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Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage and screen actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved leading man star status in the film '' Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by '' The Third Man'' (1949), portraying what
BFI Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and tele ...
called "a new kind of male lead in British films: steady, middle-class, reassuring…. but also capable of suggesting neurosis under the tweedy demeanour." Howard was nominated for the
BAFTA Award for Best Actor Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognise an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in ...
four times, winning for ''The Key'' (1958), and received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...
for his performance in '' Sons and Lovers'' (1960). His other notable film performances include '' Golden Salamander'' (1950), '' The Clouded Yellow'' (1951), ''
Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the ''Bounty'' occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship, , from their captain, Lieutenant (navy), Lieutenant William Bli ...
'' (1962), '' The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (1968), ''Battle of Britain'' (1969), '' Lola'' (1969), '' Ryan's Daughter'' (1970), ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' (1978), ''
Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...
'' (1982), and ''White Mischief'' (1987). He was also an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
recipient, and a three-time
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
nominee.


Early life

Howard was born in
Cliftonville Cliftonville is a coastal area of Margate in the Thanet District, Thanet district of Kent, England. It includes the Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay estate, built in the 1930s with wide avenues and detached and semi-detached houses with driveways, gar ...
, Kent, England the son of Mabel Grey (Wallace) and Arthur John Howard-Smith, an insurance agent. His parents married in 1909 . Although Howard later claimed to have been born in 1916 (the year quoted by most reference sources) he was actually born in 1913 (which is supported by school and other records). His father was an insurance underwriter for
Lloyd's of London Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is a insurance and reinsurance market located in London, England. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body gover ...
, serving as representative in
Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...
,
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
and elsewhere; Trevor spent the first eight years of his life travelling around the world. He was educated at
Clifton College Clifton College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in the city of Bristol in South West England, founded in 1862 and offering both boarding school, boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18. In its early years, unlike mo ...
(to which he left in his will a substantial legacy for a drama scholarship) and at 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 ...
(RADA). In 1933, at the end of his first year, he was chosen as best actor in his class for his performance as Benedict in a school production of ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...
''. While Howard was still studying, he made his professional debut at the Gate Theatre in ''Revolt in a Reformatory'' (1934). Howard's sister, born 1 January 1917 in India, was Merle Florence Howard-Smith, later an actress. When he left school he worked regularly on stage, including in Sheridan's ''
The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...
'', several performances at Stratford-upon-Avon, and in a two-year run in the original production of '' French Without Tears''.


Military service

Around 1945, journalists began to circulate stories stating that Howard had a courageous wartime service in the British Army's
Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...
, which earned him much respect among fellow actors and fans. The police visited Howard, warning him that it was a crime to claim a medal under the Army Act, but Howard assured them he was not the source of the stories. In fact, he "did his best to dodge the call-up", and journalist Terrence Pettigrew, in his 2001
biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...
of Howard, recounted that files held in the
Public Record Office The Public Record Office (abbreviated as PRO, pronounced as three letters and referred to as ''the'' PRO), Chancery Lane in the City of London, was the guardian of the national archives of the United Kingdom from 1838 until 2003, when it was m ...
revealed he was actually discharged from the British Army in 1943 for mental instability and having a " psychopathic personality", on account of having "lied about his background, from his schooldays onward ... determinedly". Initially Howard's widow, actress Helen Cherry, denied this, but after being confronted with the official records, she said that Howard's mother had claimed he was a holder of the
Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
, adding that her late husband had an honourable military record with "nothing to be ashamed of". Per ''
The London Gazette ''The London Gazette'', known generally as ''The Gazette'', is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, i ...
'', Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (247202) was commissioned into the South Staffordshire Regiment as a Second lieutenant effective 3 October 1942, relinquishing his commission on 2 October 1943 "on account of "ill-health", still a Second Lieutenant. This contradicted the post-war stories that he had won the Military Cross and high promotion.


Career

After a theatrical role in ''
The Recruiting Officer ''The Recruiting Officer'' is a 1706 play by the Irish writer George Farquhar, which follows the social and sexual exploits of two English Army officers, the womanising Plume and the cowardly Brazen, in the town of Shrewsbury (the town where ...
'' (1943), Howard began working in films with an uncredited part '' The Way Ahead'' (1944), directed by Carol Reed. He was in a big stage hit, '' A Soldier for Christmas'' (1944), and a production of Eugene O'Neill's '' Anna Christie'' (1944). Howard received his first film credit for '' The Way to the Stars'' (1945), playing a pilot. Howard's performance in ''The Way Ahead'' came to the attention of
David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...
, who was looking for someone to play the role of Alec in '' Brief Encounter'' (1945). Lean recommended him to
Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...
, who agreed with the suggestion, and the success of the film launched Howard's film career. He followed it with '' I See a Dark Stranger'' (1946) with Deborah Kerr, and ''
Green for Danger ''Green for Danger'' is a popular 1944 detective fiction, detective novel by British writer Christianna Brand, praised for its clever plot, interesting characters, and wartime hospital setting. It was made into a Green for Danger (film), 1946 ...
'' (1947), starring Alastair Sim. Both films were successful as was '' They Made Me a Fugitive'' (1947). That year British exhibitors voted Howard the 10th most popular British star at the box office. '' So Well Remembered'' (1948) was made with American talent and money and was a hit in Britain but lost money overall. Howard was reunited with Lean for '' The Passionate Friends'' (1949), but the film was not a success. In contrast, Carol Reed's '' The Third Man'' (1949, from a story by
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 ...
), in which Howard starred alongside
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...
and Joseph Cotten, was a huge international success, and became the film of which Howard was most proud. During the filming of ''The Third Man'' in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, visited a bar still wearing his
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
officer's uniform costume and, following an altercation, was detained for impersonation by the Royal Military Police. When identified, he was released without further ado. Howard was the lead in '' Golden Salamander'' (1950) and played Peter Churchill in '' Odette'' (1950) with
Anna Neagle Dame Florence Marjorie Wilcox (''née'' Robertson; 20 October 1904 – 3 June 1986), known professionally as Anna Neagle, was an English stage and film actress, singer, and dancer. She was a successful box-office draw in British cinema for 2 ...
, a big hit in Britain. It was directed by
Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox Order of the British Empire, CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and film director, director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best know ...
who put Howard under contract. He loaned Howard to Betty Box and
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 ...
to make '' The Clouded Yellow'' (1950), a popular thriller with Jean Simmons. These films helped Howard be voted the 2nd biggest British star at the box office in 1950 and the 5th biggest (and eleventh bigger over-all) in 1951. Howard was reunited with Carol Reed for '' Outcast of the Islands'' (1952) and he made a war film, '' Gift Horse'' (1952). That year he made his final appearance on the list of Britain's ten most popular actors, coming in at number nine. He was in another adaptation of a Graham Greene story, '' The Heart of the Matter'' (1953). Greene also wrote and produced Howard's next film, the British-Italian '' The Stranger's Hand'' (1954). Howard was in a French movie, '' The Lovers of Lisbon'' (1955), then supported Jose Ferrer in a war film from Warwick Pictures, '' The Cockleshell Heroes'' (1955), which was popular in Britain. Howard's first Hollywood film was '' Run for the Sun'' (1956), where he played a villain to Richard Widmark's hero. He made a cameo in '' Around the World in 80 Days'' (1956) and again played a villain to an American star, Victor Mature, in Warwick's ''
Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
'' (1957). Howard starred in '' Manuela'' (1957) then supported
William Holden William Franklin Holden (né Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film '' Stalag 17'' (1953) and the Pri ...
in Carol Reed's '' The Key'' (1958), for which he received the Best Actor award from the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
. When William Holden dropped out of the lead of '' The Roots of Heaven'' (1958), Howard stepped in as his first opportunity at a starring role in a Hollywood film (although top billing still went to
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...
). After a thriller '' Moment of Danger'' (1960) he was in '' Sons and Lovers'' (1960), for which he was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...
. He was nominated for a BAFTA on four other occasions. and received two other Emmy nominations, one as a lead and the other as a supporting actor. He also received three
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
nominations. Howard was reunited with Holden for '' The Lion'' (1962). He was Captain Bligh to
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''
's Fletcher Christian in MGM's remake of ''
Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the ''Bounty'' occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship, , from their captain, Lieutenant (navy), Lieutenant William Bli ...
'' (1962). He was in a TV movie production of '' Hedda Gabler'' (1962) and played the title prime minister in "The Invincible Mr Disraeli" (1963), an episode of the ''
Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...
'' for which he won an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for his role then supported Robert Mitchum in '' Man in the Middle'' (1964) and
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...
in '' Father Goose'' (1964). After a cameo 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), Howard supported
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 ...
in '' Von Ryan's Express'' (1965), Brando and
Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner (), was a Russian-born actor. He was known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical ''The King and I'' (19 ...
in '' Morituri'' (1965), and Rod Taylor in '' The Liquidator'' (1965). After a leading role in '' The Poppy Is Also a Flower'' (1966) he made two movies with Brynner, '' Triple Cross'' (1966) and '' The Long Duel'' (1967). Howard had a change of pace supporting Hayley Mills in '' Pretty Polly'' (1968). He went back to military roles: '' The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (1968), as Lord Cardigan, and ''
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
'' (1969), as Air Vice Marshal Keith Park. He had support parts in '' Lola'' (1969) and '' Ryan's Daughter'' (1970), the latter for David Lean. He made a Swedish film '' The Night Visitor'' (1971) then settled into a career as a character actor: ''
To Catch a Spy ''To Catch a Spy'' is a 1971 comedy film, comedy spy film directed by Dick Clement and starring Kirk Douglas, Marlène Jobert, Trevor Howard, Richard Pearson (actor), Richard Pearson, Garfield Morgan, Angharad Rees and Robert Raglan. It was writ ...
'' (1971), supporting
Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...
; ''
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
'' (1971), as Sir William Cecil; '' Kidnapped'' (1971); '' Pope Joan'' (1972); '' Ludwig'' (1972); '' The Offence'' (1972), with
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 ...
; ''
A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...
'' (1973), for
Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American film and theatre director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Hollywood ...
; '' Who?'' (1974), supporting Elliott Gould; and ''
Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
'' (1974) for British TV. He appeared in some horror films, including '' Craze'' (1974), ''
Persecution Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...
'' (1974), and '' 11 Harrowhouse'' (1974) alongside his wife Helen Cherry. In '' The Count of Monte Cristo (1975)'', he mentored Richard Chamberlain. He played military men in '' Hennessy'' (1975) and '' Conduct Unbecoming'' (1975). Around this time he complained that he had to work so hard because of the high rate of tax in Britain. Howard appeared in ''
Albino Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and reddish pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albinos. Varied use and interpretation of ...
'' (1976), shot in
Rhodesia Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...
; '' The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones'' (1976); ''
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); ''
Eliza Fraser Eliza Anne Fraser (née Slack; – 1858) was an English woman known for being shipwrecked at K'gari, an island off the coast of Queensland, Australia, on 22 May 1836. After being rescued from the island, she spoke and wrote of her experiences, ...
'' (1976), shot in Australia; '' The Last Remake of Beau Geste'' (1977); and '' Stevie'' (1978). He was one of many names in ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' (1978), ''
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
'' (1979), ''
Meteor A meteor, known colloquially as a shooting star, is a glowing streak of a small body (usually meteoroid) going through Earth's atmosphere, after being heated to incandescence by collisions with air molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating a ...
'' (1979) and '' The Sea Wolves'' (1980). He appeared in a TV series '' Shillingbury Tales'' (1980–81). One of his strangest films, and one he took great delight in, was Vivian Stanshall's '' Sir Henry at Rawlinson End'' (1980), in which he played the title role. He and
Celia Johnson Dame Celia Elizabeth Johnson (18 December 1908 – 26 April 1982) was an English actress, whose career included stage, television and film. She is especially known for her roles in the films ''In Which We Serve'' (1942), ''This Happy Breed ...
from ''Brief Encounter'' were reunited in '' Staying On'' (1980) for British TV. Howard was also top-billed in '' Windwalker'' (1981).


Final years

Howard appeared in some prestigious movies towards the end of his career: '' The Deadly Game'' (1982), '' The Missionary'' (1982), ''
Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...
'' (1982), ''
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
'' (1984), ''
Shaka Zulu Shaka kaSenzangakhona (–24 September 1828), also known as Shaka (the) Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reform ...
'' (1986), ''
Dust Dust is made of particle size, fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian processes, aeolian process), Types of volcan ...
'' (1985), and ''
Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
'' (1986). At the time of filming '' White Mischief'' (1988) on location in Kenya during 1987, Howard was seriously ill and suffering from
alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
. The company wanted to sack him, but co-star Sarah Miles was determined that Howard's distinguished film career would not end that way. In an interview with Terence Pettigrew for his biography of Howard, Miles describes how she gave an ultimatum to the executives, threatening to quit the production if they got rid of him. His final film role was in '' The Dawning'' in 1988. Throughout his film career Howard insisted that all his contracts include a clause excusing him from work whenever a
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
Test match was being played. Howard recorded two
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 ...
performances, the first, recorded in the 1960s, was as Petruchio opposite Margaret Leighton's Kate in Caedmon Records' complete recording of ''
The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...
''; the second was in the title role of ''
King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...
'' for the
BBC World Service The BBC World Service is a British Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection and audience reach. It broadcas ...
in 1986.


Personal life

He married stage and screen actress Helen Cherry. A British government document leaked to the ''
Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'' in 2003 showed that Howard was among almost 300 people to decline an official honour of the United Kingdom. He declined to be made a CBE in 1982.


Death

Howard died, aged 74, at his home in
Arkley Arkley is a village in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Barnet. It is located north-northwest of Charing Cross. It consists of a long village strung out between Barnet and Stirling Corner, and composed of the ancient ...
, Barnet on 7 January 1988. The cause of death was hepatic failure and
cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced ...
of the liver.


Appearances


Filmography

* '' The Way Ahead'' (1944) as Officer on Ship (uncredited) * '' The Way to the Stars'' (1945) as Squadron Leader Carter * '' Brief Encounter'' (1945) as Alec Harvey * '' I See a Dark Stranger'' (1946) as David Baynes * ''
Green for Danger ''Green for Danger'' is a popular 1944 detective fiction, detective novel by British writer Christianna Brand, praised for its clever plot, interesting characters, and wartime hospital setting. It was made into a Green for Danger (film), 1946 ...
'' (1946) as Dr. Barnes * '' They Made Me a Fugitive'' (1947) as Clem * '' So Well Remembered'' (1947) as Richard Whiteside * '' The Passionate Friends'' (1949) as Professor Steven Stratton * '' The Third Man'' (1949) as Maj. Calloway * '' Golden Salamander'' (1950) as David Redfern * '' Odette'' (1950) as Captain Peter Churchill / Raoul * '' The Clouded Yellow'' (1950) as Maj. David Somers * '' Lady Godiva Rides Again'' (1951) as Guest at Theater Accepting Program (uncredited) * '' Outcast of the Islands'' (1952) as Peter Willems * '' Gift Horse'' (1952) as Lieutenant Commander Hugh Algernon Fraser * '' The Heart of the Matter'' (1953) as Harry Scobie * '' La mano dello straniero'' (1954) as Major Roger Court * '' Les amants du Tage'' (1955) as Inspector Lewis * '' The Cockleshell Heroes'' (1955) as Captain Thompson * '' Run for the Sun'' (1956) as Browne * '' Around the World in 80 Days'' (1956) as Denis Fallentin – Reform Club Member * '' April in Portugal'' (1956) as the narrator * ''
Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
'' (1957) as Frank McNally * '' Manuela'' (1957) as James Prothero, released as ''Stowaway Girl'' in the US * '' A Day in Trinidad, Land of Laughter'' (1957, Short) as Narrator * '' The Key'' (1958) as Captain Chris Ford * '' The Roots of Heaven'' (1958) as Morel * '' Moment of Danger'' (1960) as John Bain * '' Sons and Lovers'' (1960) as Walter Morel * '' The Lion'' (1962) as John Bullit * ''
Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the ''Bounty'' occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship, , from their captain, Lieutenant (navy), Lieutenant William Bli ...
'' (1962) as Captain William Bligh * '' Man in the Middle'' (1963) as Major John Darryl Kensington * '' Father Goose'' (1964) as Houghton * ''
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) as Professor Lindermann * '' Von Ryan's Express'' (1965) as Maj. Eric Fincham * '' Morituri'' (1965) as Colonel Statter * '' The Liquidator'' (1965) as Mostyn * '' Eagle in a Cage'' (1965, ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'') as
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
* '' The Poppy Is Also a Flower'' (1966) as Sam Lincon * '' Triple Cross'' (1966) MI 5 * '' The Long Duel'' (1967) as Young * '' Pretty Polly'' (1967) as Robert Hook * '' The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (1968) as Lord Cardigan * ''
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
'' (1969) as Air Vice-Marshal Sir
Keith Park Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park, (15 June 1892 – 6 February 1975) was a New Zealand-born officer of the Royal Air Force (RAF). During the Second World War, his leadership of the RAF's No. 11 Group RAF, No. 11 Group was pivotal to t ...
* '' Twinky'' (1969) as Lola's Grandfather * '' Ryan's Daughter'' (1970) as Father Hugh Collins * '' The Night Visitor'' (1971) as The Inspector * ''
To Catch a Spy ''To Catch a Spy'' is a 1971 comedy film, comedy spy film directed by Dick Clement and starring Kirk Douglas, Marlène Jobert, Trevor Howard, Richard Pearson (actor), Richard Pearson, Garfield Morgan, Angharad Rees and Robert Raglan. It was writ ...
'' (1971) as Sir Trevor Dawson * ''
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
'' (1971) as William Cecil * '' Pope Joan'' (1972) as Pope Leo * '' Ludwig'' (1972) as
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
* '' The Offence'' (1972) as Detective Superintendent Cartwright * '' Kidnapped'' (1973) as Lord Advocate Grant * ''
A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...
'' (1973) as Dr Rank * '' Who?'' (1973) as Colonel Azarin * ''
Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
'' (1973) as The Abbot * '' Craze'' (1974) as Supt. Bellamy * '' 11 Harrowhouse'' (1974) as Clyde Massey * ''
Persecution Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...
'' (1974) aka ''Sheba'', ''The Graveyard'', ''The Terror of Sheba'' as Paul Bellamy * '' Cause for Concern'' (1974) as Narrator * ''
The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. It was serialised from 1844 to 1846, and published in book form in 1846. It is one of his most popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers'' (184 ...
'' (1975, TV movie) as Abbe Faria * '' Hennessy'' (1975) as Commander Rice * '' Conduct Unbecoming'' (1975) as Colonel Benjamin Strang * ''
Albino Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and reddish pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albinos. Varied use and interpretation of ...
'' (1976) as Johannes * '' The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones'' (1976) as Squire Western * ''
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) as Silkin * ''
Eliza Fraser Eliza Anne Fraser (née Slack; – 1858) was an English woman known for being shipwrecked at K'gari, an island off the coast of Queensland, Australia, on 22 May 1836. After being rescued from the island, she spoke and wrote of her experiences, ...
'' (1976) as Captain Foster Fyans * '' The Last Remake of Beau Geste'' (1977) as Sir Hector * '' Babel Yemen'' (1977 short) as Narrator * '' Slavers'' (1978) as Alec Mackenzie * '' Stevie'' (1978) as The Man * ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' (1978) as 1st Elder * '' The Spirit of Adventure: Night Flight'' (1979, TV Movie) as Riviere * ''
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
'' (1979) as Father Malone * ''
Meteor A meteor, known colloquially as a shooting star, is a glowing streak of a small body (usually meteoroid) going through Earth's atmosphere, after being heated to incandescence by collisions with air molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating a ...
'' (1979) as Sir Michael Hughes * '' Flashpoint Africa'' (1980) as Programme Controller * '' The Shillingbury Blowers'' (1980) as Dan 'Saltie' Wicklow * '' The Sea Wolves'' (1980) as Jack Cartwright * '' Sir Henry at Rawlinson End'' (1980) as Sir Henry Rawlinson * '' Windwalker'' (1980) as Windwalker * '' Staying On'' (1980 TV movie) as Colonel Tusker Smalley * '' Arch of Triumph'' (1980) * '' Light Years Away'', aka ''Les Années lumière'' (1981) as Yoshka Poliakeff * '' The Great Muppet Caper'' (1981) as Aggressive Man in Restaurant (uncredited) * ''No Country for Old Men'' (1981, TV Movie) * '' Inside the Third Reich'' (1982, TV Movie) as Professor Heinrich Tessnow * '' Deadly Game'' (1982, TV Movie) as Gustave Kummer * '' The Missionary'' (1982) as Lord Henry Ames * ''
Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...
'' (1982) as Judge R. S. Broomfield * '' Sword of the Valiant'' (1984) as The King * ''
Dust Dust is made of particle size, fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian processes, aeolian process), Types of volcan ...
'' (1985) as Le père * '' God Rot Tunbridge Wells!'' (1985) as Georg Frederich Handel * '' Memory of the Camps'' (1985, Documentary) as Narrator * '' Time After Time'' (1986) as Brigadier * '' Foreign Body'' (1986) as Dr Stirrup * ''Christmas Eve'' (1986, TV Movie) as Maitland * '' Hand in Glove'' (1987, TV Movie) as Vicar * '' White Mischief'' (1988) as Jack Soames * '' The Unholy'' (1988) as Father Silva * '' The Dawning'' (1988) as Grandfather


Television

* ''
The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...
'' (1984 TV Series) as Sir Albert Demerest * ''
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
'' (1984 miniseries) as Lord Fairfax * ''
Shaka Zulu Shaka kaSenzangakhona (–24 September 1828), also known as Shaka (the) Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reform ...
'' (1986–1989) as Lord Charles Somerset (final appearance) * ''
Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
'' (1986 TV series) as Sir Isaac Newton


Notes

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * *


External links

* *
Trevor Howard papers archived at Bristol University
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Trevor 1913 births 1988 deaths Military personnel from Kent Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Best British Actor BAFTA Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People educated at Clifton College English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors South Staffordshire Regiment officers Male actors from Margate Actors from Bushey Deaths from liver failure Deaths from cirrhosis Deaths from hepatitis Male actors from Hertfordshire 20th-century English male actors Alcohol-related deaths in England British Army personnel of World War II