Noel Willman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Noel Willman
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in The Reptile (1966)
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| Born | 4 August 1918 |
| Died | 24 December 1988 (aged 70) |
| Occupation | Theatre director, actor |
| Years active | 1953–1976 |
Noel Willman (born August 4, 1918 – died December 24, 1988) was a talented actor and theatre director from Ireland. He was born in Derry, Ireland, and later passed away in New York City, United States, at the age of 70.
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Noel Willman's Amazing Career
Noel Willman had a busy career in both movies and plays. He appeared in several well-known films during his time. Some of these include The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and The Odessa File (1974). His final movie role was in 21 Hours at Munich in 1976.
A Top Theatre Director
Besides acting, Noel Willman was also a respected theatre director. This means he was in charge of how plays were performed. He won a special award called a Tony Award in 1962. This award was for his excellent work directing the play A Man For All Seasons on Broadway in New York. This play was written by Robert Bolt.
Noel Willman was very important to the success of A Man For All Seasons. He helped with many parts of the play's creation. He even helped choose Paul Scofield for the main role of Thomas More. Later, in 1966, he was nominated for another Tony Award for directing The Lion in Winter. He also directed famous actors like Katharine Hepburn and Christopher Reeve in the play A Matter of Gravity in 1976.
Working with Famous People
Noel Willman often worked with the writer Robert Bolt. He directed Bolt's plays like The Tiger and the Horse and Gentle Jack. He also acted in the movie Doctor Zhivago, which Robert Bolt wrote.
One of Noel Willman's most famous acting roles on stage was in the play The Prisoner. He acted alongside the legendary actor Alec Guinness. For this role, he won the Clarence Derwent Award. The Prisoner was later made into a movie, also starring Alec Guinness.
How He Started in Theatre
Noel Willman learned about acting and directing at the London Theatre Studio. This school was started by Michel Saint-Denis and George Devine in 1936.
He once had to step in as an actor very quickly! He was working as a stage manager for a play called The Beggar's Opera. The main actor, Michael Redgrave, got sick. His usual stand-in also got sick. So, Noel Willman bravely took over the role of Macheath with very little notice.
During World War II, he toured with a famous theatre group called the Old Vic Company. He performed in plays like The Merchant of Venice in 1941. He also acted in several shows at the Vic's Liverpool Playhouse. It was during this time that Tyrone Guthrie, the director, encouraged him to become a director himself. In 1942, Noel Willman directed his very first play, Ah, Wilderness! by Eugene O'Neill.
