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Gordon Mulholland (30 April 1921,
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
, South Africa – 30 June 2010,
East London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
) was a British
actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
best known for his performances in the TV
soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
''The Villagers'' and the movie ''
Jock of the Bushveld ''Jock of the Bushveld'' is a true story by South African author Sir James Percy FitzPatrick. Rudyard Kipling, a good friend of FitzPatrick, also took part in these story-telling evenings and eventually persuaded him to collect these tales in ...
''.


Early life

He was born in Cape Town in 1921 to parents Sam Mulholland and Nell. It was not a happy upbringing, he was the only child of five to survive childhood. His mother was the main breadwinner while his father was described as crook and a drunkard. He was eventually taken into care at Nazareth House. He attended Marist Brothers College but failed to complete matric.


Career

During World War 2, he joined army's entertainment corps and entertained the troops as a stand-up comedian in North Africa and Italy, performing with
Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a South African–British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. Noted for his distinctive laugh, he was best known for numerou ...
and
Laurence Harvey Laurence Harvey (born Zvi Mosheh Skikne; 1 October 192825 November 1973) was a Lithuanian-born British actor and film director. He was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents and emigrated to Union of South Africa, South Africa at an early age, before ...
. After the war ended he left for London and performed at variety and music halls including the
Windmill Theatre The Windmill Theatre in Great Windmill Street, London, was a variety and revue theatre best known for its nude ''tableaux vivants'', which began in 1932 and lasted until its reversion to a cinema in 1964. Many prominent British comedians of t ...
. He eventually migrated to West End theatres performing in productions such as ''Guys and Doll'', ''Kiss Me Kate'' and ''Brush up your Shakespeare''. He later starred in minor roles in British film productions. He returned to South Africa in 1967, making his career in theatre and on
Springbok Radio Springbok Radio (spelled ''Springbokradio'' in Afrikaans, ) was a South African nationwide radio station that operated from 1950 to 1985. History SABC's decision in December 1945 to develop a commercial service was constrained by post-war financia ...
with Adrian Steed and Cyril Green. When television arrived in South Africa in 1976, he starred in ''The Villagers'' as mining boss Hilton McRae. He performed in theatre with
Rex Garner Rex Garner (1921 – 17 May 2015) was a British born actor and director. He was born in 1921 in Wolverhampton, England. He died 17 May 2015 at the age of 94. Garner was survived by his seven children: Nicholas Garner, Lindsey Garner, Christopher ...
and Clive Scott and some of his major productions included ''Fiddler on the Roof'' and ''My Fair Lady''.


Marriage

Mulholland was married twice. First to Muff Evans and his second wife was actress Diane Wilson whom he married in 1963 but divorced in 1972. He had three sons from the two marriages, Sean, Matthew and Jamie.


Death

Mulholland suffered a stroke in 2009, leaving his left side paralyzed and after spending a year in a nursing home, he brought back to East London and died at his son's home.


Selected filmography


Film

* ''
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 a ...
'' (1950) – Durgin * ''
The Lady Craved Excitement ''The Lady Craved Excitement'' is a 1950 British comedy second feature ('B') film directed by Francis Searle and starring Hy Hazell, Michael Medwin and Sid James. It was written by John Gilling based on the 1949 BBC radio serial ''The Lady Cra ...
'' (1950) – A Lunatic * ''
Cheer the Brave ''Cheer the Brave'' is a 1951 British second feature ('B') comedy film directed and written by Kenneth Hume and starring Elsie Randolph, Jack McNaughton and Geoffrey Keen. It was made at Southall Studios. Plot A mild-mannered man gets marri ...
'' (1951) * ''Hands of Space'' (1961) * ''
Coast of Skeletons ''Coast of Skeletons'' is a 1965 adventure film, directed by Robert Lynn and starring Richard Todd and Dale Robertson. It is a sequel to the 1963 film '' Death Drums Along the River'', and just as that film, it uses the characters from Edga ...
'' (1965) – Mr. Spyker * ''Der Rivonia-Prozess'' (1966) – Farmer (uncredited) * ''Kruger Miljoene'' (1967) – Balloon observer (voice, uncredited) * '' The Cape Town Affair'' (1967) – Warrant Officer du Plessis * ''The Professor and the Beauty Queen'' (1967) – Joe * ''Stop Exchange'' (1970) * ''Vengeance Cops'' (1971) – Capt. Venter (voice, uncredited) * ''Z.E.B.R.A.'' (1971) – Charles Lester (English version) (voice, uncredited) * '' One Away'' (1976) – Detective, 'Big man' * ''Mister Deathman'' (1977) – Dr. Halstead * ''
Jock of the Bushveld ''Jock of the Bushveld'' is a true story by South African author Sir James Percy FitzPatrick. Rudyard Kipling, a good friend of FitzPatrick, also took part in these story-telling evenings and eventually persuaded him to collect these tales in ...
'' (1986) – Tom Barnett * ''
Act of Piracy ''Act of Piracy'' is a 1988 American–South African thriller film directed by John "Bud" Cardos and starring Gary Busey, Belinda Bauer, Ray Sharkey and Nancy Mulford. Busey and Bauer play a separated couple who must reunite to free their chi ...
'' (1988) – Captain Jenkins * ''Headhunter'' (1988) – Prof. Robert Sinclair * ''Rising Storm'' (1989) – Whitefish Aldana * '' River of Death'' (1989) – Fanjul * ''
The Evil Below ''The Evil Below'' is a 1989 horror film directed by and starring Wayne Crawford and co-starring June Chadwick and Ted Le Plat. The film centers on Max Cash, an adventurer who goes hunting for treasure on a cursed shipwreck. It is one of many ...
'' (1989) – Max Cash Senior * ''Accidents'' (1989) – Tom Black * ''
Act of Piracy ''Act of Piracy'' is a 1988 American–South African thriller film directed by John "Bud" Cardos and starring Gary Busey, Belinda Bauer, Ray Sharkey and Nancy Mulford. Busey and Bauer play a separated couple who must reunite to free their chi ...
'' (1990) – Loring * ''Traitor's Heart'' (1999) – Donald Brody


Television

* ''The Villagers'' (1976-1978) * ''Westgate'' (1981) – Warren Bartlett


External links

*
Obituary


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mulholland, Gordon English male film actors South African expatriates in the United Kingdom English male soap opera actors 1921 births 2010 deaths Place of birth missing British Army personnel of World War II