George Frederick Bernard Powell (15 August 1928 – 20 April 2013), credited as Nosher Powell, Freddie Powell, or Fred Powell, was an English actor, stuntman and boxer. He is best known for his work in the ''James Bond'' film series, most notably '' From Russia with Love'' (1963).

Life and career

Powell was born in

Camberwell Camberwell ( ) is an List of areas of London, area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles' Church, Camberwell, St Giles ...

, London, England. His younger brother, Dennis "Dinny" Powell (1932–2023) followed a similar career, acting and stunt co-ordinating many films, as have his sons Greg Powell and Gary Powell. Powell was given the nickname of "Nosher" while he served in the army. "Nosh" means food in Cockney slang and was given to Powell due to his large physique. He disliked his birth name Frederick or Freddie and chose to use Nosher Powell as his screen name. Powell began his career as a

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

boxing champion in the worlds of unlicensed fighting and the professional arena. He also worked as a

sparring Sparring is a form of training common to many combat sports. It can encompass a range of activities and techniques such as punching, kicking, grappling, throwing, wrestling or submission work dependent on style. Although the precise form varies, ...

partner for

Joe Louis Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed "the Brown Bomber", Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He r ...

Sugar Ray Robinson Walker Smith Jr. (May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989), better known as Sugar Ray Robinson, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He is often regarde ...

and

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

, amongst others. The last fight of his career was against Menzies Johnson in 1960. Powell won the fight on points, over eight rounds. According to his autobiography, Powell had a total of seventy-eight fights: fifty-one as a professional, with nine losses, though he was never knocked out. Boxrec.com, though, lists Powell as losing sixteen times as a professional, with nine of those losses being by KO, two by TKO and five on points. Powell's boxing career was ended following injuries he sustained after being hit by a lorry in

Covent Garden Market Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End of London, West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopp ...

, where he was working as a porter. He later became a boxing instructor in

Brixton Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...

. Powell had an extensive but mostly uncredited career in

stunt work A stunt is an unusual, difficult, dramatic physical feat that may require a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually for a public audience, as on television or in theaters or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Befo ...

and acting, including as stuntman in 14

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 ...

films. Amongst his TV work was the role of the powerful thug Lord Dorking in ''

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt (actor), Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Denn ...

'', in which was first broadcast on 26 October 1969. In 1965 he appeared in '' The Saint'' (S4,E3:episode entitled "The Crooked Ring") as 'The Angel' a cheating boxer. The finale has The Angel fighting The Saint in the ring. Simon Templar demonstrates his boxing skills and knocks him out. In 1966, Powell played a role of a jewel thief Charlie in the series '' The Baron''. In 1967 he appeared in '' The Saint'' (S5,E15:episode entitled "The Persistent Patriots") as Benson a patriot heavy, involved in a plot against the Prime Minister (

Edward Woodward Edward Albert Arthur Woodward (1 June 1930 – 16 November 2009) was an English actor and singer. He began his career on stage, appearing in productions in both the West End of London and on Broadway in New York City. He came to wider att ...

) of an African Colony. Once again he comes off worst against Simon Templar. In 1967 he appeared in '' The Avengers'' episode entitled "Mission ... Highly Improbable" as Henrik with Denny Powell appearing as Karl. On 26 April 1972 he was the subject of an episode in the UK version of '' This Is Your Life''. Powell later became the head of a collective of people dressing as medieval knights. Powell began the projects because of the lack of stunt work resulting from a industry wide recession. In August 1971, Powell took part in a re-enactment of the battle at Senlac Hill in nylon armour. The event drew a crowd of ten thousand spectators. Powell and his group of knights concentrated on medieval practises such as

Jousting Jousting is a medieval and renaissance martial game or hastilude between two combatants either on horse or on foot. The joust became an iconic characteristic of the knight in Romantic medievalism. The term is derived from Old French , ultim ...

. Powell and fellow stunt man Max Diamond also founded the British Jousting Society. In 1972, they began a British tour of the tournaments which were staged at

Lichfield Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

and the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

. In the performances, Powell went by the character name of "Frederick of Gaywood". In 1975, Powell took his "Tournament of Knights" tour to the United States. He promoted his group's tour by walking through

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

in a jousting costume. In 1987, Powell played a character who shared his name in the film, ''

Eat the Rich "Eat the rich" is a political slogan associated with anti-capitalism and left-wing politics, especially including anarchism. The phrase is commonly attributed to political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, from a quote first popularized during t ...

''. Powell was cast in the role by director Peter Richardson. Powell had known Richardson for some years and he wanted a stunt man who was willing to hang out of a helicopter and knew Powell would be willing. Powell later recalled that he worried the role would be recast if he could not give a good acting performance beyond his stunt work. He also acted as a "minder" (bodyguard) for a number of celebrities, including John Paul Getty Jr. and

Sammy Davis Jr Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which tou ...

Personal life and death

In 1952 Powell married Pauline Wellman, and the couple had two sons, Greg and Gary, who also grew up to become stuntmen. Powell died in his sleep on 20 April 2013 at the age of 84.

Filmography

Acting credits: *''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...

'' (1948) - Undetermined Minor Role (uncredited) *'' There Is Another Sun'' (1951) - Teddy Green *''

Emergency Call An emergency telephone number is a number that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance. The emergency number differs from country to country; it is typically a three-digit number so that it can be easily remembered and ...

'' (1952) - Boy Booth *''

Cosh Boy ''Cosh Boy'' (released in the United States as ''The Slasher'') is a 1953 British film noir based on an original play by Bruce Walker. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and featured James Kenney and Joan Collins. It was made at Riverside Studios ...

'' (1953) - Instructor (uncredited) *''

Demetrius and the Gladiators ''Demetrius and the Gladiators'' is a 1954 American Technicolor/CinemaScope epic biblical drama film directed by Delmer Daves and produced by Frank Ross for 20th Century Fox. A sequel to '' The Robe'' (1953), the screenplay was written by Phi ...

'' (1954) - Gladiator (uncredited) *'' The Dark Avenger'' (1955) - (uncredited) *'' King's Rhapsody'' (1955) - (uncredited) *''

Violent Playground ''Violent Playground'' is a black and white 1958 British film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Stanley Baker, Peter Cushing, and David McCallum. It was written by James Kennaway. The film, which deals with the subject of juvenile delinqu ...

'' (1958) *''

The Road to Hong Kong ''The Road to Hong Kong'' is a 1962 British semi-musical comedy film directed by Norman Panama and starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, as well as Joan Collins, with an extended cameo featuring Dorothy Lamour in the setting of British Hong Kong, ...

'' (1962) - Man (uncredited) *''

Call Me Bwana ''Call Me Bwana'' is a 1963 British Technicolor farce film starring Bob Hope and Anita Ekberg and directed by Gordon Douglas. Largely set in Africa, it was the only film made by Eon Productions not about the fictional MI6 agent James Bond un ...

'' (1963) - Man (uncredited) *'' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) - Man (uncredited) *''

A Fistful of Dollars ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (, (''For a Fistful of Dollars'')) is a 1964 spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood in his first leading role, alongside Gian Maria Volonté, Marianne Koch, Wolfgang Lukschy, Si ...

'' (1964) - Cowboy con cartel 'adios amigo' (uncredited) *''

She She or S.H.E. may refer to: Language * She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English Places * She County, Anhui ** She Prefecture, 589-1121 * She County, Hebei * She River, or Sheshui, Hubei * ...

'' (1965) - British Soldier (uncredited) *'' The Saint'' (1965) - The Angel *'' The Baron'' (1966) - Charlie *''

Circus of Fear ''Circus of Fear'' ( / ''Mystery of the Silver Triangle''); also ''Scotland Yard auf heißer Spur'', also ''Circus of Terror''; US title ''Psycho-Circus'') is a 1966 Anglo-German international co-production thriller film directed by John Llewe ...

'' (1966) - Red *'' The Sandwich Man'' (1966) - Nosher - Bus Driver (uncredited) *'' The Saint'' (1967) - Benson *'' Casino Royale'' (1967) - British Officer (uncredited) *''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...

'' (1968) - Man (uncredited) *'' Crooks and Coronets'' (1969) - Casino Security (uncredited) *'' School for Sex'' (1969) - Hector *'' Crossplot'' (1969) *'' The Magic Christian'' (1969) - Ike Jones (uncredited) *''

One More Time One More Time may refer to: Film and television * ''One More Time'' (1931 film), a Merrie Melodies cartoon * ''One More Time'' (1970 film), a film by Jerry Lewis * ''One More Time'', a 1974 TV special with Carol Channing, Pearl Bailey, and other ...

'' (1970) - Man (uncredited) *'' You Can't Win 'Em All'' (1970) - Horse Rider (uncredited) *''

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

'' (aka ''The Legend of Spider Forest'') (1971) - Gang member *''

On the Buses ''On the Buses'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom that was broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 1969 to 1973. It was created by Chesney and Wolfe, Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, who wrote most of the episodes. It spawned thr ...

'' (1971) - Betty's Husband *''

The Alf Garnett Saga ''The Alf Garnett Saga'' is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Warren Mitchell, Dandy Nichols, Paul Angelis and Adrienne Posta. The film was the second spin-off from the BBC TV series '' Till Death Us Do Part'' (1 ...

'' (1972) - Ginger (uncredited) *'' Nearest and Dearest'' (1972) - Bouncer *''

The Mackintosh Man ''The Mackintosh Man'' is a 1973 Cold War spy film directed by John Huston from a screenplay by Walter Hill, based on the novel '' The Freedom Trap'' by English author Desmond Bagley. Paul Newman stars as Joseph Rearden, a jewel thief-turned-int ...

'' (1973) - Armed Guard *''

Love Thy Neighbour Love Thy Neighbor or Love Thy Neighbour may also refer to: Film * Love Thy Neighbor (1940 film), ''Love Thy Neighbor'' (1940 film), an American film * Love Thy Neighbour (1967 film), ''Love Thy Neighbour'' (1967 film), a Danish-German comedy fil ...

'' (1973) - Bus Driver *''

Carry on Dick ''Carry On Dick'' is a 1974 British comedy film, the 26th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The story is based on the Dick Turpin legend and features Turpin (James) as an antihero, attempting to evade capture by t ...

'' (1974) - Footpad (uncredited) *'' Brannigan'' (1975) - Man in Bar (uncredited) *''Never Too Young to Rock'' (1976) *'' The Stick Up'' (1977) - Manager *'' If You Go Down in the Woods Today'' (1981) - Govnor's Henchman *''

Victor Victoria ''Victor/Victoria'' is a 1982 musical comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards and starring Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren, Alex Karras, and John Rhys-Davies. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Ma ...

'' (1982) - Man in Bar (uncredited) *'' Krull'' (1983) - Slayer in the Swamp (uncredited) *''

'' (1987) - Nosher Powell *''

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

'' (1988) - Nelwyn Villager (uncredited) *'' Legionnaire'' (1998) - Soldier *'' Shiner'' (2000) - Special Character (final film role)

References

External links

* *
ISBN ''Nosher!'' listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Nosher 1928 births 2013 deaths 20th-century English male actors English male boxers English male film actors English male television actors English stunt performers Heavyweight boxers Male actors from London People from Camberwell Boxers from the London Borough of Southwark Actors from the London Borough of Southwark 20th-century English sportsmen