Ian Charleson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ian Charleson
Charleson as Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire
Born	(1949-08-11)11 August 1949 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	6 January 1990(1990-01-06) (aged 40) London, England
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh (MA)
Occupation	Actor, singer
Years active	1972–1989

Ian Charleson (born August 11, 1949 – died January 6, 1990) was a talented Scottish actor who worked in plays and films. He is best known around the world for playing the Olympic athlete and missionary Eric Liddell in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. This movie won an Oscar for Best Picture. He also played Rev. Charlie Andrews in the 1982 film Gandhi, which also won an Oscar.

Charleson was a very respected actor on the British stage. He played lead roles in famous plays like Guys and Dolls, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Fool for Love, and Hamlet. He acted in many plays by Shakespeare. In 1991, the annual Ian Charleson Awards were created to honor him, especially for his last performance as Hamlet. These awards celebrate the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors under 30.

Many people in the acting world praised Charleson. The Houghton Mifflin Dictionary of Biography called him "a leading player of charm and power" and "one of the finest British actors of his generation." Famous actor Ian McKellen said Charleson was "always truthful, always honest" in his acting.

Charleson was diagnosed with HIV in 1986. He passed away in 1990 at the age of 40. He bravely asked for it to be announced after his death that he had died from AIDS. This was done to help people understand the condition better. This was the first time a famous person in the United Kingdom openly shared that they had died from AIDS. His decision helped to spread awareness and encourage acceptance of the disease.

Early Life and Education

Charleson often performed at the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe from 1967 to 1973.

Ian Charleson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1949. His father was a printer, and Ian grew up in a working-class part of the city. He was a bright child who loved music and art. By the age of eight, he was already performing in local theater shows.

He earned a scholarship to the Royal High School in Edinburgh. As a teenager, he joined an amateur theater group called The Jasons and performed with them. He also sang as a boy soprano in church and in the Royal High School choir. This choir performed on the radio and at the Edinburgh Festival.

Charleson received another scholarship to the University of Edinburgh, where he studied from 1967 to 1970. He first studied architecture, but he spent most of his time acting with the student drama society. He then decided he wanted to be an actor. He changed his studies to English, fine art, and mathematics. At the university, he not only acted in many plays but also directed some and designed costumes for others.

From 1967 to 1973, Charleson often performed at the Edinburgh Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He became a well-known actor in these theater events.

Stage Acting Career

Starting Out in London

After graduating from the University of Edinburgh in 1970, Charleson was accepted into the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He studied there for two years.

In 1972, Charleson began his professional acting career with the Young Vic Theatre Company. His first role was in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This play was also shown on TV in the UK. In 1973, he played Jimmy Porter in Look Back in Anger. That same year, he played Hamlet and Guildenstern in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. He also traveled with the Young Vic company to New York to perform in several plays.

In late 1974, Charleson played the main role in Hamlet with the Cambridge Theatre Company. Even though his performance received good reviews, Charleson felt he hadn't fully captured the difficult role.

West End and National Theatre

Charleson made his debut in London's West End in 1975. He appeared in the play Otherwise Engaged at the Queen's Theatre. He played Dave, a Scottish lodger, opposite the famous actor Alan Bates.

Next, he performed at the National Theatre. In 1977, he played Octavius in Julius Caesar. He also appeared in Volpone with John Gielgud and as Captain Phoebus in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Charleson then spent a year with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) from 1978 to 1979. He played Ariel in The Tempest, Tranio in The Taming of the Shrew, and Longaville in Love's Labour's Lost. He also performed in Once in a Lifetime and Piaf. His performance in Piaf caught the attention of the filmmakers who were casting Chariots of Fire.

Becoming a Star at the National Theatre

At the National Theatre, Charleson had acclaimed starring roles in Guys and Dolls, Fool for Love, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Hamlet, all in the 1980s.

In the 1980s, Charleson became very famous for his lead roles at the National Theatre. He received great reviews for playing Sky Masterson in the hit musical Guys and Dolls (1982). He starred alongside Julie Covington, Bob Hoskins, and Julia McKenzie.

Charleson was nominated for an Olivier Award (a major theater award) for his role as Eddie in Fool for Love (1984–85). This was a very intense play where he acted opposite Julie Walters. He also earned high praise for his role as Brick in Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1988), where he starred with Lindsay Duncan.

His Last Performance as Hamlet

Just before he passed away, Charleson performed his second run of Hamlet at the National Theatre. This was from October to November 1989. Even though he was very ill, he gave an amazing performance that received huge praise. Director Richard Eyre had asked him to take over the role. Charleson's face was swollen, and the public was told he was recovering from a sinus operation.

The day after Charleson's last Hamlet show, Ian McKellen won an award for Best Actor. McKellen thanked everyone but said that Ian Charleson was truly the Best Actor of 1989, having seen "the perfect Hamlet" the night before. He then gave his award to Charleson.

Film and Television Roles

Chariots of Fire and Gandhi

In 1979, the filmmakers of Chariots of Fire were looking for an actor to play Eric Liddell. They saw Charleson in the play Piaf and knew he was perfect. Charleson himself had heard about the film and really wanted the part. This led to his most famous film role as the athlete and missionary Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire (1981). He studied the Bible to prepare for the role and even wrote Liddell's powerful speech in the film. This movie made him an international star.

The next year, Charleson had another big success. He played Charlie Andrews, Mahatma Gandhi's close friend, in the film Gandhi (1982). He starred opposite Ben Kingsley. Like Chariots of Fire, Gandhi won many Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Other Film Work

After these two major Oscar-winning films, Charleson's film career didn't grow as much as his stage career. He didn't get many big Hollywood movie offers, and he chose not to move to Hollywood. Also, he was diagnosed with HIV in 1986, which affected his desire to make feature films, though he didn't show symptoms until late 1988. However, his passion for stage acting, especially Shakespearean roles, remained strong.

Charleson's other film roles include:

• Angel in his first film, Jubilee (1977).
• Lt. Ryder in Ascendancy (1982), which won an award.
• A small part as Jeffson Brown in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan (1984).
• A funny role as Gerald Spong in Car Trouble (1985) with his friend Julie Walters.
• Opera director Marco in the horror film Opera (1987).

Television Roles

Charleson appeared in three BBC Television Shakespeare films:

• Fortinbras in Hamlet (1980) with Derek Jacobi.
• Bertram in All's Well That Ends Well (1981).
• Octavius Caesar in Antony & Cleopatra (1981) with Jane Lapotaire.

He also had notable roles in other TV films:

• Lieutenant Dorfrichter in The Devil's Lieutenant (1983).
• Rakitin in A Month in the Country (1985).
• Kyril in the spy thriller Codename: Kyril (1988).
• Major Brendan Archer in Troubles (1988).

In the 1970s, Charleson's TV roles included:

• Anthony in A Private Matter (1974), his first starring TV role.
• John Ross in O Canada (1975).
• Henry in The Paradise Run (1976).

In the 1980s, his TV roles included:

• Hephaistion, Alexander the Great's friend, in The Search for Alexander the Great.
• Neville Heath in Ladykillers (1981).
• Jamie MacGregor in Master of the Game (1984).
• Clarence Dandridge in Louisiana (1984).
• Victor Geary in Oxbridge Blues (1984).

Singing Performances

Ian Charleson had a tenor singing voice and used it in musicals and other shows. He sang solo in many productions, including Much Ado About Nothing (1974), The Tempest (1978–1979), Piaf (1978–1980), and Guys and Dolls (1982). He also sang in special benefit concerts and variety shows.

You can hear Charleson's singing on these recordings:

• The cast album of Guys and Dolls (1982).
• Ariel's Songs from The Tempest, released by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
• The Original London Cast Album of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (as part of the group).

He also sang a solo song in a TV episode called "The Empire" from the series Rock Follies of '77.

His Legacy and Impact

Ian Charleson was diagnosed with HIV in 1986 during the AIDS pandemic. He passed away from AIDS-related causes in January 1990, at the age of 40. This was just eight weeks after his acclaimed performance as Hamlet at the Olivier Theatre. His friend and fellow actor Ian McKellen said that Charleson played Hamlet so perfectly, it was as if he had practiced the role his whole life.

Charleson made a brave request that it be announced after his death that he had died of AIDS. He wanted to help raise public awareness about the condition. This was a very unusual decision for a famous international actor at the time. It was the first time a show-business death in the UK was openly linked to AIDS. His announcement helped a lot to promote understanding of HIV and AIDS and to encourage acceptance of people living with the disease.

Awards and Tributes

• In February 1982, Charleson won a Variety Club Showbiz Award for Most Promising Artiste for his role in Chariots of Fire.
• He was nominated for an Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a New Play for his role in Fool for Love in 1984.
• In 1989, The Sunday Times named Charleson the Best Male Actor for his Hamlet performance.

To honor him, the annual Ian Charleson Awards were created in 1991. These awards celebrate the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors under 30.

The Ian Charleson Day Centre for people with HIV, located at the Royal Free Hospital in London, is named in his memory.

After his death, a public memorial service was held for Charleson in London in April 1990. A recording of him singing "Come Unto These Yellow Sands" from The Tempest was played.

In 1990, 20 of Charleson's friends, colleagues, and family members, including Ian McKellen and Alan Bates, wrote a book of memories about him called For Ian Charleson: A Tribute. All the money from the book sales went to the Ian Charleson Trust, a charity that operated until 2007.

Two special reunion performances of Guys and Dolls were held at the National Theatre in November 1990 as a tribute to Charleson. Almost all of the original 1982 cast and musicians took part. Tickets sold out quickly, and the money raised went to the new HIV clinic at the Royal Free Hospital and to scholarships in Charleson's name at LAMDA.

Hugh Hudson, who directed him in Chariots of Fire, dedicated his 1999 film My Life So Far to Charleson's memory. Two videos about Chariots of Fire released in 2005 are also dedicated to him.

Filmography

Major Theatre Roles

Images for kids

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  Charleson as Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire

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  Charleson often performed at the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe from 1967 to 1973.

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  At the National Theatre, Charleson had acclaimed starring roles in Guys and Dolls, Fool for Love, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Hamlet, all in the 1980s.

See also

In Spanish: Ian Charleson para niños