John NEVILLE 19 November 2011 R.I.P.

[seeall]

John Neville, the British actor who became a legend of the Canadian
stage, died Saturday in Toronto, his family announced. He was 86.

According to a statement released by the family through the Stratford
Shakespeare Festival, Neville was cared for in his last weeks at
Wellesley Central Place, a long-term care facility. The cause of death
was not immediately disclosed.

Neville was born in London in 1925, and after a distinguished acting
career in Britain, he made his way to Canada in the early 1970s. While
he never stopped acting, he was also a widely respected theatre-
company administrator, serving as artistic director of the Citadel
Theatre in Edmonton, the Neptune Theatre in Halifax and the Stratford
Festival in Stratford, Ont.

Canadian TV

As a young man, Neville served with the Royal Navy, before making his
way to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for formal acting training.

He was a mainstay of London's storied Old Vic Company in the 1950s,
filling some of William Shakespeare's most famous roles, including
Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet," Richard in "Richard II," and both Othello
and Iago in "Othello." He also appeared on Broadway in "Romeo and
Juliet" and "Saint Joan."

After moving to Canada in 1972, he continued acting in theatre,
television and film.

Neville reached a broader audience when he played the lead role in
Terry Gilliam's 1988 film "The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen," and
later when he played the Well-Manicured Man on "The X-Files" from 1995
to 1998.

He also appeared on shows ranging from "Queer as Folk" to "Star Trek:
The Next Generation."

Neville received the Order of the British Empire in 1965, and was
appointed to the Order of Canada in 2006.

He is survived by his wife and six children.

The family requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The
Actors' Fund of Canada, or PAL Toronto.

The statement said a private funeral is to be held "immediately."
Plans for a memorial will be announced in the New Year.

[wadsy]

Very sad news. John Neville is mentioned favourably in two film biographies I have on British actors Richard Burton & Judi Dench.

They both regarded him very highly indeed & Judi Dench stated that it was a great loss to the British Theatre when John Neville

emigrated to Canada. A great actor imo! R.I.P. Sir!

[dremble wedge]

A terrific actor.

[batman]

RIP .... thanks for your work.

[Dame Starry]

How sad -

A short, but sweet, article here - Stratford Festival's John Neville dead at 86 | Stage | Entertainment | London Free Press

[dpgmel]

Very very sad indeed, a most underrated actor IMHO.

R I P Sir.

[julian_craster]

John Neville as Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Terror....

[billy farmer]

Very sad news indeed.

R.I.P. John Neville.

A Study In Terror is one of my favourite Sherlock Holmes films of all time, John Neville was a very good Sherlock Holmes and it is a shame that he only played the role on screen once, the embedding was disabled by request for the YouTube Video below, but you can watch the trailer for A Study In Terror on YouTube.

[didi-5]

A wonderful actor who left only a small body of screen work, but all of it was topnotch.

RIP and thank you for all your work Mr Neville.

[Windthrop]

Damn fine actor. RIP John

[billy farmer]

[smudge]

As all have said already, simply a marvellous actor.

RIP and Respect,

Smudge

[agutterfan]

Sad news - R.I.P.

I loved his Sherlock Holmes in the non-canonical A Study in Terrror, and of course he was The Well-Manicure Man in The X-Files seasons 4 & 5 plus Movie. A quality actor.

[John Llewellyn Moxey]

Another sad loss.

[Arfur Teacake]

A wonderful actor who left only a small body of screen work, but all of it was topnotch.

RIP and thank you for all your work Mr Neville.

Yes check out Unearthy Stranger if it ever comes round, one of those made for a couple of quid Brit films where every one concerned with it works hard to make it something special.

[Harbottle]

I must confess I wondered what happened to him and was unaware he had moved to Canada, sad news. Two of his projects I especially enjoyed were the telly production Shadows of Fear: The Death Watcher, and that totally splendid film Unearthly Stranger. RIP.

[Merton Park]

I think I am right in saying he was the original Alfie on the stage and got rave reviews. Wonderful in Study in Terror, a real favourite of mine.

RIP

[billy farmer]

John Neville turned down the role of Holmes in the Broadway musical Baker Street (Fritz Weaver played the role), following his performance as Holmes in A Study In Terror, John Neville was counted as a possible replacement for Douglas Wilmer in BBC Television's 1968 series Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, but because of Neville's commitments at the Nottingham Playhouse, where he was Actor-Manager, it was impossible for him to take the role (in the 1968 BBC Sherlock Holmes series) in what would be a necessarily lengthy production schedule, John Neville subsequently played Sherlock on stage, replacing John Wood in the RSC's Broadway run of the Gillette play Sherlock Holmes.

[wellendcanons]

I best remember him in the Sherlock Holmes film A Study In Terror and one of the better episodes of The Protectors.

John Neville.

wec

[wadsy]

imagesCA1DL44U.jpg

Here's a nice picture of John Neville & Judi Dench as Hamlet & Ophelia at the Old Vic in 1957!