'', and '' Hart to Hart''. He was in the films '' Aces High'' (1976), ''

Take All of Me ''Take All of Me'' ( it, Dedicato a una stella/ ''Dedicated to a Star'') is an Italian melodrama film written and directed by Luigi Cozzi. Plot A young woman named Stella is dying in a hospital of leukemia. A man named Richard Lansky who arrives ...

'' (1976) in Italy, '' The Four Feathers'' (1978) for Sharp, '' The Comeback'' (1978), '' Screamers'' (1979), ''

Zombi 2 ''Zombi 2'' is a 1979 Italian zombie film directed by Lucio Fulci. It was adapted from an original screenplay by Dardano Sacchetti to serve as a sequel to George A. Romero's '' Dawn of the Dead'' (1978), which was released in Italy with the ...

'' (1979), ''

The Flame Is Love ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1979), ''

Island of the Fishmen ''Island of the Fishmen'' ( it, L'isola degli uomini pesce) is a 1979 Italian action- horror film directed by Sergio Martino, starring Barbara Bach, Joseph Cotten and Richard Johnson. In 1981, about 30 minutes of footage was removed from the orig ...

'' (1979) and ''

The Great Alligator ''The Great Alligator River'', originally ''Il fiume del grande caimano'' and also known as ''Alligators'', ''Caiman'', ''Big Alligator River'' and ''The Big Caimano River'', is a 1979 Italian adventure film directed by Sergio Martino. In the film, ...

'' (1979). He had the lead in '' A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square'' (1979) directed by Thomas. Retrieved 27 February 2019. In the 1980s Johnson could be seen in '' Spy!'', '' Portrait of a Rebel: The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger'' (1980), '' Haywire'' (1980), '' The Marquise'' (1980), '' The Monster Club'' (1981), ''

The Member for Chelsea ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' (1981), ''

The Kenny Everett Television Show ''The Kenny Everett Television Show'' is a comedy sketch show broadcast on BBC1 from 1981 to 1988. It was presented by its main performer Kenny Everett, who wrote the material with Barry Cryer and Ray Cameron. Later in 1986 they were joined by ...

'', '' Tales of the Unexpected'' (several episodes), ''

'' (1982) in the title role, '' Magnum, P.I.'', '' The Aerodrome'' (1983), and ''

Mr. Palfrey of Westminster ''Mr Palfrey of Westminster'' is a British television drama produced by Thames Television for ITV which ran between 18 April 1984 and 11 June 1985. Plot summary Mr Palfrey is a mild, middle-aged man—the epitome of a middle-ranking British Ci ...

'' (1984).

Producer

In 1982 Johnson helped set up United British Artists, the film and theatre-producing company, along with fellow actors Albert Finney, Maggie Smith and Glenda Jackson. Johnson said, "In this profession it is mighty irritating always to be in the hands of other people, waiting on the end of a telephone, unable to guide your ship. When I propounded the idea that we all get together to do high-quality work on a continuing commercial basis, they were very enthusiastic." He acted in and was executive producer on ''

The Biko Inquest ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' (1984). Johnson acted in ''

What Waits Below ''What Waits Below'' is a science-fiction adventure film (initially released under the title ''Secrets of the Phantom Caverns'') released in 1984. Directed by Don Sharp, produced by the Adams Apple Film Company, the film runs for 88 minutes and ...

'' (1985) for Don Sharp, and acted in and produced ''

Turtle Diary ''Turtle Diary'' is a 1985 British film directed by John Irvin and starring Glenda Jackson, Ben Kingsley, and Michael Gambon. Based on a screenplay adapted by Harold Pinter from Russell Hoban's novel ''Turtle Diary'', the film is about "people ...

'' (1985). He worked as a producer on ''

Castaway A castaway is a person who is cast adrift or ashore. While the situation usually happens after a shipwreck, some people voluntarily stay behind on a deserted island, either to evade captors or the world in general. A person may also be left as ...

'' (1986) and ''

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne ''The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne'' is a 1987 British drama film made by HandMade Films Ltd. and United British Artists (UBA) starring Maggie Smith and Bob Hoskins. It was directed by Jack Clayton (his final theatrical film) and produced b ...

'' (1987). Johnson says however that the company "didn't quite come off. Unfortunately we ran out of money. We didn't have enough to start with... One day I was in Hollywood with my old friend Angela Lansbury and she said, 'Anybody can be a producer. You've got talent and you're wasting it.' I decided to get back to what I've always wanted to do since I was seven: acting. I'd like to be on test. I need challenges." As an actor only, he was in '' Lady Jane'' (1986), '' Dempsey and Makepeace'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

'', '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1988) with Heston, '' Voice of the Heart'' (1989), ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

'' (1990) with Heston as Squire Trelawney, ''

The Secret Life of Ian Fleming ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1990), '' Made in Heaven'', ''

Diving In ''Diving In'' is a 1990 American film directed by Strathford Hamilton and starring Matt Adler. Plot summary Wayne Hopkins, a high school diver afraid of heights, enlists the help of a former women's Olympic coach. Cast * Matt Adler as Wayne H ...

'' (1990), ''

Duel of Hearts ''Duel of Hearts'' is a 1991 romantic television film directed by John Hough. Terence Feely penned the screenplay, based on the 1949 Barbara Cartland novel, ''A Duel of Hearts''. The film stars Alison Doody, Michael York, Geraldine Chaplin an ...

'' (1991), '' The Crucifer of Blood'' (1991) with Heston as

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

and Johnson as Watson, '' The Camomile Lawn'' (1992), and ''

Anglo Saxon Attitudes Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from, the Angles, England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term ''Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people ...

'' (1992). According to one reviewer, his performance in ''Anglo Saxon'' earned him "a sheaf of golden notices and put him at the top of the ratings for mature heart-throbs. The key attraction was his effortless screen technique in saying so little yet conveying so much. There was much virtuoso eyebrow work and a wonderful use of the crinkled tissue around the eyes." He did ''Antony and Cleopatra'' on stage again in 1991. In 1992 Johnson returned to the RSC after a 25-year absence under the direction of Peter Hall, appearing in a production of ''

All's Well that Ends Well ''All's Well That Ends Well'' is a play by William Shakespeare, published in the '' First Folio'' in 1623, where it is listed among the comedies. There is a debate regarding the dating of the composition of the play, with possible dates rangi ...

''. "It would have been nice to be able to afford to go back more often", he said. "Unfortunately, what my agent used to call the 'shit factor' comes into play: the better quality the work, the less the money." Johnson appeared in '' Heavy Weather'' (1995), ''

Kavanagh QC ''Kavanagh QC'' is a British television series made by Central Television for ITV between 1995 and 2001. All five series are available on DVD in both Region 1 and Region 2. Plot The series starred John Thaw as barrister James Kavanagh QC, ...

'', '' Murder Most Horrid'', ''

Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...

'', '' Breaking the Code'' (1996), '' The Ruth Rendell Mysteries'' (1996), '' Supply & Demand'', ''The Echo'', ''

Milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...

'' (1999), and ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

'' (2000). He did the original story for ''A Kind of Hush'' (1999). A third divorce and the financial failure of a hotel he co owned meant he needed to work. In a 2000 interview he said "Now I'm constantly worried where the next job is coming from. At least at my age the opposition gets less and less because they keep dying."

Later career

Johnson's later career appearances included doing ''The Seagull'' at Stratford in 2000, plus ''

The Whistle-Blower ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (2001), '' Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' (2001), ''

The Royal ''The Royal'' is a British period medical drama, produced by Yorkshire Television (later part of ITV Studios), and broadcast on ITV1 from 2003 until its cancellation in 2011. The series is set in the 1960s and focuses on the lives of the ...

'', '' The Robinsons'', ''

Whatever Love Means ''Whatever Love Means'' is a television film about Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles. Directed by David Blair and starring Olivia Poulet and Laurence Fox, it premiered in December 2005 on ITV1. The story centres on Charles and Camilla ...

'' (2005) as

Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of German ...

, ''

Wallis & Edward ''Wallis & Edward'' (in Canada also known as ''Her Royal Affair'') is a 2005 British television film, scripted by Sarah Williams, dramatising the events of the Edward VIII abdication crisis. It was billed as the first scripted account of the r ...

'' (2005) (as

Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, (3 August 186714 December 1947) was a British Conservative Party politician who dominated the government of the United Kingdom between the world wars, serving as prime minister on three occasions, ...

), ''

Rebus A rebus () is a puzzle device that combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words or phrases. For example: the word "been" might be depicted by a rebus showing an illustrated bumblebee next to a plus sign (+ ...

'', ''

Scoop Scoop, Scoops or The scoop may refer to: Objects * Scoop (tool), a shovel-like tool, particularly one deep and curved, used in digging * Scoop (machine part), a component of machinery to carry things * Scoop stretcher, a device used for casualt ...

'' (2006), '' Doc Martin'', ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of ...

'', '' Waking the Dead'', ''

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myst ...

'' (2007), ''

Two Families 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cu ...

'' (2007), and '' Jump!'' (2008) (which he also helped produce). From 2007, he led the cast of the BBC's radio comedy series ''

Bleak Expectations ''Bleak Expectations'' is a BBC Radio 4 comedy series that premiered in August 2007. It is a pastiche of the works of Charles Dickens – such as ''Bleak House'' and ''Great Expectations'', from which it derives its name – as well as adventure ...

'' which ran until 2012. He also had a successful stage show with a revival of '' On Golden Pond''. Film-wise he was in '' The Boy in the Striped Pajamas'' (2008), '' Spooks'', '' Inspector Lewis'', ''

The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff ''The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff'' is a four-part comedy series produced by BBC, which premiered on BBC Two on 19 December 2011. It is a parody of the works of Charles Dickens, drawing its title from ''Bleak House'' and ''The Old Curiosity Shop''. I ...

'' (2011), and ''

Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel ...

''. He had a good role in ''

Radiator Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics. A radiator is always ...

'' (2015), saying "Right from the off I felt it was a superior piece of writing for the screen." He was in ''

The Man Who Knew Infinity ''The Man Who Knew Infinity'' is a 2015 British biographical drama film about the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, based on the 1991 book of the same name by Robert Kanigel. The film stars Dev Patel as Srinivasa Ramanujan, a real-life ...

'' (2015).

Other work

Throughout his career Johnson continued to teach young actors and students. He toured American universities and taught summer schools at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He was appointed to the Council of RADA in 2000, and served as a Council Member of the

British Academy of Film and Television Arts British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

(BAFTA) in the 1970s. Johnson wrote the original story for the 1975 thriller, ''

''. As well as founding the British production company United British Artists (UBA) in 1981, he also served as the company's CEO until 1990, when he resigned in order to resume his acting career. During his tenure at UBA he produced the films ''

'' (starring

Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson (born 9 May 1936) is an English actress and former Member of Parliament (MP). She has won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice: for her role as Gudrun Brangwen in the romantic drama ''Women in Love'' (1970); and again for ...

and

Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and tw ...

, with a screenplay commissioned from

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that span ...

), and ''

''. In London, he produced

Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that span ...

's '' Old Times'', a revival of '' Serjeant Musgrave's Dance'' (Old Vic), and for theatre and television, the docudrama ''Biko'', about the death of

Stephen Biko Bantu Stephen Biko (18 December 1946 – 12 September 1977) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. Ideologically an African nationalist and African socialist, he was at the forefront of a grassroots anti-apartheid campaign known ...

. Johnson wrote travel articles regularly for the London mass-circulation newspaper ''

The Mail on Sunday ''The Mail on Sunday'' is a British conservative newspaper, published in a tabloid format. It is the biggest-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK and was launched in 1982 by Lord Rothermere. Its sister paper, the ''Daily Mail'', was first pub ...

''. He kept a

blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in Reverse ...

and teaching website called ''The Shakespeare Masterclass''.

Personal life

By his first marriage, to Sheila Sweet, Johnson had two children, tabletop games designer

Jervis Johnson Jervis Johnson (born 12 June 1959) is an English tabletop game designer. He worked as a designer and manager for Games Workshop for over 38 years, and was the head of its Specialist Games studio. In addition to his work on Warhammer Fantasy B ...

(b. 1959) and actress Sorel Johnson. His second wife was American actress

, with whom he appeared in the film ''

'' (1965); the marriage didn't last long and they had no children, but they remained on friendly terms after the divorce. He also had another daughter, Jennifer Johnson, by his third wife, Marie-Louise Norlund, and a fourth child, Nicholas Johnson, by Françoise Pascal. Johnson then married Lynne Gurney on a beach in Goa, India, in 1989, following this with a discreet civil wedding at

Kings Road King's Road or Kings Road (or sometimes the King's Road, especially when it was the king's private road until 1830, or as a colloquialism by middle/upper class London residents), is a major street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both ...

, Chelsea in 2004. Johnson was the founder of ''It's a Green Green World'', a global listing of

environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that cl ...

hotels.

Death

Richard Johnson died on 5 June 2015, aged 87, after a short illness at the Royal Marsden Hospital in

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Richard (Actor) 1927 births 2015 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English male film actors English film producers English male stage actors English male television actors Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players People educated at Felsted School People from Upminster Royal Navy personnel of World War II Royal Shakespeare Company members 20th-century English businesspeople