Norman Wooland (16 March 19103 April 1989) was an English character actor who appeared in many major films, including several

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 ...

adaptations. Wooland was born in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, to British parents. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was a junior radio announcer, reporting the news for the

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 ...

. His acting break came when he played Horatio in

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

's ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' (1948), and in which his "fine work" was noted by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. Then came Catesby in Olivier's film of ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'', and Paris in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' (1954). He also had supporting roles in '' Quo Vadis'' (1951), ''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...

'' (1952), '' Background'' (1953), '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961), '' Life for Ruth'' (1962) and '' International Velvet'' (1978). Cyril Norman Wooland married Evelyn T.P.M. Charpentier in 1932 and they had two daughters. He married Kathleen M. Smith in 1947. Wooland kept a herd of cows, each of which was named after a Shakespearean character. He died in 1989, at the age of 79.

Filmography

* '' The Five Pound Man'' (1937) as Lodge Keeper * '' This England'' (1941) as (uncredited) * '' Escape'' (1948) as Minister * ''

'' (1948) as The Royal Court of Denmark – Horatio, his friend * '' Look Before You Love'' (1948) as Ashley Morehouse * ''

All Over the Town ''All Over the Town'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Derek N. Twist and starring Norman Wooland, Sarah Churchill and Cyril Cusack. It was written by Michael Gordon and Twist based on the 1947 novel by R. F. Delderfield. Plot ...

'' (1949) as Nat Hearn * '' Madeleine'' (1950) as William Minnoch * '' The Angel with the Trumpet'' (1951) as Prince Rudolf * '' Quo Vadis'' (1951) as Nerva * ''The City of London'' as Commentator (

British Pathé 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 cultur ...

, film ID. no.:1375.03 * ''

'' (1952) as King Richard * '' The Ringer'' (1952) as Inspector Bliss * '' Background'' (1953) as Bill Ogden * '' The Master Plan'' (1954) as Col. Mark Cleaver * ''

'' (1954) as Paris * ''

'' (1955) as Catseby * '' Je plaide non coupable'' (1956) as Pelton * '' My Teenage Daughter'' (1956) as Hugh Manning * '' No Road Back'' (1957) as Insp. Harris * '' The Flesh Is Weak'' (1957) as Inspector Kingcombe * '' The Bandit of Zhobe'' (1959) as Maj. Crowley * '' The Rough and the Smooth'' (1960) as David Fraser * '' Night Train for Inverness'' (1960) as Roy Lewis * '' An Honourable Murder'' (1960) as Brutus Smith * '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961) as Group Captain * ''

Barabbas According to the New Testament, Barabbas () was a Jewish bandit and rabble-rouser who was imprisoned by the Judaea (Roman province), Roman occupation in Jerusalem, only to be chosen over Jesus by a crowd to be pardoned by Roman governor Pontius ...

'' (1961) as Rufio * '' Masters of Venus'' (1962) as Dr. Ballantyne * '' Life for Ruth'' (1962) as Counsel for the Crown * '' The Fall of the Roman Empire'' (1964) as Virgilianus * '' Saul e David'' (1964) as King Saul * '' The Projected Man'' (1966) as Dr. L. G. Blanchard * '' The Fighting Prince of Donegal'' (1966) as Sir John Perrott * '' International Velvet'' (1978) as Team Doctor * '' The Mirror Crack'd'' (1980) as Medical Examiner (uncredited)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wooland, Norman 1905 births 1989 deaths BBC newsreaders and journalists British male film actors British male Shakespearean actors 20th-century British male actors People from Staplehurst