David Llewellyn Harding (12 October 1867 – 26 December 1952), known professionally as Lyn Harding, was a Welsh actor who spent 40 years on the stage before entering

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

made silent films, talkies and radio. He had an imposing and menacing stage presence and came to be cast as the villain in many films, notably Professor Moriarty in dramatisations of the

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

stories.

Early years

He was born in 1867 at St. Brides Wentloog, in

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...

, into a strict Congregationalist Welsh-speaking family.

Acting career

He started his career as an apprentice draper in Newport, Wales and but he was drawn to an acting career. He began giving readings from

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 natio ...

at a chapel in

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. In 1890 a chance meeting with a touring group on a train led to him standing in for a sick actor and his first professional engagement. He opened on 28 August 1890 in ''The Grip Of Iron'' at the Theatre Royal,

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He toured "the provinces" and eventually made his London debut at the Shakespeare Theatre,

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on 19 July 1897. He later changed his name to "Lyn" to make it more acceptable to English audiences who found "Llewellyn" difficult to pronounce. AmyBrandonThomasinDrake

In 1910, he portrayed Dr Grimesby Rylott in

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

's play '' The Speckled Band''. His career spanned stage, silent screen, talkies and radio productions and he toured in the United States, Japan, India and

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. He worked at different times 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 Britis ...

, Ralph Richardson and Anthony Quayle. His last stage appearance was as Abu Hassan in '' Chu Chin Chow'' in the West End in 1941 when he was 74 years old. At the age of nearly 80 he played

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 135420 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Glyn Dŵr, , anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh people, Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the Wales in the late Middle Ages, late Middle ...

in Shakespeare's Henry IV for

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radio. He lived for about ten years in Leverstock Green, near

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where he played an active role in the local community, even staging plays and revues with fellow actors to help raise funds for a much needed parish hall. He died in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in 1952, aged 85.'
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''

Filmography

Selected stage credits

* '' The Speckled Band'' (1910, Conan Doyle) * ''

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

'' (1916, Shakespeare) * '' Wild Heather'' (1917, Brandon) * '' Grand Hotel'' (1931, Knoblock)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Lyn 1867 births 1952 deaths 19th-century Welsh male actors 20th-century Welsh male actors Welsh male film actors Welsh male stage actors Welsh male silent film actors Welsh male radio actors Male actors from Newport, Wales Welsh Congregationalists