John Neville (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Neville CM, OBE
Neville as Hamlet in a 1959 TV production of 'Hamlet'
Born	John Reginald Neville (1925-05-02)2 May 1925 Willesden, London, England
Died	19 November 2011(2011-11-19) (aged 86) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Citizenship	United Kingdom Canada
Education	Chiswick County School for Boys
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actor, Director
Years active	1949–2006
Spouse(s)	Caroline Hooper ​ (m. 1949)​
Children	6

John Neville (born May 2, 1925, died November 19, 2011) was a famous English actor and theatre director. He had a long career, lasting over 60 years! John Neville was known for playing many different roles. He acted in classic plays, fantasy movies, and even science fiction shows.

In the 1950s, John Neville was one of the brightest young stars in British theatre. He and his friend Richard Burton learned their craft at The Old Vic theatre. They performed many plays by William Shakespeare. People often compared Neville to the famous actor John Gielgud because of his acting style. John Neville also helped young actors. For example, Judi Dench made her first professional appearance with him in 1957.

Besides classic plays, Neville also acted in new productions. He was the first actor to play the main character in the 1963 play Alfie. He later moved to Canada in 1972. There, he continued to have a very successful theatre career.

In the 1980s, he became well-known internationally again. This was because he starred in the movie The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988). He also had a scary role as The Well-Manicured Man in the TV series The X-Files.

Growing Up and Learning to Act

John Neville was born on May 2, 1925, in Willesden, London. His father, Reginald Daniel Neville, was a mechanic. John also had a younger sister named Joan. He went to school at Willesden and Chiswick County School for Boys. When he was just eleven, he directed his first play! It was a part of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Outside of school, John loved going to the theatre. A church friend, Frank Aubrey Dawson, often took him to The Old Vic and Stratford upon Avon. These trips helped him fall in love with acting, especially Shakespeare's plays.

During World War II, John's family moved away from London for a while. He played a big role as Brutus in Julius Caesar at school. After school, he worked as a clerk in a garage. But he really wanted to be an actor.

The local council was impressed by his talent. They offered him a scholarship to a famous drama school. In 1943, John Neville got into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

However, he had to join the Royal Navy for three years during the war. He traveled to places like Australia and Hong Kong. After the war, he finally started studying at RADA in 1946. While there, he learned to speak with a clear, formal accent. Other famous actors like Robert Shaw and Peter Sallis were also students at RADA.

In 1947, while still a student, he made his first appearance on a big London stage. He was in 'Richard II' with the famous actor Alec Guinness.

Starting His Acting Career

After drama school, John Neville worked at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. He performed in plays like King John and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

In 1949, he joined the important Birmingham Repertory Company. There, he met and married Caroline Hooper. They got married before Christmas that year.

Neville then worked at the Bristol Old Vic theatre. He became well-known for his roles in plays like She Stoops to Conquer and Henry V. He left Bristol Old Vic in 1952.

A Star at The Old Vic

Neville and Claire Bloom in Romeo and Juliet (1957)

In 1953, John Neville joined The Old Vic theatre in London. The theatre decided to perform all of Shakespeare's plays over five years. This was a huge project! Neville played many important roles, including King Henry V. He also acted with Richard Burton in Hamlet.

By 1954, Neville was a big star. He played King Richard II and received 23 curtain calls on opening night! This means the audience clapped for him 23 times. He was seen as a romantic hero in the theatre. People said he was one of the best classical actors of his time.

A young Gielgud (left), whom Neville was often compared to

In 1956, he and Richard Burton famously took turns playing the main roles in Othello. One night Neville would be Othello, and Burton would be Iago. The next night, they would switch! He also played Romeo in Romeo and Juliet with Claire Bloom.

In his last season at The Old Vic, Neville played Hamlet. Judi Dench played Ophelia, and it was her first professional role. Neville's performances were so popular that they toured to Paris, the United States, and Canada. This was his first visit to Canada, where he would later live.

People often said John Neville was like a younger version of John Gielgud. This was because of his good looks and beautiful voice.

Leading the Nottingham Playhouse

In 1961, John Neville joined the Nottingham Playhouse. He became one of its artistic directors in 1963. This theatre became one of the best regional theatres in Britain. Neville stayed there until 1967.

The famous director Richard Eyre said that John Neville inspired him to work in theatre. He remembered Neville's performance as Richard II as one of the best he had ever seen.

John Neville also had a big role in the TV series The First Churchills (1969). This show was very popular in the United States.

Moving to Canada

In 1972, John Neville and his family moved from Britain to Canada. He became a Canadian citizen. He spent the rest of his career working in Canadian theatre. He became the artistic director at several theatres, including the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton and the Neptune Theatre in Halifax. From 1985 to 1989, he was the artistic director of the Stratford Festival of Canada.

Neville was very smart about promoting theatre. For example, he gave free tickets to taxi drivers and their families. He knew they would talk about the theatre to their passengers and tourists. This helped bring more people to the shows!

Director Terry Gilliam chose him to star in the movie The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988). In the film, Neville played the same character at different ages. From 1995 to 1998, he had a well-known role in The X-Files TV series as The Well-Manicured Man. He played this role again in The X-Files movie in 1998.

Even though he appeared in many films and TV shows, theatre was always the most important part of his career. In his later years, he had small roles in movies like The Fifth Element and Spider.

In 2006, he was given the Order of Canada. This is a very high honor in Canada.

Family Life

John and Caroline Neville had six children. Their first child, Caroline, was born in 1950. Their son Stephen was born in 1952. They adopted Matthew in 1952 and Rachel in 1956. Their daughter Emma was born in 1956.

His grandson, Joe Dinicol, is also an actor.

Later Years and Passing

John Neville passed away peacefully on November 19, 2011, at the age of 86. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease in his later years. He was survived by his wife Caroline and their six children.

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