Edward Woodward facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edward Woodward OBE
Woodward in 1971
Born	Edward Albert Arthur Woodward (1930-06-01)1 June 1930 Croydon, Surrey, England
Died	16 November 2009(2009-11-16) (aged 79) Truro, Cornwall, England
Resting place	Padstow Cemetery, Padstow, Cornwall, England
Occupation	Actor, singer
Years active	1946–2009
Spouse(s)	Venetia Barrett ​ ​ (m. 1952; div. 1986)​ Michele Dotrice ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	4

Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, who was awarded the OBE, was a famous English actor and singer. He was born on June 1, 1930, and passed away on November 16, 2009. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he started his acting journey on stage.

Edward Woodward performed in many plays in London's West End and on Broadway in New York City. He became widely known in 1967 for his main role in the British TV spy show Callan. This role helped him win the 1970 British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.

He also starred as Police Sergeant Neil Howie in the 1973 British horror film The Wicker Man. Later, from 1985 to 1989, Woodward played Robert McCall, a former secret agent, in the American TV series The Equalizer. For this role, he won the 1986 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Drama Actor.

Early Life and Beginnings

Edward Woodward was born in Croydon, Surrey, England, on June 1, 1930. He was the only child of Edward Oliver Woodward, a metalworker, and Violet Edith Woodward. During the Blitz in World War II, his home was bombed three times.

He went to several schools in Surrey, including Kingston Day Commercial School and Elmwood High School. After that, he attended Kingston College.

Acting Career

Theatre Performances

After leaving school at 15, Edward Woodward wanted to be a journalist. However, at 16, he joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) to study acting. He was also a talented footballer and even played for Brentford FC, but a serious knee injury stopped him from playing professionally.

Woodward's first professional acting job was in 1946 at the Castle Theatre in Farnham. After graduating from RADA, he performed in many repertory plays, including Shakespearean roles, across England and Scotland. His first London stage appearance was in 1955 in Where There's a Will. He also acted in Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet that same year.

He also performed on Broadway in New York City. His Broadway debut was in Rattle of a Simple Man (1963), followed by the musical comedy High Spirits (1964–1965). In 1970, after his role in the musical Two Cities, famous actor Laurence Olivier invited him to choose a role at the Royal National Theatre. Woodward chose to play Cyrano de Bergerac in 1971.

In 2004, Woodward played God in a new version of The Mystery Plays at Canterbury Cathedral.

Film Roles

Edward Woodward made occasional film appearances before his big role as Police Sergeant Neil Howie in the 1973 thriller The Wicker Man. He was offered a small role in the 2005 remake of The Wicker Man but chose not to take it.

In 1980, he played the main character in the Australian film Breaker Morant, which was highly praised. Woodward also had a supporting role in the 2007 action comedy Hot Fuzz. His last main film role was as Reverend Frederick Densham in A Congregation of Ghosts (2009).

Robin Hardy, who directed The Wicker Man, said that Woodward was "one of the greatest actors of his generation."

Television Appearances

Woodward appeared in many television shows. In 1967, he played Guy Crouchback in the TV adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Sword of Honour trilogy, which made him a respected actor.

That same year, he was cast as David Callan in the ITV play A Magnum for Schneider. This play later became the spy series Callan, which ran from 1967 to 1972. His strong performance made the series very popular.

In 1985, he took on the lead role in the American TV series The Equalizer, playing Robert McCall, a former spy. During the third season, Woodward had a serious heart attack. To help him recover, other actors were brought in for some episodes, and his character was shown to be injured. He returned to his full role later and continued the show for a fourth season.

He also starred in the short-lived series Over My Dead Body in 1990, where he played a mystery writer who solved real crimes. In the 1990s, he was in the BBC drama Common As Muck, playing a binman named Nev.

In 1999, Woodward appeared with his son Peter Woodward in an episode of the Babylon 5 spin-off, Crusade. He continued to have guest roles on TV, including in The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents and La Femme Nikita. In 2008, he appeared with his son Tim Woodward and grandson Sam in a special storyline for The Bill. In March 2009, he joined EastEnders for six episodes as Tommy Clifford.

Edward Woodward was featured on the British TV show This Is Your Life twice, in 1971 and 1995.

Music Career

Edward Woodward was also a talented singer with a tenor voice. He recorded 12 albums of romantic songs. He also recorded three albums of poetry and 14 audiobooks.

Two of his albums reached the top 100 in the UK Album Chart: This Man Alone (number 53 in 1970) and The Edward Woodward Album (number 20 in 1972). His single "The Way You Look Tonight" reached number 42 on the UK Singles Chart in 1971.

Selected Albums

• This Man Alone (1970)
• It Had to Be You (1971)
• The Edward Woodward Album (1972)
• An evening with.... Edward Woodward (1974)
• Woodward Again (1974)
• Edwardian Woodward (1975)
• Love Is the Key (1977)
• The Thought of You (1978)
• Don't Get Around Much Anymore (1979)

Personal Life

Edward Woodward was married twice. His first marriage was to actress Venetia Barrett from 1952 to 1986. They had two sons, Tim Woodward and Peter Woodward, both of whom became actors, and a daughter, Sarah Woodward, who is also an actress.

He later married actress Michele Dotrice in 1987. They had a daughter named Emily Beth Woodward.

In 1974, Woodward was in Cyprus during the Turkish invasion. He was among several Britons who were safely taken off the island by the Royal Navy.

Woodward faced several health challenges. He had a serious heart attack in 1987 and another in 1994. He had heart surgery in 1996 and stopped smoking. In 2003, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Death

Edward Woodward passed away on November 16, 2009, at the age of 79, at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, Cornwall. He was buried at Padstow Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, their daughter, and his three children from his first marriage.

Awards and Recognition

Edward Woodward received several important awards for his acting.

• In 1970, he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his role in Callan.
• He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1978.
• At the 1987 Golden Globe Awards, he won Best Actor in a Dramatic TV Series for his role as Robert McCall in The Equalizer.
• He was also nominated for Emmy Awards each year from 1986 to 1990 for The Equalizer.

• Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama - 1987
• British Academy Television Award for Best Actor - 1970
• RTS Television Actor of the Year - 1969, 1970
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (nominated) - 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (nominated) - 1989
• Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - 1978

Stage Work

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Edward Woodward para niños