Timothy Dalton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Timothy Dalton
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Dalton in 1987
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Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett
21 March 1946 Colwyn Bay, Denbighshire, Wales
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1964–present |
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| Children | 1 |
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Timothy Dalton (born 21 March 1946) is a famous British actor. He became well-known around the world for playing the secret agent James Bond. He was the fourth actor to take on this role in the Eon Productions film series. His Bond movies were The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989).
Timothy Dalton started his acting journey on stage. He made his first movie appearance in 1968. This was in the historical drama The Lion in Winter, where he played Philip II of France. He also acted in other period films like Wuthering Heights (1970) and Mary, Queen of Scots (1971).
Besides these, Dalton appeared in many other popular movies. These include Flash Gordon (1980), The Rocketeer (1991), and Hot Fuzz (2007). On television, he played important roles in shows like Jane Eyre (1983) and Penny Dreadful (2014–2016). He also voiced Mr. Pricklepants in the Toy Story 3 movie.
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Timothy Dalton's Early Life and Career
Growing Up in Wales and England
Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett was born on 21 March 1946. His birthplace was Colwyn Bay, Wales. His father, Peter Dalton Leggett, was English and worked in advertising. His mother, Dorothy Scholes, was American with Italian and Irish family roots.
Before Timothy turned four, his family moved to Belper in England. There, he went to Herbert Strutt Grammar School. As a teenager, he was part of the Air Training Corps.
Starting His Acting Journey
Timothy decided to become an actor when he was 16. This happened after he watched a play called Macbeth. He then got a role in a production of that same play. In 1962, he left school to join the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He also toured with the National Youth Theatre.
Dalton did not finish his studies at the academy. In 1966, he joined the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. His father was happy about his choice to become an actor. However, his mother's side of the family worried if acting was a safe job for a young man.
Early Roles in Film and TV
Timothy Dalton quickly started working in television, mostly with the BBC. In 1968, he made his first movie, The Lion in Winter. This movie was the start of many historical dramas for him. He played Heathcliff in a 1970 remake of Wuthering Heights. He also appeared in Cromwell as Prince Rupert of the Rhine.
After a few more films, Dalton took a break in 1971. He wanted to focus on theatre. He performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and other groups around the world. He remained a theatre actor until 1978, except for two films. These were Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) and Permission to Kill (1975).
In 1978, he returned to movies in Sextette. This marked the start of his American career. While in the United States, he worked mostly in television. He also starred in films like Flash Gordon (1980) as Prince Barin. He played Mr. Rochester in the BBC series Jane Eyre (1983).
Becoming James Bond
How Dalton Got the Role
Timothy Dalton was thought of for the role of James Bond many times. Producers first asked him in 1968 for On Her Majesty's Secret Service. However, Dalton felt he was too young for the part. He said he was about 24 or 25, which was too young to take over from Sean Connery.
He was asked again around 1979 or 1980 for For Your Eyes Only. But he didn't like the direction the movies were going. He also felt they weren't serious about finding a new Bond.
In August 1986, after Roger Moore retired, Dalton was asked again. He was busy filming Brenda Starr. The producers didn't want to wait, so they offered the role to Pierce Brosnan. However, Brosnan's TV show, Remington Steele, renewed his contract. This meant Brosnan couldn't play Bond.
Since Dalton had finished Brenda Starr, he was now free. He accepted the part of Bond for The Living Daylights.
Dalton's James Bond Films
Dalton's first movie as 007 was The Living Daylights (1987). It was very successful. It earned more money than the previous two Bond films starring Roger Moore.
His second film, Licence to Kill (1989), also did well in many countries. However, it didn't do as well in the U.S. This was partly because it came out at the same time as other big movies. These included Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Batman. Also, in the UK, the film received a higher age rating (15 certificate). This limited who could see it and affected its success.
The Living Daylights earned about $191 million worldwide. This made it the fourth most successful Bond film at that time.
Dalton had a contract for three Bond films. Work on his third film started in 1990. It was planned to be released in 1991. The story was going to be about a chemical weapons lab being destroyed in Scotland. The events would take place in London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. However, the film was canceled because of legal problems. These issues between the film companies lasted for four years.
The legal problems ended in 1993. Dalton was expected to return for the next Bond film, which became GoldenEye. But his contract had ended. On 12 April 1994, Dalton announced he would not return as James Bond. He was filming the TV series Scarlett at the time. Two months later, Pierce Brosnan was announced as the new Bond. Dalton later said he didn't want to do it anymore after the long legal delays.
Dalton's Style as Bond
Timothy Dalton played Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989). He wanted to make Bond more like the character in Ian Fleming's original books. This meant focusing on a more realistic and serious spy, rather than fantasy or humor.
Dalton was a big fan of the books. He often read them on set. His version of 007 was a reluctant agent. He didn't always enjoy his missions. This was a new approach for the character.
Some film critics and fans liked this serious approach. They enjoyed seeing a Bond closer to Fleming's original idea. However, some people missed the humor from previous Bond films. Dalton also did most of his own stunts. His director, John Glen, said that when Dalton held a gun, you believed he could really hurt someone.
Playing Bond helped Dalton work on other projects he cared about. He said that being Bond helped him get films like Hawks made.
Timothy Dalton's Career After Bond
After his James Bond films, Timothy Dalton acted in plays, TV shows, and movies. He played many different kinds of characters. This helped him avoid being known only as James Bond.
He played a Nazi spy named Neville Sinclair in The Rocketeer (1991). He also played Rhett Butler in Scarlett, a TV series that continued the story of Gone with the Wind. He was also in the British TV film Framed (1992).
In the late 1990s, he starred in several TV movies. These included The Informant and Made Men. In the TV movie Cleopatra (1999), he played Julius Caesar. He also played a funny version of James Bond named Damian Drake in Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003).
From late 2003 to early 2004, he returned to theatre. He played Lord Asriel in the stage version of His Dark Materials. Dalton also played Simon Skinner in the action-comedy film Hot Fuzz (2007).
Dalton returned to British television in 2009. He had a guest role in the Doctor Who special "The End of Time". He played Rassilon. In 2010 and 2011, he was in the American spy comedy Chuck as Alexei Volkoff.
Timothy Dalton also lent his voice to characters in animated films. He voiced Mr. Pricklepants in Toy Story 3 (2010). He continued to voice this character in TV specials and Toy Story 4 (2019). In 2012, he voiced Lord Milori in Secret of the Wings.
From 2014 to 2016, Dalton played Sir Malcolm Murray in the TV series Penny Dreadful. From 2019 to 2021, he played the Chief in the superhero series Doom Patrol. He also played Peter Townsend in The Crown (2022) and Donald Whitfield in 1923 (2023–).
Timothy Dalton's Personal Life
Timothy Dalton was in a relationship with actress Vanessa Redgrave from 1971 to 1986. They appeared in two films together. He also had a son, born in 1997, with musician Oksana Grigorieva. They met in 1995 and broke up around 2003.
Dalton has homes in London, California, and Antigua. He is a big fan of the Manchester City F.C. football team. He often watches their games at the City of Manchester Stadium. Even though he was born in Wales, he says he is not "really Welsh" but doesn't mind being called a Welsh actor.
See also
In Spanish: Timothy Dalton para niños
