David Collings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Collings
Born	(1940-06-04)4 June 1940 Brighton, Sussex, England
Died	23 March 2020(2020-03-23) (aged 79)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1961–2019
Children	3, including Samuel Collings

David Collings (born June 4, 1940 – died March 23, 2020) was a talented English actor. He had a very long career, appearing in many different roles. You might have seen him on stage, in TV shows, movies, or heard his voice on the radio. He was especially known for his roles in popular science fiction shows like Doctor Who, Sapphire & Steel, and Blake's 7. He also voiced the main character in the TV series Monkey and played Legolas in the famous BBC Radio 4 version of The Lord of the Rings.

About David Collings

David Collings was born in Brighton, England, on June 4, 1940. He became a very busy actor, working in many different areas of entertainment.

His Work in Film and TV

David Collings got his first big break playing the main character, Raskolnikov, in a TV show called Crime & Punishment in 1964. This show was even broadcast live!

He played many real-life historical figures. For example, he was Percy Grainger in Song of Summer (1968) and John Ruskin in The Love School (1975). This BBC series was about a group of artists called the Pre-Raphaelites. He also played Sir Anthony Babington in Elizabeth R. In 1975, he played William Wilberforce in The Fight Against Slavery, a show about ending slavery. Later, in 1979, he starred as William Pitt in Prince Regent.

Collings also appeared in several popular science fiction shows. He was Deva in the last episode of Blake's 7. He also played a character named 'Silver' in some of the Sapphire & Steel TV adventures. You might have seen him in other TV series like Danger Man, Mystery and Imagination, and UFO. In Gideon's Way, he played a troubled man in an episode called The Prowler.

One of his most famous movie roles was playing Bob Cratchit in the classic 1970 musical film, Scrooge. He acted alongside famous stars like Albert Finney and Sir Alec Guinness. In 1981, he played two characters, Lord Dark and The Friendly Ghost, in Dark Towers. This was a popular show for schoolchildren as part of the Look and Read series.

He was also the voice of the main character in the Japanese TV series Journey to the West, which was known as Monkey in English-speaking countries. This show was very popular, especially with young people. David Collings also appeared in other children's TV shows, like playing Julian Oakapple in Midnight is a Place (1977). In 1989, he played the villain Charn in Through the Dragon's Eye. He also had a regular role as the headmaster in the TV show Press Gang from 1989 to 1993.

His Roles in Doctor Who

David Collings appeared many times in the long-running British science fiction TV series Doctor Who. He played different characters like Vorus in Revenge of the Cybermen, Poul in The Robots of Death, and Mawdryn in Mawdryn Undead.

He also played an alternate version of the Doctor in audio plays by Big Finish Productions. These were part of the Doctor Who Unbound series, including Full Fathom Five. Collings even returned to play Poul, who was renamed Paulus, in an episode of the audio drama series Kaldor City.

His Radio Work

On the radio, David Collings played the elf Legolas in the classic BBC Radio 4 adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. This was a very popular radio series.

He also read the complete ghost stories of M. R. James in 2006. These recordings were highly praised.

His Theatre Career

David Collings had a long and successful career on stage. He was known as a "stalwart" (meaning a very loyal and strong member) of the National Theatre and the RSC. These are two of the most important theatre companies in the UK.

His stage career started in Liverpool, and he later traveled all over the world with leading theatre groups. He performed in many different types of plays, from Shakespeare to modern works. He played Mortimer the Elder and Matrevis in a play called Edward II. His son, Samuel Collings, also acted in this production. He also played the King of France in Henry V and Giles Corey in The Crucible.

His Family Life

David Collings had three children: Samuel, Eliza, and Kate. His son, Samuel Collings, is also an actor.

David Collings passed away on March 23, 2020, at the age of 79.

Filmography