Donald Pleasence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donald Pleasence
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| Born |
Donald Henry Pleasence
October 5, 1919 |
| Died | February 2, 1995 (aged 75) |
| Alma mater | Ecclesfield School |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1954–1995 |
| Spouse(s) | Miriam Raymond (1941–58) Josephine Crombie (1959–70) Meira Shore (1970–88) Linda J. Kentwood (1988–95) |
Donald Henry Pleasence (OBE) (born October 5, 1919 – died February 2, 1995) was a famous English actor. He was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England. Donald Pleasence grew up in Lincolnshire, England.
During his acting career, he was nominated for four Tony Awards. These awards are for great performances in plays. He also won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor in 1959. Donald Pleasence appeared in over 200 movies and TV shows.
His first TV movie was The Dybbuk in 1952. He acted in many well-known films. These include You Only Live Twice, where he played the James Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. He was also in The Great Escape. Pleasence is perhaps most famous for playing Dr. Samuel Loomis in the horror movie Halloween. He played Dr. Loomis in five of the six Halloween movie series films. He was not in Halloween III: Season of the Witch because it had a different story.
Donald Pleasence passed away at age 75 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France. He died from problems after heart surgery.
Contents
Early Life and War Service
Donald Henry Pleasence was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England. This was on October 5, 1919. His parents were Alice and Thomas Pleasence. He was raised in Lincolnshire, England. Donald Pleasence went to Ecclesfield School in Yorkshire, England.
During World War II, Pleasence joined the Royal Air Force. He was part of 166 Squadron. His plane was shot down in August 1944. This happened during a bombing mission over Agenville. He became a prisoner-of-war in Germany. Donald Pleasence was set free in 1945, before the war ended.
Acting Career Highlights
Donald Pleasence started working in theatre in 1939. He began as an assistant stage manager. His first acting role was in the play Wuthering Heights. He worked in theatres in Birmingham and Bristol. Later, he moved to London. There, he acted in Twelfth Night in 1942.
His first TV appearance was in I Want to Be A Doctor in 1946. In 1954, he played Syme in a BBC show. It was based on George Orwell's book Nineteen Eighty-Four. Pleasence also played Prince John in the ITV series The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Donald Pleasence made his first big movie appearance in 1954. This was in The Beachcomber. He had small roles in movies like 1984 and Barnacle Bill. He also appeared in Look Back in Anger.
In the early 1960s, Pleasence recorded children's stories. These were released in the United States. They included Don Quixote and Brave Little Tailor. He also did the voice-over for a British public safety film in 1973. It was called The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water. He even wrote a children's book in 1977, called Scouse the Mouse.
In his later years, he acted in many memorable films. He was Lucas Deranian in Walt Disney's Escape to Witch Mountain. He was Dr. Kobras in The Pumaman. He also played the President in Escape from New York. He returned as Dr. Loomis in several Halloween sequels. These included Halloween II, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. His acting career continued until he passed away in 1995.
Awards and Recognition
Donald Pleasence was nominated four times for the Tony Award. This award is for the best actor in a play on Broadway. He was nominated for his roles in The Caretaker (1962) and Poor Bitos (1965). He also received nominations for The Man in the Glass Booth (1969) and Wise Child (1972).
Family Life
Donald Pleasence was married four times. His first marriage was to Miriam Raymond in 1941. They later divorced in 1958. He then married Josephine Crombie in 1959. They divorced in 1970. His third marriage was to Meira Shore in 1970, which ended in divorce in 1988. His last marriage was to Linda J. Kentwood in 1988. They were married until his death in 1995.
Donald Pleasence had five daughters. Two daughters, Angela and Jean, were from his marriage to Miriam Raymond. He had two more daughters, Polly Jo and Lucy, with Josephine Crombie. His daughter Miranda was from his marriage to Meira Shore.
Death
Donald Pleasence died on February 2, 1995, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France. He was 75 years old. He passed away from heart failure after having heart surgery. His body was later cremated. His last movie, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, was dedicated to his memory.
Images for kids
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Donald Pleasence
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Donald Pleasence in the Eye of the Devil trailer, 1966
See also
In Spanish: Donald Pleasence para niños
