Colin Blakely facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colin Blakely
Blakely (left) as Dr. Watson with Robert Stephens as Holmes in the film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
Born	Colin George Blakely (1930-09-23)23 September 1930 Bangor, Northern Ireland
Died	7 May 1987(1987-05-07) (aged 56) London, England
Education	Sedbergh School
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1957–1987
Spouse(s)	Margaret Whiting ​ (m. 1961⁠–⁠1987)​
Children	3 sons

Colin Blakely was a famous actor from Northern Ireland. He was born on September 23, 1930, and passed away on May 7, 1987. Colin Blakely starred in many well-known movies. These included A Man for All Seasons (1966) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). He also played Dr. Watson in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970).

Early Life and Beginnings

Colin George Blakely was born in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. He went to Sedbergh School in England. When he was 18, he worked in his family's sports shop in Belfast. Later, he loaded timber for the railways.

In 1957, Colin started acting professionally. He had been part of the Bangor Drama Club as a hobby. His first professional acting job was with the Group Theatre in Belfast.

Acting Career Highlights

Colin Blakely made his first stage appearance in 1957. He was 27 years old at the time. He acted in several plays with the Ulster Group Theatre. These included Bonefire and A Sparrow Falls.

Early Stage and TV Roles

From 1957 to 1959, he worked at the Royal Court Theatre. He appeared in plays like Serjeant Musgrave's Dance. Critics really liked his performance in The Naming of Murderers Rock. In 1961, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. This is a very famous theatre group. From 1963 to 1968, he was with the Royal National Theatre.

Colin also appeared on television. In 1962, he was in an episode of "Armchair Theatre". He also had two different roles in the 1967 TV series Man in a Suitcase. In the same year, he was in The Avengers episode "Murdersville".

Becoming Well-Known

In 1969, Colin Blakely played a very important role. He acted as Jesus Christ in a TV play called Son of Man. This role made him widely recognized. After this, he was often seen on British television. That same year, he played the main character in a BBC show. It was based on the book The Way We Live Now.

Famous Stage and Film Roles

Colin Blakely performed in many famous stage plays. Some of these were Saint Joan, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, and Volpone. In 1972, he returned to the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was in Harold Pinter's play Old Times. He also acted in many plays in London's West End.

He had many memorable film roles. He was Maurice Braithwaite in This Sporting Life (1963). He played Matthew in A Man for All Seasons. He was Dr. Watson in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). He also played Joseph Stalin in Red Monarch (1983). In the 1975 film It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet, he played Siegfried Farnon.

Colin Blakely also appeared in other popular films. These included Young Winston (1972) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). He was in The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and Equus (1977). Later films included The Dogs of War (1980) and Evil Under the Sun (1982).

Shakespearean Performances

Colin Blakely was known as a great Shakespearean actor. He played Antony in a TV version of Antony and Cleopatra (1981). This was part of the BBC Television Shakespeare series. He also played Kent in a 1983 TV show of King Lear. Other TV appearances included The Beiderbecke Affair (1985) and Paradise Postponed (1986).

Personal Life

Colin Blakely was married to actress Margaret Whiting. They were married for 26 years. They had three sons, including a set of twins. Colin Blakely passed away at the age of 56. He died from leukaemia, which is a type of cancer. He was still a very successful actor at the time.

Filmography