Michael Hordern
(1911 - 1995)High at the top of my list of favorite character actors is the sad-faced, mournful looking Sir Michael Hordern. He was an absolute joy to watch in the variety of roles he created. Born October 3, 1911 in Berkhampstead, England he was educated at Brighton College where he developed a passion for acting. He worked as a teacher and businessman before pursuing a career in acting. He began on the stage and worked in the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford. His official film debut was in "The Girl in the News" in 1941 but he had bit parts in a few films including "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938) with Errol Flynn. His career was interrupted by WWII and after a stint in the Royal Navy he continued his illustrious acting career. Besides his basset-hound face his trademark was his smooth resonant voice which was often utilized in narration. More often than not he appeared in epic costume dramas. His films included: "School for Secrets" (1946) as Lt. Commander Lowther; "Passport to Pimlico" (1949) as Inspector Bashford; "Tom Brown's Schooldays" (1951) as Wilkes; "The Magic Box" (1951) as Official Receiver; "Scrooge" (1951) with Alistair Sim, as Jacob Marley; Disney's "Story of Robin Hood" (1952) as Scathelock; "Personal Affair" (1953) as Headmaster; "The Beachcomber" (1954) as Mr. Gray; "Storm Over the Nile" (1955) as Gen. Faversham; "The Dark Avenger" (1955) as King Edward; "The Man Who Never Was" (1956) with Clifton Webb, as Gen. Coburn; "Alexander the Great" (1956) as Demosthenes; "The Baby and the Battleship" (1956) as Captain Hugh; "Windom's Way" (1958) as Patterson; "I Was Monty's Double" (1958) as 'Rusty', Gov. Gen of Gibraltar; "I, Accuse!" (1958) with Jose Ferrer, as Prosecutor, 2nd Dreyfus Trial; "Sink the Bismarck!" (1960) as CIC on King George V; "El Cid" (1961) as Don Diego; "Cleopatra" (1963) as Cicero; "The V.I.P.'s" (1963) as Airport Director; "The Yellow Rolls-Royce" (1965) as Harnsworth; "Genghis Khan" (1965) as Geen; "The Spy Who Came In from the Cold" (1965) as Ashe; "Khartoum" (1966) as Lord Granville; "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (1966) as Senex; "The Jokers" (1966) as Sir Matthew; "Where Eagles Dare" (1969) as Vice Admiral Rolland; "Anne of the Thousand Days" (1969) as Thomas Boleyn; "The Possession of Joel Delaney" (1972) as Dr. Justin Lorenz; "The Pied Piper" (1972) as Melius, Alchemist; "The Mackintosh Man" (1973) as Brown; "Theatre of Blood" (1973) as George Maxwell; "England Made Me" (1973) as F. Minty; "Barry Lyndon" (1975) as narrator, voice only; "The Old Curiosity Shop" (1975) as Grandfather/Edward Trent; "Lucky Lady" (1975) as Capt. Rockwell; "The Slipper and the Rose" (1976) as King; "The Medusa Touch" (1978) as Atropos; "The Wildcats of St. Trinian's" (1980) as Sir Charles Hackforth; "Gandhi" (1982) as Sir George Hodge; "Yellowbeard" (1983) as Dr. Gilpin; my personal favorite, as the kindly priest, Dr. Feckenham in "Lady Jane" (1985) and "The Fool" (1990) his final theatrical film performance. On TV he appeared in the mini-series "Shogun" (1980) as Friar Domingo; "Wind in the Willows" (1982) animated series as the voice of Badger and the mini-series: "Edward the King" (1975) as Gladstone; "Middlemarch" (1994) as Peter Featherstone. He also starred in many TV movies including: "Ivanhoe" (1982) with James Mason, as Cedric and "The Secret Garden" (1987) with Derek Jacobi, as Ben Weatherstaff. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1983. He died on May 2, 1995 in Oxford, England of kidney disease.
From Great Character Actors, Page 1.
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