Roland Joseph Culver, (31 August 1900 – 1 March 1984) was an English stage, film, and television actor.

Early life

After Highgate School, Culver joined the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

and served as a pilot from 1918 to 1919.

Career

After considering other careers, Culver turned to acting, graduating from the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art 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 London ...

. He debuted on the stage in 1924 at Hull Repertory Theatre and, by 1931, was appearing in films in which he was known for his portrayals of impeccable English gentlemen not given to displays of emotion. In the 1960s Culver branched out into television, before finally retiring in 1983. In 1960, he appeared in '' Five Finger Exercise'' at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. He was nominated for the 1966 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for '' Ivanov''. In 1974, he played the irascible Duke of Omnium and Gatherum in the popular BBC adaptation of '' The Pallisers''. He took the role of Claudius opposite Paul Scofield's celebrated Hamlet in Howard Sackler's production for Caedmon Shakespeare Recordings in 1963.

Personal life and death

Culver was married twice, first to actress, director, and casting agent Daphne Rye between 1932 and 1946, then to Nan Hopkins from 1947 until his death from a heart attack in 1984. With his first wife he had two children: actor Michael Culver and Robin Culver. Culver lost half a lung to

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

. Culver was awarded an OBE in the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to drama.

Writer

Culver wrote the play ''A River Breeze'', and his autobiography is called ''Not Quite a Gentleman''.

Complete filmography

References

External links

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BBC Desert Island Discs Archive programme
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culver, Roland 1900 births 1984 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors People educated at Highgate School Actors from the London Borough of Camden Male actors from Oxfordshire Royal Air Force personnel of World War I Officers of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century English male actors English expatriate male actors in the United States British World War I pilots Male actors from London People from Highgate