John Nicholas Finch (2 March 1942 – 28 December 2012) was an English stage and film actor who became well known for his

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

roles. Most notably, he starred in films for directors

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...

(''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'', 1971) and

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

('' Frenzy'', 1972).

Early life

Finch was born on 2 March 1942, in

Caterham Caterham () is a town in the Tandridge (district), Tandridge district of Surrey, England. The town is administratively divided into two: Caterham on the Hill, and Caterham Valley, which includes the main town centre in the middle of a dry valle ...

in Surrey, the son of a merchant banker.

Education

Between 1950 and 1960, Finch was educated at Caterham School, an independent school in Caterham. Upon leaving school he turned down the offer of a place at the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

Early acting and SAS

After performing in amateur theatre groups and singing in a folk group, Finch did his

National Service National service is a system of compulsory or 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 ...

in the Parachute Regiment and stayed on as a member of the SAS Reserve Regiment, training at weekends and several nights a week. He resigned from the military as his acting commitments became more demanding, and said he was relieved to not have to go to

Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...

during the Indonesian Confrontation (1963–66). He appeared on stage in ''From the Hill'' in 1963. He got a job as assistant manager in Penbroke Theatre in the Round.

Career

Early television

In the early phase of his career, Finch appeared in episodes of '' Crossroads'', ''The Fellows'', ''ITV Playhouse'', ''City '68'', '' Tom Grattan's War'', ''ITV Sunday Night Theatre '' and ''Thirty-Minute Theatre''. He was in a number of episodes of ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

'' and played Sir John Mortimer in a BBC play about

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

in 1969. Finch played the lead character, Simon King, in the BBC science fiction series '' Counterstrike'' (1969), one of the last BBC drama series made in black and white. One of the ten episodes made was never screened, owing to the broadcast in its place of a documentary about the

Kray Twins Ronald Kray (24 October 193320 March 1995) and Reginald Kray (24 October 19331 October 2000) were English gangsters or organised crime figures and identical twin brothers from Haggerston who were prominent from the late 1950s until their arres ...

when they were jailed. He also appeared in two Hammer Films productions, ''

The Vampire Lovers ''The Vampire Lovers'' is a 1970 British Gothic film, Gothic horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, George Cole (actor), George Cole, Kate O'Mara, Madeline Smith, Dawn Addams, Douglas Wilmer and Jon Fin ...

'' (1970) and ''

The Horror of Frankenstein ''The Horror of Frankenstein'' is a 1970 British horror film by Hammer Film Productions that is both a semi-parody and semi-remake of the 1957 film ''The Curse of Frankenstein'', of Frankenstein (Hammer film series), Hammer's ''Frankenstein'' s ...

'' (1970). He had a small role in the ground-breaking 1971 drama ''

Sunday Bloody Sunday "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1983 album '' War'' and was released as the album's third single on 21 March 1983 in the Netherlands and West Germany. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted ...

'', which starred the unrelated Peter Finch. He said his career at this stage "wasn't spectacular but it was interesting."

Stardom

Finch met

on a plane flight. That led to the actor being cast in the lead in Polanski's 1971 version of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

''. His casting was announced in October 1970, and was controversial, because Finch was so young and had not performed any Shakespeare previously.

was looking for a lesser-known leading man for '' Frenzy'' (1972). He was impressed with the rushes for ''Macbeth'' and cast Finch. That in turn led to him being cast in '' Lady Caroline Lamb'' (1972), as William Lamb. Finch said at that stage of his career he wanted to make "one good film" a year and do theatre. He had two more films to do for Caliban, the company which made ''Macbeth'', and was going to write screenplays. Projects announced for him included an adaptation of

Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influenti ...

's '' The Possessed'' and a thriller ''The Reporter''. In '' The Final Programme'' (1973) he played

Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, particularly of science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has wo ...

's secret agent Jerry Cornelius. In April 1973, he was called "Europe's hottest young property of the moment", announced for ''Gargantua'' from

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films were mainly liberal adaptations of ...

and ''Pantagruei'' in Italy. However, while ''Frenzy'' was a hit, ''Macbeth'', ''Lady Caroline Lamb'' and ''Final Programme'' were commercial disappointments. Finch starred in '' Diagnosis: Murder'' (1974). In 1975, he played the title role in a

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

/ ABC joint production series about Australia's first outlawed bushranger, Ben Hall. Finch was offered the role of

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 ...

in '' Live and Let Die'' (1973), but he declined the part and it went to

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the actor to portray Ian Fleming's fictional secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in the Eon Productions/MGM Studios film series, playing the ...

. He also declined a role in

Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director, who spent the majority of his professional life in the United Kingdom. He is known for the fast-paced, flamboyant directing he brought to his comedy films, mo ...

's ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' (1973). Finch went to Europe to star in '' Game of Seduction'' (1976), directed by

Roger Vadim Roger Vadim Plemiannikov (; 26 January 1928 – 11 February 2000) was a French screenwriter, film director, and producer, as well as an author, artist, and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, s ...

, as well as ''The Second Power'' (1976) and ''The Standard'' (1977). He was credited as guest star in '' The New Avengers'' ''Medium Rare'' (1977) In 1977, he was the original choice for the role of Doyle, taken by Martin Shaw, in the British television series '' The Professionals'' (Shaw previously had played

Banquo Lord Banquo , the Thane (Scotland), Thane of Lochaber, is a semi-historical character in William Shakespeare's 1606 play ''Macbeth''. In the play, he is at first an ally of Macbeth (character), Macbeth (both are generals in the King's army) an ...

to Finch's Macbeth in Polanski's film). Finch withdrew at the last minute, claiming that he "couldn't possibly play a policeman". During 1978 and 1979, Finch played the role of Henry Bolingbroke in the

BBC Television Shakespeare The ''BBC Television Shakespeare'' is a series of British television adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, the plays of William Shakespeare, created by Cedric Messina and broadcast by BBC Television. Transmitted in the UK from 3 December 1978 to ...

productions of ''

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

'', '' Henry IV, Part I'' and '' Henry IV, Part II'', which also featured

Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen as well as for his work at the Royal National Theatre, he has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, two ...

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 ...

, David Gwillim and Anthony Quayle in principal roles. At the end of the decade, Finch's roles in films included ''

Death on the Nile ''Death on the Nile'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 1 November 1937 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retailed at ...

'' (1978) and ''La Sabina'' (1979). He was cast as Kane in

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...

's '' Alien'' (1979), but had to drop out after falling ill on the first day of filming, leading to a type 1 diabetes diagnosis, and

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 28 January 2017) was an English actor. Regarded as one of the finest actors of his time and known for the "most distinctive voice in Cinema of the United Kingdom, Britain", he was described by David Ly ...

was cast in his place.

1980–2005

In 1980, Finch appeared in '' Breaking Glass'' and, in 1981, he played Luke the Evangelist in the television film '' Peter and Paul'', which featured

Robert Foxworth Robert Heath Foxworth (born November 1, 1941) is an American film, stage, and television actor. Early life Foxworth earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting at Carnegie Mellon University. Career Foxworth first gained attention as a sta ...

and

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...

in the title roles. He was in '' Giro City'' (1982) with

Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson (9 May 1936 – 15 June 2023) was an English actress and politician. Over the course of her distinguished career she received List of awards and nominations received by Glenda Jackson, numerous accolades including two Academy ...

and ''Power Game'' (1983), and played an SAS man in the TV series ''The Odd Job Man'' (1984). In 1984, he played Don Pedro in the BBC's ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, 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. ...

''. Finch became increasingly associated with support roles like ''Plaza Real'' (1988) and ''Streets of Yesterday'', and guest starred on TV shows. On stage, he was the man inside the bandages in Ken Hill’s 1991 production of ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is an 1897 science fiction novel by British writer H. G. Wells. Originally serialised in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a s ...

'' at the

Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford East (formerly known as Theatre Royal Stratford East) is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with di ...

. Occasional film roles include an appearance in '' Darklands'' (1997) and a small role as the Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem in the Ridley Scott film '' Kingdom of Heaven'' (2005).

Death

Finch's body was discovered in his flat in

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

, East Sussex, on 28 December 2012, after friends and family had become concerned for his welfare. He was 70 years old.

Personal life

While filming ''Diagnosis: Murder'' in 1974, Finch was more than 40 lbs underweight, passed out a couple of times on set, and was then diagnosed with

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

after being hospitalised for two weeks. In the early 1970s, until his diagnosis, he was also a racing car driver (single-seaters), but the condition prevented him from getting a racing driver licence. Finch was married once, to the actress

Catriona MacColl Catriona MacColl (born 3 October 1954) is an English actress who has worked extensively in both film and television across Europe. She is best known for her work in Italian horror films, as she has appeared in Lucio Fulci's ''Gates of Hell'' tr ...

. They wed in 1982 and divorced in 1987. He later had a daughter.Pendreigh, Brian (18 January 2013). "Obituary: Jon Finch". '' The Herald''. (Glasgow): 22.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1970) – Carl Ebhardt * ''

'' (1970) – Lt. Henry Becker * ''

'' (1971) – Scotsman * ''

'' (1971) – Macbeth * '' Frenzy'' (1972) – Richard Blaney * '' Lady Caroline Lamb'' (1972) – William Lamb * '' The Final Programme'' (1973) (U.S. title: ''The Last Days of Man on Earth'') – Jerry Cornelius * '' Ben Hall'' (1975, TV series) – Ben Hall * '' Diagnosis: Murder'' (1975) – Det. Insp. Lomax * '' Une femme fidèle'' (1976) – Comte Charles de Lapalmmes * ''The Second Power'' (1976) – Juan de Sacramonte * '' The Standard'' (1977) – Major Charbinsky * ''

'' (1978) – Mr. Ferguson * ''

'' (1978, TV film) – Henry Bolingbroke * ''La Sabina'' (1979) – Michael * '' Henry IV, Part I'' (1979, TV film) – King Henry IV * '' Henry IV, Part II'' (1979, TV film) – King Henry IV * '' Breaking Glass'' (1980) – Woods * '' Gary Cooper, que estás en los cielos'' (1980) – Mario Pérez * '' Peter and Paul'' (1981, TV film) – Luke * '' Doktor Faustus'' (1982) – Adrian Leverkühn * '' Giro City'' (1982) – O'Mally * ''Power Game'' (1983) * ''

'' (1984, TV film) – Don Pedro * '' Pop Pirates'' (1984) – Coastguard * ''

The Rainbow ''The Rainbow'' is a novel by British author D. H. Lawrence, first published by Methuen & Co. in 1915. It follows three generations of the Brangwen family living in Nottinghamshire, focusing particularly on the individual's struggle for growt ...

'' (1988, TV miniseries) — Uncle Tom * ''Plaza Real'' (1988) – David * '' The Voice'' (1989) – Miller * ''Streets of Yesterday'' (1989) * ''La più bella del reame'' (1989) – Jeremy * '' Lurking Fear'' (1994) – Bennett * '' Darklands'' (1996) – David Keller * ''Bloodlines: Legacy of a Lord'' (1998) – Derek Jarvis * '' Anazapta'' (2002) – Sir Walter de Mellerby * ''

New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural comedy drama, created by Nigel McCrery and Roy Mitchell, produced primarily by Wall to Wall (until its final year, when it was handled by Headstrong Pictures), and broadcast on BBC On ...

'' (2003, TV series) – Roddy Wringer * '' Kingdom of Heaven'' (2005) – Patriarch Heraclius (final film role)

References

Sources

* Hildred, Stafford. ''Martin Shaw, The Biography''. * Harvey F. Chartrand. "No Frenzy For Stardom: An Interview With Jon Finch", Shock Cinema (USA), 2005, Iss. 27, pg. 8-12+46.

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Finch, Jon 1942 births 2012 deaths English male stage actors English male film actors English male television actors People educated at Caterham School People from Caterham English male Shakespearean actors Male actors from Surrey 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Formula Ford drivers Military personnel from Surrey 20th-century British Army personnel British Parachute Regiment soldiers Special Air Service soldiers