Lewis Collins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lewis Collins
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Lewis Collins as "Bodie" in The Professionals
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| Born | 27 May 1946 Bidston, Birkenhead, Cheshire, England
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| Died | 27 November 2013 (aged 67) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Green Hills Memorial Park |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1971–2002 |
| Known for | Bodie in The Professionals, Captain Peter Skellern in Who Dares Wins and Philip Mark in Robin of Sherwood |
| Spouse(s) |
Michelle Larrett
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 3 |
Lewis Collins (born May 27, 1946 – died November 27, 2013) was an English actor. He was best known for his role as 'Bodie' in the popular British TV show The Professionals. This show was on TV from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.
Contents
Early Life and Music
Lewis Collins was born in Bidston, Birkenhead, England. When he was just two years old, he won a contest for 'The Most Beautiful Baby in Liverpool'. He went to school in Birkenhead.
At 13, his dad, who led a jazz band, bought him a drum kit. Lewis started playing with his dad's band. He also joined a band called The Renegades when the Merseybeat music scene began in Liverpool. Lewis loved firearms from a young age and was a member of the Liverpool Central Rifle Club.
After school, he became an apprentice hairdresser. He even wrote songs with Mike McCartney, whose brother was Paul McCartney from the Beatles. Lewis was offered a chance to audition for The Beatles but turned it down. He continued playing music with local bands like The Eyes and The Georgians.
In 1964, Lewis became the bass player for The Mojos. He moved to London with them, but the band didn't become famous. Lewis then did odd jobs like driving vans and cleaning windows. Later, he decided he wanted to be an actor.
He was accepted into the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He studied there from 1968 to 1971. His teachers and classmates noticed his amazing performance as Romeo in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Theatre and Stage Work
After finishing LAMDA, Lewis joined a theatre company in Chesterfield in 1971. The next year, he moved to the Citizen’s Theatre in Glasgow. While in Glasgow, he also taught mobility skills to deaf and mute children. He learned British sign language to talk with them. He later said this was the most rewarding work he had ever done. In 1972, he acted in seven plays in Glasgow.
He then toured the United States and Canada as an acting teacher. After that, he returned to England. He performed in London's West End in plays like City Sugar and The Threepenny Opera. He also acted in The Farm at the Royal Court Theatre in 1973.
Even after he started making films, Lewis often returned to the stage. He performed in a pantomime called Babes in the Wood in 1983. In the mid-1990s, he toured England in the play Who Killed Agatha Christie. His last stage performance was in 1999–2000 in a play called Dangerous Corner.
Starting Television Acting
While performing in The Farm in 1973, Lewis got his first TV role. It was in the British Broadcasting Corporation's police show Z Cars. His first big TV role was in the comedy series The Cuckoo Waltz from 1975 to 1977. He played Gavin Rumsey in this show. By the mid-1970s, he was regularly appearing in British TV dramas.
The Professionals (1977–1983)
In 1976, a TV producer named Brian Clemens created a new British crime-action show. It was called The Professionals. The show was inspired by the successful American series Starsky and Hutch.
Clemens wanted two main actors for the show. He first cast Martin Shaw. But during the first week of filming, he realized that Martin Shaw and the other actor, Anthony Andrews, didn't have good chemistry on screen. Clemens thought of Lewis Collins as a replacement. He had seen Lewis and Martin Shaw act together in another show, The New Avengers. There was a clear energy between them.
After a screen test, Lewis replaced Anthony Andrews as 'William Bodie'. Even though Lewis and Martin didn't always get along personally, their on-screen arguments and friendly competition worked perfectly. The show became very successful in Britain for six years. It made both actors household names. The show stopped filming in 1981, but new episodes were shown until early 1983.
Military Experience
Lewis Collins was a private in the 10th Battalion Parachute Regiment of the British Army. This was a part-time unit called the Territorial Army. He served from 1979 to 1983. In 1983, he tried to join the Territorial SAS, which is a special forces unit. He passed the tough entrance tests but was turned down because he was too famous.
In March 1980, Lewis and other volunteers from the Parachute Regiment did a long march. They walked from London to Liverpool to raise money for a charity helping disabled children.
Acting Career in the 1980s and 1990s
In the 1980s, Lewis auditioned for the role of James Bond. He wanted to replace Roger Moore. However, the audition didn't go well, and he was told he was "too aggressive." Lewis later felt this was the biggest missed chance in his acting career. In 1982, he starred in the film Who Dares Wins. He played a British Army officer fighting terrorists.
Lewis tried to keep acting in films. He made three action films in the Third World with a German-Italian team. These were Code Name: Wild Geese (1984), Kommando Leopard (1985), and Der Commander (1988). However, these films were not very successful. So, he returned to working on British television.
In 1986, he played the French warlord Philip Marc in the series Robin of Sherwood. In 1988, he acted alongside Michael Caine in the TV film Jack the Ripper.
In the early 1990s, he appeared as "Colonel Mustard" in the British TV game show Cluedo (1991–92). As the decade went on, he found fewer acting roles. He took courses in screenwriting and directing in Los Angeles, California. He hoped to work behind the scenes in drama, but it didn't lead to new jobs. In the mid-1990s, he moved his family to Los Angeles. He would return to England sometimes for theatre tours and small TV roles.
In 1997, Lewis announced he was talking about starring in a new The Professionals series. He would play an older version of his character, William Bodie, as the boss of the CI5 Agency. But after many talks, he was not chosen for the role. The part went to actor Edward Woodward instead. The new show, CI5:The New Professionals, was not successful and only lasted one season.
Lewis's last acting role was in an episode of the British police drama The Bill in 2002.
Later Years and Passing
In 2003, Lewis Collins left Britain and stopped acting. He spent his last decade working in private business in the United States, selling computer equipment.
In 2012, it was announced that he would return to acting. He was cast to play the Earl Godwin in a historical film called 1066. However, in June 2013, it was announced that he had to leave the film due to poor health.
Lewis Collins passed away from cancer at age 67 in Los Angeles on November 27, 2013. He had been diagnosed with cancer in 2008. Before he died, he visited the United Kingdom, spending some time in Merseyside.
His body was cremated. His ashes are kept in a memorial display at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Lewis Collins married Michelle Larrett, a school teacher, in 1992. They had three sons: Elliot, Oliver, and Cameron.
He had a private pilot's licence. He also held a black belt in jujitsu and had trained in karate. His hobbies included parachuting, riding motorbikes, collecting firearms, and sports shooting. He also continued to play musical instruments throughout his life.
TV Roles
- Z-Cars, episode "Waste", 1974 – as Derek Cunningham
- Marked Personal, episodes "1.38" and "1.37", 1974 – as Len Thomas
- Village Hall, episode "Friendly Encounter", 1974 – Jimmy Jackson
- Crown Court, episode "Arson", 1974 – as PC Henry Williams
- Warship, episode "Away Seaboat's Crew", 1974 – L/Sea. Steele
- The Cuckoo Waltz, Granada TV sitcom, 1975–1977 – as Gavin Ramsey
- The New Avengers, Series 2 – episode 5 "Obsession", (with Martin Shaw), 7 October 1977 – as Kilner
- The Professionals, 1977–1981 – as Bodie
- Must Wear Tights (TV musical), 1978 - as Lewis Blake
- This Is Your Life, 1 episode, 1982 – as himself
- A Night on the Town, 1983 – as George, a photographer
- Robin of Sherwood, episode "The Sheriff of Nottingham", 1986 – as Phillip Mark
- Carly's Web, 1987 – as Alexander Prescott
- Jack the Ripper, TV Drama, 1988 – as Sergeant George Godley
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents, episode "The Man Who Knew Too Little", 1989 – as Bill Stewart
- Blaues Blut, TV series, 1990 – as Hugh Sinclair (segment "Bounty")
- A Ghost in Monte Carlo, TV Drama, 1990 – as Lord Drayton
- Cluedo, 6 episodes, 1991–1992 – as Col. Mustard; 1 episode as Jack Peacock
- Tarzán, 2 episodes, 1993–1994 – as Michael Hauser
- The Grimleys, 2 episodes, 1999 – as Digby's Dad
- The Bill, episode 034, 2002 – Dr. Peter Allen (final appearance)
Cinematic Roles
- Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976) – (Extra as No.10 in the red- shirted rugby team)
- Who Dares Wins (1982) – Captain Peter Skellen
- Code Name: Wild Geese (1984) – Capt. Robin Wesley
- Commando Leopard (1985) – Enrique Carrasco
- The Commander (1988) – Maj. Jack Colby
See also
In Spanish: Lewis Collins para niños
