Colin Blakely

Colin George Blakely (23 September 1930 – 7 May 1987) was a Northern Irish character actor. He was considered an actor of great power and presence, working chiefly in the theatre but also in television and films. Born in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland, Blakely attended Sedbergh School in Yorkshire. At 18 he started work in his family's sports goods shop, before going on to work as a timber-loader on the railways. In 1957, after a spell of ... more

Colin George Blakely (23 September 1930 – 7 May 1987) was a Northern Irish character actor. He was considered an actor of great power and presence, working chiefly in the theatre but also in television and films. Born in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland, Blakely attended Sedbergh School in Yorkshire. At 18 he started work in his family's sports goods shop, before going on to work as a timber-loader on the railways. In 1957, after a spell of amateur dramatics with the Bangor Operatic Society, he turned professional with the Group Theatre, Belfast. In 1958, at the age of 27, Blakely made his stage debut as Dick McCardle in Master of the House. From 1957 to 1959 he was at the Royal Court Theatre, appearing in Cock-A-Doodle Dandy, Serjeant Musgrave's Dance and, to critical approval, The Taming of Murderers Rock. In 1961, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon and from 1963 to 1968 was with the National Theatre at the Old Vic. In 1969, Blakely's controversial... less