John Moffatt (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Moffatt
John Moffatt in the 1977 production of The Play's the Thing, by P. G. Wodehouse
Born	Albert John Moffatt (1922-09-24)24 September 1922 Badby, Daventry, Northamptonshire, England
Died	10 September 2012(2012-09-10) (aged 89) London, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1944–2009

John Moffatt (born Albert John Moffatt, 24 September 1922 – 10 September 2012) was an English actor and writer. He was famous for playing many different characters on stage. He was especially known for his role as the detective Hercule Poirot on BBC Radio. He played Poirot in 25 radio shows!

John Moffatt's parents wanted him to work in a bank. But he secretly studied acting. He started his acting career in 1944. After five years of acting in local theatres, he first performed in London in 1946.

In the early 1950s, he got small parts in plays with famous actors like John Gielgud and Noël Coward. Over time, he got bigger and more important roles. He was part of major theatre groups like the Old Vic and the National Theatre. He could act in many types of shows, from classic plays to funny pantomimes.

Moffatt started working in radio in 1950 and on television in 1953. His most famous radio role was playing Agatha Christie's detective, Hercule Poirot. He played this role from 1987 until 2007.

John Moffatt's Early Life and Career

Becoming an Actor: John's Secret Start

Liverpool Playhouse, where John Moffatt first performed

John Moffatt was born in Badby, Northamptonshire, England. His parents, Ernest and Letitia Moffatt, worked for Queen Alexandra.

He went to school in west London. After school, he worked as a bank clerk for three years. But in the evenings, he secretly took drama classes. He kept his acting lessons a secret from his parents. They thought acting was not a safe job.

First Steps on Stage: Learning the Ropes

John Moffatt first acted on stage in 1944. He played the Raven in a children's show called The Snow Queen. This was at the Liverpool Playhouse.

In 1945, he joined the Perth Repertory company. There, he met Alec McCowen, who became a lifelong friend. For the next five years, he learned a lot about acting. He played over 200 different parts! He worked in theatre companies in Oxford, Windsor, and the Bristol Old Vic.

At Oxford, he even played an Ugly Sister with the young Tony Hancock. John Moffatt loved pantomime shows. He became a very well-known Dame (a male actor playing a female role). He also wrote five pantomimes himself.

John Moffatt's London Theatre Success

Making a Name in the West End

John Moffatt first performed in London in 1950. He was in a play called Tartuffe. He also appeared in a play called Point of Departure. This play later moved to the West End, which is London's main theatre district.

In 1951, he started acting in revue shows, which are light entertainment shows with songs and sketches.

John Gielgud

Noël Coward

A famous theatre producer, Binkie Beaumont, noticed Moffatt. He gave Moffatt roles in big West End shows. Moffatt got to act with two of his heroes: John Gielgud and Noël Coward. He was in The Winter's Tale (1951) and Much Ado About Nothing (1952) with Gielgud. He was also in The Apple Cart (1953) with Coward.

Joining Famous Theatre Companies

John Moffatt joined the English Stage Company. He acted in plays like Cards of Identity and The Good Woman of Szechuan. He also got a lot of attention for his role in The Country Wife. This play moved to the West End and even to Broadway in New York!

In 1959, Moffatt joined the Old Vic company. He performed in many classic plays, including As You Like It, Richard II, and Henry V. He also played Algy in The Importance of Being Earnest on a tour to Britain, Poland, and Russia.

In 1962, he won an award for his acting in the play Play. He played Cardinal Cajetan. This play also moved to the West End and Broadway.

Starring Roles and the National Theatre

In 1963, John Moffatt got his first main role. He played Lord Foppington in Virtue in Danger. Critics said he was excellent at playing silly, fancy characters. This became one of his favorite roles.

In 1969, he joined Laurence Olivier's National Theatre company. He played many important roles there. These included Judge Brack in Hedda Gabler with Maggie Smith, and Menenius in Coriolanus.

John Moffatt's Later Stage Work

More Famous Roles in the 1970s and 80s

In 1972, John Moffatt was a narrator and performer in a show called Cowardy Custard. This show celebrated the words and music of Noël Coward. Later, Moffatt played the main character, Garry Essendine, in Coward's play Present Laughter. This was another one of his favorite roles.

In the play The Bed Before Yesterday (1975), Moffatt played a quiet husband. Critics praised his performance. In The Play's The Thing (1979), he played a theatre director. A critic wrote that Moffatt was a "master" at delivering funny lines.

In 1983-84, Moffatt was in The Way of the World. While Maggie Smith was amazing in the lead role, Moffatt's performance was also highly praised.

His last West End play was Married Love in 1988. He played Bernard Shaw. Moffatt got good reviews, but the play itself didn't do very well.

John Moffatt on Radio and Television

Voice Acting: From Radio to Poirot

John Moffatt first worked on BBC radio in 1950. He was in a show called Mrs Dale's Diary. Later, he played Oswald in King Lear and Quilp in The Old Curiosity Shop. He even played both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in different radio shows!

In the 1980s, he was a member of the BBC's Radio Drama Company. His most famous radio role was Hercule Poirot. He played the detective in 25 radio shows based on Agatha Christie's books. The first one was The Murder of Roger Ackroyd in 1987.

Television Appearances

Moffatt first appeared on television in 1953. He was in a show called The Public Prosecutor. Over the years, he appeared many times on BBC and other TV channels.

He played Joseph Surface in The School For Scandal and the Prince of Aragon in The Merchant of Venice. He also played Malvolio and Sir Andrew in two different TV versions of Twelfth Night.

In the 1970s, he was in a legal drama series called Crown Court. In 1982, he played a gangster named Freddie Baker in an episode of Minder.

He also appeared in one episode of the TV series Miss Marple. He played Edwards in The Body in the Library.

John Moffatt's Film Roles

John Moffatt didn't act in many films, but he was in several. His first film was Loser Takes All in 1956. He had a small part as a barman.

In 1963, he was in Tom Jones. The 1970s were his busiest years for films. He appeared in Julius Caesar (1970), Lady Caroline Lamb (1972), and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). He was also in S.O.S. Titanic (1979).

In the 1980s, he appeared in Britannia Hospital (1982) and Prick Up Your Ears (1987).

Later Years and Legacy

After he stopped acting on stage in 1988, John Moffatt often performed with Judi Dench and her husband, Michael Williams. They did a show called Fond and Familiar, which was a collection of poems and stories. After Michael Williams passed away, Moffatt and Dench performed the show with Geoffrey Palmer.

John Moffatt died at his home in 2012, just before his 90th birthday. He was not married. Radio Four Extra planned to celebrate his 90th birthday with a series of his radio plays. After he died, these plays were broadcast earlier. One of them was Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie, where Moffatt played Hercule Poirot.

Filmography