Robert Powell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Powell
Powell (centre) at St Paul's Cathedral in 2006
Born	Robert Thomas Powell (1944-06-01) 1 June 1944 (age 81) Salford, Lancashire, England
Alma mater	University of Manchester
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1966–present
Spouse(s)	Barbara Lord ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	2

Robert Powell (born 1 June 1944) is an English actor. He is famous for playing important roles in movies and TV shows. Some of his most well-known parts include the main character in Mahler (1974) and Jesus of Nazareth (1977). He also played the secret agent Richard Hannay in The Thirty Nine Steps (1978) and its TV series Hannay.

Robert Powell has also starred in other popular TV shows. These include the science-fiction program Doomwatch (1970), the comedy show The Detectives (1993–1997) with Jasper Carrott, and the medical drama Holby City (2005–2011).

You might also recognize his voice! Robert Powell is a popular narrator for documentaries. He has narrated many films about World War II, such as World War II in HD Colour and Hitler's Bodyguard.

Powell has won awards for his acting. He was nominated for a Best Actor BAFTA TV Award for his role in Jesus of Nazareth in 1978. He also won a Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in the movie Imperative in 1982.

Early Life and Education

Robert Powell was born in Salford, Lancashire, England. His parents were Kathleen and John Wilson Powell. He went to Manchester Grammar School and later studied law at the University of Manchester. He has an older brother named Henry.

Acting Career Highlights

Powell started acting when he was still in school. He even played the main role in Shakespeare's play King Lear. As a teenager, he also appeared on BBC Radio in a show called The Adventures of Samuel Poppleton.

His first movie role was in Robbery (1967). He also had a small part in the famous movie The Italian Job (1969). However, he became well-known after playing the scientist Toby Wren in the BBC science fiction series Doomwatch in 1970.

After Doomwatch, Powell became a household name. He starred in several BBC TV series, including Sentimental Education (1970) and Jude the Obscure (1971). He also appeared in the first episode of the British series Thriller in 1973.

Big Screen Roles

For several years, Powell continued to act a lot on television. He also took on some movie roles. He played the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler in the movie Mahler (1974). He also appeared as Captain Walker in the film version of Tommy (1975).

Playing Jesus of Nazareth

In 1977, Robert Powell played Jesus of Nazareth in the TV mini-series Jesus of Nazareth. This four-part TV film had many famous actors, like Laurence Olivier and Christopher Plummer. Powell's performance as Jesus is often seen as one of the best ever. For this role, he was nominated for a BAFTA award.

Richard Hannay and Beyond

In 1978, Powell took on another leading role as Richard Hannay in the movie The Thirty Nine Steps. People liked his portrayal of the character. Later, he returned to play Richard Hannay in a TV series called Hannay, which ran for two seasons.

Powell continued to win awards for his acting. In 1980, he won the Best Actor Award at the Paris Film Festival for his role in Harlequin. In 1982, he won Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his part in Imperativ.

He also lent his voice to characters, like Dr. Livesey in The Legends of Treasure Island (1993–95).

Comedy and Voice Work

Robert Powell joined his friend, comedian Jasper Carrott, in a series of comedy sketches. These sketches became so popular that they were turned into a full TV comedy show called The Detectives. This was Powell's first and only time acting in a sitcom.

You can often hear Robert Powell's clear voice as a narrator for TV shows. He has narrated series like Great Crimes and Trials and World War II in HD Colour. He has also read many audiobooks, including The Thirty Nine Steps. He even narrated parts of rock albums!

Recent Work

In 2001, a modern theatre was named after him at the University of Salford. From 2005, Powell became a regular actor in the UK TV medical drama Holby City. He played a hospital administrator for six years. In 2018, he appeared in a documentary series called The Real Jesus of Nazareth on the Smithsonian Channel. This series explored the life of Jesus, using parts of his 1977 mini-series.

Personal Life

Robert Powell met his wife, Barbara "Babs" Lord, who was a dancer, backstage at the BBC. They got married on 29 August 1975, just before he started filming Jesus of Nazareth. They have two children: a son named Barney (born 1977) and a daughter named Kate (born 1979).

The couple enjoys sailing as a hobby. Babs Lord has even taken part in a round-the-world yacht race! Robert Powell also took part in one part of a round-the-world race in 2000.

In 1981, Powell was one of the people who helped start a new political party in the UK called the Social Democratic Party.

Filmography

Other Work

Robert Powell has also used his voice for other projects. In 1995, he read poems by Edward Lear for an audio CD. He also narrated a progressive rock album in 2002, which was an adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Images for kids

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  Powell (centre) at St Paul's Cathedral in 2006

See also

In Spanish: Robert Powell para niños