Richard Keith Johnson (30 July 1927 – 5 June 2015) was an English stage and screen actor, writer and producer. Described by Michael Coveney as "a very 'still' actor – authoritative, calm and compelling," he was a staple performer in British films and television from the 1960s until the 2010s, often playing urbane sophisticates and authoritative characters. He had a distinguished theatrical career, notably as a cornerstone member of the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

, and was once acclaimed as "the finest romantic actor of his generation."

Biography

Early life and career

Johnson was born to Frances Louisa Olive (née Tweed) and Keith Holcombe Johnson in

Upminster Upminster is a suburb of east London, England, in the London Borough of Havering, northeast of Charing Cross. Historically a rural village, it formed an ancient parish in the Chafford hundred of the county of Essex. The economic history of ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

. Johnson went to Felsted School, and wanted to act instead of going into the family paint business. He trained at

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...

and due to the manpower shortage of wartime made his first professional appearance relatively quickly, on stage in Manchester 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 ...

's company in a production of ''

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 ...

'' in 1944."Richard Johnson, actor – obituary"
''The Daily Telegraph'', 7 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015 He served in 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 ...

from 1945 to 1948.

Early screen appearances

Johnson made his screen debut in an adaptation of ''Tusitala'' for '' BBC Sunday-Night Theatre''. He made his film debut with an uncredited part in ''

Captain Horatio Hornblower ''Captain Horatio Hornblower'' is a 1951 British naval swashbuckling war film in Technicolor from Warner Bros., produced by Gerry Mitchell, directed by Raoul Walsh, that stars Gregory Peck, Virginia Mayo, Robert Beatty and Terence Morgan. ...

'' (1951) and was also uncredited in '' Calling Bulldog Drummond'' (1951). He was at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre from 1952 to 1957. "It was an electric time to be in that company", he later recalled. Johnson played Mr. Wickham in a 1952 TV adaptation of ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is the second published novel (but third to be written) by English author Jane Austen, written when she was age 20-21, and later published in 1813. A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabe ...

'' (with

Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage and radio roles. He achieved recognition f ...

as Darcy) and was

D'Artagnan Charles de Batz de Castelmore (), also known as d'Artagnan and later Count d'Artagnan ( 1611 – 25 June 1673), was a French Musketeer who served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard. He died at the siege of Maastricht in the Fr ...

in a TV adaptation of ''

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 ...

'' (1952). He could be seen in '' Lady in the Fog'' (1952), "The Mayor of Torontal" for '' Wednesday Theatre'' (1952), '' The Heir of Skipton'' (1953), '' Saadia'' (1953) for MGM, '' A Party for Christmas'' (1954), '' The Queen Came By'' (1954), "The Rescue" for '' ITV Television Playhouse'', "The Orderly" for '' Theatre Royal'', and '' Plaintiff in a Pretty Hat'' (1955). In 1955, he was in ''The Lark'', by

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; ; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ...

, with Dorothy Tutin.Pendreigh, Brian (2015
"Obituary: Richard Johnson, actor"
''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...

'' (Edinburgh, Scotland), 8 June 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2019. He was Laertes to

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was an English actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award for his work. Scofield ...

's ''

'' in 1956. That was directed by

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...

who also directed Johnson in ''Heaven and Earth'' (1957). In 1958, he and Tutin played ''

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 ...

'' at Stratford. He also appeared in episodes of '' Assignment Foreign Legion'', ''

The Buccaneers ''The Buccaneers'' is the last novel written by Edith Wharton. The story is set in the 1870s, around the time Wharton was a young girl. It was unfinished work, unfinished at the time of her death in 1937 and published in that form in 1938. Whar ...

'', '' Armchair Theatre'', and '' Four Just Men'', and had the lead in '' Epilogue to Capricorn'' (1960).

Royal Shakespeare Company

In 1958, he appeared in Peter Hall's second production at the theatre, ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' (), also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in British Iron Age, Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concer ...

'', alongside

Peggy Ashcroft Dame Edith Margaret Emily "Peggy" Ashcroft (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991) was an English actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was determined from an early age to become ...

. Reviews were strong, praising Johnson as "The finest romantic actor of his generation". Johnson appeared in the title role in

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director, producer and screenwriter, whose career spanned five decades. He was identified with the "angry young men" group of British directors and play ...

's production of ''

Pericles, Prince of Tyre ''Pericles, Prince of Tyre'' is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio. It was p ...

'' in 1958. The same year he was in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' (as Sir Andrew Aguecheek) for Peter Hall. Hall took over the direction of the company in 1959 – it was renamed the

(RSC), and he invited Johnson to be part of the first group of actors to be named an Associate Artist of the RSC, a position he retained until he died.Lewis, Peter (1992). "Return of an old stage hand; Richard Johnson; Drama", ''The Times'', 28 June 1992.

MGM

After Johnson's stage performances had received excellent reviews,

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

offered him a long-term contract in June 1959. His first work for the studio was in '' Never So Few'' (1959) with

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

. "I never took myself very seriously as a movie star", said Johnson later. "But it was thrilling to be among the idols I'd worshipped as a kid. I did a test with Gary Cooper, went to a party with Spencer Tracy, made a film with Frank Sinatra." Johnson was director Terence Young's preferred choice for 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 the first film in the series, but he had to turn the role down as he was under contract to MGM. Johnson said later, "Eventually they offered it to

Sean Connery Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...

, who was completely wrong for the part. But in getting the wrong man they got the right man, because it turned the thing on its head and he made it funny. And that's what propelled it to success." Johnson did '' Ondine'' on stage for the RSC with Leslie Caron and director Peter Hall (this was filmed in 1961). Also for TV he did productions of '' Journey's End'', '' This Happy Breed'', ''Sword of Vengeance'' and ''The Sponge Room''. In 1961–62, he portrayed Clive Root on Broadway in

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

's '' The Complaisant Lover'', which ran for 101 performances at the

Ethel Barrymore Theatre The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 243 West 47th Street (Manhattan), 47th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1928, it ...

. Johnson was second-billed to

George Sanders George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous charac ...

in ''

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

'' (1963) for MGM-British. He co-starred with

Claire Bloom Patricia Claire Bloom (born 15 February 1931) is an English actress. She is known for leading roles on stage and screen and has received two BAFTA Awards and a Drama Desk Award as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award an ...

in '' 80,000 Suspects'' (1963) for

Val Guest Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer Film Productions, ...

. He was then in '' The Haunting'' (1963) also featuring

and Julie Harris. It was directed by

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American filmmaker. He won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his musical films ''West Side Story'' (1961) and ''The Sound of Music'' (1965). He was als ...

, who said Johnson has "the attack of the young Gable" and predicted he would be a big star. Johnson wrote a play ''The Golden Age'', composed from poems, diaries and speeches from the age of Queen Elizabeth I. It had a short run on Broadway in 1963. In 1964 he did a

Kingsley Amis Sir Kingsley William Amis (16 April 1922 – 22 October 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, short stories, radio and television scripts, and works of social crit ...

script, ''A Question of Happiness #1: A Question About Hell'' for TV, followed by ''A Question of Happiness #2: Another Port, Another Storm''. Johnson had a support role in '' The Pumpkin Eater'' (1964) and went to France for '' The Other Woman'' (1964). He did episodes of ''

Armchair Mystery Theatre ''Armchair Mystery Theatre'' is a 60-minute UK television anthology mystery series. Thirty-four episodes aired from 1960–1965. It was hosted by Donald Pleasence and produced by Leonard White. It was a spin-off from the successful '' Armchai ...

'', '' The Human Jungle'', and ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

''. He also portrayed

Duncan Sandys Duncan Edwin Duncan-Sandys, Baron Duncan-Sandys (; 24 January 1908 – 26 November 1987), was a British politician and minister in successive Conservative governments in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a son-in-law of Winston Churchill and played a ...

in ''

Operation Crossbow ''Crossbow'' was the code name in World War II for Anglo-American operations against the German V-weapons, long range reprisal weapons (V-weapons) programme. The primary V-weapons were the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket, which were launched agai ...

'' (1965).

Film stardom

Johnson was second billed to

Kim Novak Marilyn Pauline "Kim" Novak (born February 13, 1933) is an American retired actress and painter. Her contributions to cinema have been honored with two Golden Globe Awards, an Honorary Golden Bear, a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, and a s ...

in '' The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' (1965), directed by Terence Young. When filming ended, Johnson and Novak were married. Around this time he expressed interest in writing and directing as well as acting. Johnson was Colonel Stewart in ''

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...

'' (1966) with

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

and

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 ...

. He was top billed in the Italian horror film '' The Witch'' (1966) then was cast as Bulldog Drummond in ''

Deadlier Than the Male ''Deadlier Than the Male'' is a 1967 British crime and mystery film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Richard Johnson and Elke Sommer. It is one of the many take-offs of James Bond produced during the 1960s, but is based on an already est ...

'' (1967) with Elke Sommer for director

Ralph Thomas Ralph Philip Thomas (10 August 1915 – 17 March 2001) was an English film director who directed the Doctor (film series), ''Doctor'' film series. Thomas cast the actor James Robertson Justice in many of his films. He often worked with the pr ...

, a James Bond-style adventure. Johnson said about playing Drummond "I consciously tried to use more of myself than in anything else I've done... I said, all right, if you want me, you'll get me, but this is a braver, more physical version of me." He supported

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 ...

and

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...

in '' The Rover'' (1967), again directed by Young. He starred in another James Bond-type spy film, ''

Danger Route ''Danger Route'' is a 1967 British spy film directed by Seth Holt for Amicus Productions and starring Richard Johnson (actor), Richard Johnson as Jonas Wilde, Carol Lynley and Barbara Bouchet. It was based on Christopher Nicole, Andrew York's 19 ...

'' (1967) for director Seth Holt.Bryce, Allan (2000), editor. ''Amicus: The Studio That Dripped Blood'' (Winter Park, Florida: Stray Cat Publishing, 2000): 47-48. He announced he had formed his own company and would star in ''An Alibi for a Playboy'' but it was not made. Johnson was Creon in '' Oedipus the King'' (1968) with

Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage and television. His accolades included an Academy Aw ...

, then starred in the spy film '' A Twist of Sand'' (1968). He was a Roman officer in '' Columna'' (1968) and

Horatio Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...

in ''

Emma Hamilton Dame Emma Hamilton (born Amy Lyon; 26 April 176515 January 1815), known upon moving to London as Emma Hart, and upon marriage as Lady Hamilton, was an English maid, model, dancer and actress. She began her career in London's demi-monde, becom ...

'' (1968), with Michèle Mercier. He reprised his role as Drummond in '' Some Girls Do'' (1969). Johnson later recalled in 2000 that "It comes as a curious shock to me now to realise that I was making around £1m a year in today's money. And I managed to spend it all having a hell of a good time... I knew it wasn't going to last for ever, but I also knew I had to enjoy it while the time was right." Johnson played

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...

for British TV in 1969 and was Cassius in

's version of ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

'' (1970). He did '' The Fifth Day of Peace'' (1970) with

Franco Nero Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film '' Django'' (1966), which made him a pop cul ...

, ''

'' (1970) with Richard Chamberlain, '' The Beloved'' (1971) with Raquel Welch, '' A Man About a Dog'' (1972), ''A Marriage'' (1972) and ''I Want to Marry Your Son'' (1973).

Return to theatre

Johnson returned to theatre in 1972, going to Stratford to play Antony, opposite Janet Suzman's Cleopatra, in one of Trevor Nunn's season of Roman plays. He continued to act on TV in such shows as ''Thriller'' (1973) and '' Orson Welles' Great Mysteries'', and filmed his ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

'' (1974) for TV. He also co-starred with

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...

in Molnar's '' The Guardsman'' on stage in London in 1978. He did a horror film '' Beyond the Door'' (1974), and '' Churchill's People'', '' The Night Child'' (1975), and '' Hennessy'' (1975) for director

Don Sharp Donald Herman Sharp (19 April 192114 December 2011) was an Australian film director. His best known films were made for Hammer Film Productions, Hammer in the 1960s, and included ''Kiss of the Vampire (film), Kiss of the Vampire'' (1963) and ' ...

; he provided the original story of the latter. Johnson was in episodes of '' Quiller'', '' Space: 1999'', and '' Hart to Hart''. He was in the films ''

Aces High Aces High may refer to: *Aces High (comics), ''Aces High'' (comics), a comic book series by EC Comics *Aces High (video game), ''Aces High'' (video game), a combat flight simulator/massively multiplayer online game *Aces High (film), ''Aces High'' ...

'' (1976), '' Take All of Me'' (1976) in Italy, '' The Four Feathers'' (1978) for Sharp, '' The Comeback'' (1978), ''Screamers (1979 film), Screamers'' (1979), ''Zombi 2'' (1979), ''The Flame Is Love'' (1979), ''Island of the Fishmen'' (1979) and ''The Great Alligator'' (1979). He had the lead in ''A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (film), A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square'' (1979) directed by Thomas. Retrieved 27 February 2019. In the 1980s, Johnson could be seen in ''Spy!'', ''Portrait of a Rebel: The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger'' (1980), ''Haywire (book), Haywire'' (1980), ''The Marquise'' (1980), ''The Monster Club'' (1981), ''The Member for Chelsea'' (1981), ''The Kenny Everett Television Show'', ''Tales of the Unexpected (TV series), Tales of the Unexpected'' (several episodes), ''Cymbeline (1982 film), Cymbeline'' (1982) in the title role, ''Magnum, P.I.'', ''The Aerodrome (film), The Aerodrome'' (1983), and ''Mr. Palfrey of Westminster'' (1984).

Producer

In 1982, Johnson helped set up United British Artists, the film and theatre-producing company, along with fellow actors Albert Finney, Maggie Smith and Glenda Jackson. Johnson said, "In this profession it is mighty irritating always to be in the hands of other people, waiting on the end of a telephone, unable to guide your ship. When I propounded the idea that we all get together to do high-quality work on a continuing commercial basis, they were very enthusiastic." He acted in and was executive producer on ''The Biko Inquest'' (1984). Johnson acted in ''What Waits Below'' (1985) for Don Sharp, and acted in and produced ''Turtle Diary'' (1985). He worked as a producer on ''Castaway (1986 film), Castaway'' (1986) and ''The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne'' (1987). Johnson says however that the company "didn't quite come off. Unfortunately we ran out of money. We didn't have enough to start with... One day I was in Hollywood with my old friend Angela Lansbury and she said, 'Anybody can be a producer. You've got talent and you're wasting it.' I decided to get back to what I've always wanted to do since I was seven: acting. I'd like to be on test. I need challenges." As an actor only, he was in ''Lady Jane (1986 film), Lady Jane'' (1986), ''Dempsey and Makepeace'', ''Murder, She Wrote'', ''A Man for All Seasons (1988 film), A Man for All Seasons'' (1988) with Heston, ''Voice of the Heart (film), Voice of the Heart'' (1989), ''Treasure Island (1990 film), Treasure Island'' (1990) with Heston as Squire Trelawney, ''The Secret Life of Ian Fleming'' (1990), ''Made in Heaven (TV series), Made in Heaven'', ''Diving In'' (1990), ''Duel of Hearts'' (1991), ''The Crucifer of Blood'' (1991) with Heston as Sherlock Holmes and Johnson as Watson, ''The Camomile Lawn (TV serial), The Camomile Lawn'' (1992), and ''Anglo-Saxon Attitudes'' (1992). According to one reviewer, his performance in ''Anglo Saxon'' earned him "a sheaf of golden notices and put him at the top of the ratings for mature heart-throbs. The key attraction was his effortless screen technique in saying so little yet conveying so much. There was much virtuoso eyebrow work and a wonderful use of the crinkled tissue around the eyes." He did ''Antony and Cleopatra'' on stage again in 1991. In 1992, Johnson returned to the RSC after a 25-year absence under the direction of Peter Hall, appearing in a production of ''All's Well that Ends Well''. "It would have been nice to be able to afford to go back more often", he said. "Unfortunately, what my agent used to call the 'shit factor' comes into play: the better quality the work, the less the money." Johnson appeared in ''Heavy Weather (film), Heavy Weather'' (1995), ''Kavanagh QC'', ''Murder Most Horrid'', ''Tales from the Crypt (TV series), Tales from the Crypt'', ''Breaking the Code'' (1996), ''The Ruth Rendell Mysteries'' (1996), ''Supply & Demand (TV series), Supply & Demand'', ''The Echo'', ''Milk (1999 film), Milk'' (1999), and ''Beckett on Film#Happy Days, Happy Days'' (2000). He did the original story for ''A Kind of Hush'' (1999). A third divorce and the financial failure of a hotel he co owned meant he needed to work. In a 2000 interview he said "Now I'm constantly worried where the next job is coming from. At least at my age the opposition gets less and less because they keep dying."

Later career

Johnson's later career appearances included doing ''The Seagull'' at Stratford in 2000, plus ''The Whistle-Blower (TV series), The Whistle-Blower'' (2001), ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' (2001), ''The Royal'', ''The Robinsons'', ''Whatever Love Means'' (2005) as Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, ''Wallis & Edward'' (2005) (as Stanley Baldwin), ''Rebus (2000 TV series), Rebus'', ''Scoop (2006 film), Scoop'' (2006), ''Doc Martin'', ''Midsomer Murders'', ''Waking the Dead (TV series), Waking the Dead'', ''The Raven (2007 film), The Raven'' (2007), ''Two Families'' (2007), and ''Jump! (2007 film), Jump!'' (2008) (which he also helped produce). From 2007, he led the cast of the BBC's radio comedy series ''Bleak Expectations'' which ran until 2012. He also had a successful stage show with a revival of ''On Golden Pond (play), On Golden Pond''. Film-wise he was in ''The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (film), The Boy in the Striped Pajamas'' (2008), ''Spooks (TV series), Spooks'', ''Lewis (TV series), Lewis'', ''The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff'' (2011), and ''Silent Witness''. He had a good role in ''Radiator (film), Radiator'' (2015), saying "Right from the off I felt it was a superior piece of writing for the screen." He was in ''The Man Who Knew Infinity (film), The Man Who Knew Infinity'' (2015).

Other work

Throughout his career Johnson continued to teach young actors and students. He toured American universities and taught summer schools at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He was appointed to the Council of RADA in 2000, and served as a Council Member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in the 1970s. Johnson wrote the original story for the 1975 thriller, '' Hennessy''. As well as founding the British production company United British Artists (UBA) in 1981, he also served as the company's CEO until 1990, when he resigned in order to resume his acting career. During his tenure at UBA he produced the films ''Turtle Diary'' (starring Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley, with a screenplay commissioned from Harold Pinter), and ''The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne''. In London, he produced Harold Pinter, Pinter's ''Old Times'', a revival of ''Serjeant Musgrave's Dance'' (Old Vic), and for theatre and television, the docudrama ''Biko'', about the death of Stephen Biko. Johnson wrote travel articles regularly for the London mass-circulation newspaper ''The Mail on Sunday''. He kept a blog and teaching website called ''The Shakespeare Masterclass''.

Personal life

By his first marriage, to Sheila Sweet, Johnson had two children, tabletop games designer Jervis Johnson (b. 1959) and actress Sorel Johnson. His second wife was American actress

, with whom he appeared in the film '' The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' (1965); the marriage didn't last long and they had no children, but they remained on friendly terms after the divorce. He also had another daughter, Jennifer Johnson, by his third wife, Marie-Louise Norlund, and a fourth child, Nicholas Johnson, by Françoise Pascal. Johnson then married Lynne Gurney on a beach in Goa, India, in 1989, following this with a discreet civil wedding at Kings Road, Chelsea, London, Chelsea in 2004. Johnson was the founder of ''It's a Green Green World'', a global listing of environmentally friendly hotels.

Death

Richard Johnson died on 5 June 2015, aged 87, after a short illness at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, London.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Richard (Actor) 1927 births 2015 deaths 20th-century English businesspeople Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English film producers English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players People educated at Felsted School Actors from the London Borough of Havering Royal Navy personnel of World War II Royal Shakespeare Company members Male actors from Essex People from Upminster