Jack William Frederick Gwillim (15 December 1909 – 2 July 2001) was an English character actor.

Career

Born in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, Kent, England, he joined the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

at 17 and served for over twenty years. During his time in the Navy, he became a champion boxer and rugby player, and was invalided out in 1946. After training at

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, commonly shortened to Central, is a drama school founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for ...

, Gwillim began his acting career in earnest in the 1950s, working on both stage and screen. On stage, he appeared both at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford and at the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

. He performed in an extensive amount of theatre, both classics and modern plays, in the West End of London and on Broadway. Some of his most notable roles include: playing in

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

's production of ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

''; '' The Right Honourable Gentleman'' with lifelong friend

Anthony Quayle Sir John Anthony Quayle (7 September 1913 – 20 October 1989) was a British actor. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Thomas Wolsey in the film '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969). He also played impor ...

; a revival of ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

'' with

Rex Harrison Sir Reginald Carey Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play '' French W ...

, playing Colonel Pickering;

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 Britis ...

's ''

The Constant Wife ''The Constant Wife'', a play written in 1926 by W. Somerset Maugham, is a comedy whose modern and amusing take on marriage and infidelity gives a quick-witted, alternative view on how to deal with an extramarital affair. A "sparkling comedy o ...

'', with

Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cin ...

; and ''

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 ...

'', with

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, Jones is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few perfor ...

. Gwillim also featured in over fifty films and television series, usually war films or historical epics. His military background, commanding presence and deep, booming voice typecast him as soldiers and authority figures. Some of his most notable roles include playing a warship captain in '' Sink the Bismarck!'' (1960), the archbishop Hubert Walter in ''

Sword of Sherwood Forest ''Sword of Sherwood Forest'' is a 1960 British Technicolor/ MegaScope adventure film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Richard Greene, Peter Cushing, Niall MacGinnis, Nigel Green and Sarah Branch. Greene reprised the role of Robin Hood, ...

'' (1960), the obnoxious club secretary in '' Lawrence of Arabia'' (1962), King Aeëtes in '' Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963), an RAF officer in the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

film '' Thunderball'' (1965), the Lord Chief Justice in '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1966), General

Harold Alexander Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (10 December 1891 – 16 June 1969), was a senior and highly decorated British Army officer who served in both of the world wars. ...

in '' Patton'' (1970),

Poseidon Poseidon (; ) is one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 He was the protector of seafarers and the guardian of many Hellenic cit ...

in '' Clash of the Titans'' (1981), and

Van Helsing Professor Abraham Van Helsing () is a fictional character from the 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula'' written by Bram Stoker. Van Helsing is a Dutch polymath doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the P ...

in ''

The Monster Squad ''The Monster Squad'' is a 1987 American horror comedy film directed by Fred Dekker, and written by Dekker and Shane Black. Peter Hyams and Rob Cohen served as executive producers. It was released by Tri-Star Pictures on August 14, 1987. T ...

'' (1987). He also had a recurring role on the TV series ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...

'', '' The Saint'', and '' The Troubleshooters''. He also appeared in '' The Avengers'' (1967) in the episode "The Hidden Tiger" as Sir David Harper. He took part in a number of recordings for Caedmon Shakespeare Records.

Personal life

Gwillim was twice married: to Peggy Bollard, until 1958, and Olivia Selby, from 1969 until his death. He had two children from his first marriage, Sarah-Jane Gwillim and David Gwillim, and a third, Jaxon Duff Gwillim, from his second marriage. His children also became actors, and he acted onstage with them in 1995 in a production of ''

On Borrowed Time ''On Borrowed Time'' is a 1939 drama film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Lionel Barrymore, with Cedric Hardwicke and Beulah Bondi in support. Produced by Sidney Franklin and directed by Harold S. Bucquet, it is adapted from Paul ...

'', which was his last on stage performance.

Death

Gwillim died in Los Angeles, California on 2 July 2001 at the age of 91. He is buried in Lot 136, Section 15 of

Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical ...

in Upstate New York.

Filmography

* '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956) - Captain Parry - H.M.N.Z.S. Achilles * '' The One That Got Away'' (1957) - Commandant Grizedale * ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' (1959) - Oberon (voice) * '' North West Frontier'' (1959) - Brigadier Ames * '' Solomon and Sheba'' (1959) - Josiah * '' Sink the Bismarck!'' (1960) - Captain (King George V) * '' Let's Get Married'' (1960) - Dr. Sanders * '' Circus of Horrors'' (1960) - Supt. Andrews * ''

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

'' (1960) - Barrister * ''

'' (1960) - Archbishop of Canterbury Hubert Walter * '' Sentenced for Life'' (1960) - John Richards * '' No Love for Johnnie'' (1961) - MP (uncredited) * ''

Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA" * Lisa, stagename of Japanese singer Lisa Komine (born 1978) * Lisa (South Korean singer) (born 1980) * Lisa (Japanese musician, b ...

'' (1962) - Insp. Cobb * ''

In Search of the Castaways ''In Search of the Castaways'' () is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1867–68. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains illustrations by Édouard Riou. In 1876, it was republished by George Routledge & Son ...

'' (1962) - Captain Grant * '' Lawrence of Arabia'' (1962) - Club Secretary * ''

Sammy Going South ''Sammy Going South'' (retitled ''A Boy Ten Feet Tall'' for its later US release) is a 1963 British adventure film directed by Alexander Mackendrick, photographed by Erwin Hillier and starring Edward G. Robinson, Fergus McClelland and Consta ...

'' (1963) - District Commissioner * '' Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963) - King Aeëtes * '' The World Ten Times Over'' (1963) - Bolton * '' The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb'' (1964) - Sir Giles Dalrymple * ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

'' (1964) - Rolf Neilson * '' Thunderball'' (1965) - Senior RAF Staff Officer (uncredited) * ''

Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die ''Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die'' (Italian: ''Se tutte le donne del mondo... (Operazione Paradiso)'') is a James Bond spoof film released in 1966 as an Italian-American co-production between Dino De Laurentiis' Cinematografica and Columbia Pic ...

'' (1966) - British ambassador * '' A Man for All Seasons'' (1966) - Chief Justice * '' Casino Royale'' (1967) - British Officer at Auction (uncredited) * '' The Bushbaby'' (1969) - Ardsley * ''

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...

'' (1969) - Senior Air Staff Officer * '' Patton'' (1970) - General Sir

* ''

Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially a ...

'' (1970) - General Byron * ''

The Adams Chronicles ''The Adams Chronicles'' is a thirteen-episode miniseries by PBS that aired in 1976 to commemorate the American Bicentennial. Synopsis The series chronicles the story of the Adams political family over a 150-year span, including John Adams (dr ...

'' (1976, TV Mini-Series) - Lord Carmarthen * '' Clash of the Titans'' (1981) -

* ''

Sicilian Connection ''The Sicilian Connection'' (, also known as ''The Opium Connection'') is a 1972 crime film directed and co-written by Ferdinando Baldi and starring Ben Gazzara, Silvia Monti, Fausto Tozzi and Jess Hahn. An Italian and French co-production, i ...

'' (1987) - (voice) * ''

Blind Date A blind date is a romantic meeting between two people who have never met before. Both parties arrange a date with little to no information about each other, hoping for the possibility of making a lasting impression. Typically, a family member or ...

'' (1987) - Artist * ''

'' (1987) -

Abraham Van Helsing Professor Abraham Van Helsing () is a fictional character from the 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula'' written by Bram Stoker. Van Helsing is a Dutch polymath doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the ...

* '' Blue Shark Hash'' (2001) - Jonah (final film role)

References

External links

* * *
Obituary in ''The Guardian''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gwillim, Jack 1909 births 2001 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors Male actors from Kent Actors from Canterbury Royal Navy officers English expatriate male actors in the United States Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Royal Navy officers of World War II Military personnel from Canterbury