David Bailie facts for kids

David Bailie (born December 4, 1937 – died March 6, 2021) was an actor from South Africa. He was famous for his roles in plays, on TV, and in movies. In the 1960s and 1970s, he worked with important theatre groups like the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

On television, he played "Dask" in the 1977 Doctor Who story The Robots of Death. He also appeared in Blake's 7. In films, he was "Skewer" in Cutthroat Island (1995) and "The Engineer" in Gladiator (2000). David Bailie is probably best known for playing the quiet pirate Cotton in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Besides acting, Bailie was also a professional photographer. He focused on taking portraits of people.

About David Bailie's Life

David Bailie was born in Springs, South Africa, on December 4, 1937. He went to a boarding school in Swaziland. In 1952, his family moved to Rhodesia (which is now Zimbabwe).

In 1955, after leaving school, he acted in a play called Doctor in the House. This experience made him want to become a professional actor. Before acting full-time, he worked in a bank and for an airline. In 1958, he traveled to Britain for the first time. David Bailie passed away on March 6, 2021, when he was 83 years old.

David Bailie's Acting Career

In 1960, David Bailie moved to Britain from South Africa. He got his first small movie role in Flame in the Streets (1961). He then played a bellboy in a play called Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad (1961). He then joined a weekly theatre group in Barrow-in-Furness. He was very new to acting but quickly learned.

Training to Be an Actor

David knew he needed more training. He tried three times to get a scholarship to the RADA, a famous acting school. Each time, he was accepted, but only if he paid the fees, which he couldn't afford. Finally, he used his last savings from Rhodesia to pay for his first term in 1963. After that, he convinced the school to let him study for free for the next two years.

After leaving RADA in 1964, he joined the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. There, he played many different characters. These included Tolen in The Knack... and MacDuff in Macbeth.

Working with Famous Theatre Companies

After a year at Everyman Theatre, he moved back to London. He auditioned for Sir Laurence Olivier and joined the National Theatre. He played smaller roles and also filled in for Olivier in plays like Love for Love.

Later, Terry Hands, who was also a student at RADA, invited Bailie to join the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon. Terry Hands later became the artistic director of the RSC. At the RSC, David Bailie played "Florizel" with Judi Dench in The Winter's Tale. He also played "Valentine" in The Two Gentlemen of Verona and "The Bastard" in King John.

In the early 1970s, he worked with Stomu Yamashta at his Red Buddha Theatre. He was the main actor in a show called Raindog. This role required him to sing, dance, perform martial arts, and do gymnastics.

TV and Film Roles

In 1976, David Bailie was chosen by Michael E. Briant to play the bad guy "Dask" in the Doctor Who TV story The Robots of Death. He also appeared in other popular TV shows at that time.

In the mid-1990s, David Bailie returned to acting in movies. He played "Skewer" in Cutthroat Island (1995). He was also an English Judge in The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999). In 2000, he played "The Engineer" in the movie Gladiator.

The Pirate Cotton

David Bailie's most famous movie role was "Cotton." Cotton was a pirate who couldn't speak, so he taught his parrot (also named Cotton) to talk for him. The parrot could only say a few simple phrases. Bailie first appeared as Cotton in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). He was one of the pirates Jack Sparrow chose to join his crew.

Cotton survived the Kraken attack in the next movie, Dead Man's Chest (2006). He also played Cotton in the third movie, At World's End (2007). His character never spoke a single line in any of the three films.

In 2014, David Bailie joined the cast of a short film called Artificio Conceal. The film was shown at film festivals around the world, including the Cannes Film Festival.

Bailie also returned to his Doctor Who role as Dask in audio dramas. He also played the "Celestial Toymaker" in other audio stories for Big Finish Productions.

Other Work

David Bailie was also a professional photographer. He specialized in taking pictures of people and landscapes. He also created a YouTube channel called mdebailes. On his channel, he shared readings and parts of his performances.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: David Bailie para niños