From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert Powell
Robert Powell
Robert Powell Biography
Born Robert Thomas Powell
1 June 1944 (1944-06-01) Early life
Salford, Lancashire, England
Powell was born in Salford, the son of Kathleen (née
Occupation actor Davis) and John Wilson Powell.[1]
Years active 1969-present
Education
Spouse Babs (2 children)
Powell was educated at Manchester Grammar School, an
independent school for boys in the city of Manchester in
north-west England, and later at the University of Sal-
ford. One of his classmates was Sir Ben Kingsley, another
famous actor.
Career
Powell took up acting while an undergraduate. He had a
small role in the original version of The Italian Job playing
one of the gang, but had to wait a few years for his first
success, playing scientist Toby Wren in the BBC’s science
fiction series, Doomwatch in 1970. Having been at his re-
quest killed off in the last episode of the original series,
Powell became a pin-up and a household name, follow-
ing up with starring roles in several BBC serials, includ-
ing television adaptations of the novels Sentimental Educa-
tion and Jude the Obscure. He also appeared in the 1975 se-
ries Looking for Clancy, based on the Frederic Mullally nov-
el Clancy.
For several years, Powell continued as a television
regular, with occasional forays into film, notably as
Mahler in 1974. He also notably played Captain Walker
in the 1975 Ken Russell film version of Tommy. His role
had no lines at all and apart from a few early scenes dur-
ing the overture with Ann-Margret, he is primarily seen
through the mind of his son as played by Barry Winch
(Young Tommy) and Roger Daltrey. In one of those
Robert Powell as Jesus of Nazareth scenes Captain Walker is shown in a crucifixion pose.
He then played Jesus Christ in the series Jesus of
Robert Powell (born 1 June 1944) is an English tele- Nazareth following a successful second audition with
vision and film actor, probably most famous for his title Franco Zeffirelli. The series had an all star cast, including
role in Jesus of Nazareth (1977) and as the fictional secret Laurence Olivier, Christopher Plummer, Rod Steiger and
agent Richard Hannay. His distinctive voice has become James Mason. For this role, Powell was nominated for
well known in advertisements and documentaries. a BAFTA award, and collected the TVTimes Best Actor
He is also known for his role as Mark Williams in BBC award for the same performance.
One medical drama, Holby City, and in the sitcom The De- In 1975, Powell married his girlfriend, the Pan’s Peo-
tectives alongside Jasper Carrott. ple dancer Babs Lord, quickly and quietly, partly because
he was about to start filming for Jesus of Nazareth, and
partly to overcome problems if she flew out to see him on
location in Morocco. Both felt it would be easier if they
were married.
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert Powell
On 23 November 1977, they had their son, Barney, fol- Doherty-skeptics Half Man Half Biscuit refer to
lowed in 1979 by a daughter, Kate. Robert in their song Venus In Flares, from the album
In 1978, Powell took the leading role of Richard Han- Back in the DHSS.
nay in the third film version of The Thirty Nine Steps. It
met with modest success, and critics compared Powell’s
portrayal of John Buchan’s character favourably with his
Filmography
predecessors. His characterisation did indeed prove to be • Robbery (1967)
enduring, as almost ten years later a television series en- • Walk a Crooked Path (1969)
titled simply Hannay appeared with Powell back in the • The Italian Job (1969)
role, (although the Buchan short stories on which the • Secrets (1971)
series was based were set in an earlier period than The • Running Scared (1972)
Thirty-Nine Steps). Hannay ran for two seasons. • Asylum (1972)
In 1980 Powell appeared in the film Harlequin playing • Shelley (1972, television film)
the Harlequin of the title who seems to have the power • The Asphyx (1973)
to cure the son of a powerful politician. For this perfor- • Mahler (1974)
mance, he won the Best Actor Award at the Paris Film • Tommy (1975)
Festival. In 1982, he won Best Actor at the Venice Film • Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
Festival for his role in Imperativ. • The Four Feathers (1977)
Powell then agreed to a request from his old friend • The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)
and golf partner, comedian Jasper Carrott, taking the • Harlequin (1980)
part of an incompetent detective in a succession of • Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980)
sketches that formed part of Carrott’s television series. • The Survivor (1981)
The Detectives was so popular that it was turned into a sit- • Imperativ (1982)
com, Powell’s first and only venture into this genre. • The Jigsaw Man (1983)
In 1984, Powell made his U.S. film debut in What Waits • What Waits Below (1984)
Below (as known as Secrets of the Phantom Caverns).[2] • D’Annunzio (1985)
In 1986, Powell narrated and co-starred in William C. • Shaka Zulu (1986)
Faure’s popular miniseries Shaka Zulu...with soccer leg- • Chunuk Bair (1992)
end Henry Cele in the title role. In 1992, he starred in • Fantomcat (1995)
the New Zealand World War I film Chunuk Bair, as Sgt Maj • Pride of Africa (1997)
Frank Smith. In 1993-1995, he was the voice actor of Dr. • The Alchemist of Happiness (documentary) (2004) -
Livesey in The Legends of Treasure Island. voiceover Al-Ghazali
Nowadays Powell appears in person less often, but his • B-Mail (short animation) (2006) - voiceover The Pink
distinctive voice is frequently heard on voice-overs, ad- Professor
vertisements, and as a narrator of television programmes
such as Great Crimes and Trials and The Century of Warfare.
He has also narrated many audio books including The
References
Thirty Nine Steps, abridged versions of many of Alan Garn- [1] http://www.filmreference.com/film/97/Robert-
er’s books, and several abridged novels for ’The Talking Powell.html
Classics Collection’. Powell has also lent his voice to mu- [2] Mann, Roderick (October 27, 1983). "Man who
sical works, such as David Bedford’s album The Rime of the played ’Jesus’ to make U.S. film debut". Los Angeles
Ancient Mariner,[3] or the 2002 rock opera The Hound of the Times: p. E1. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/
Baskervilles, by Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman, where access/
he played the role of John Watson. He also made use of 686431342.html?dids=686431342:686431342&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS
his narrating skills on two rock albums by Rick Wakeman Retrieved September 12, 2009. "Six years after
called Cost of Living and The Gospels (1987). making his initial impact on American audiences as
On 29 October 2001 a state-of-the-art theatre named the star of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1977 television film
after him was opened at the University of Salford.[4] In "Jesus of Nazareth," British actor Robert Powell has
early 2005 he became a regular in the UK TV medical dra- just finished his first American-made film."
ma, Holby City, where he remained for six years before [3] "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner at CD Universe".
departing to return to theatre.[5] On 9 February 2008 he http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/
performed as narrator in Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf pid/1388807/a/
with the Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra with con- Rime+Of+The+Ancient+Mariner.htm.
ductor Natalia Luis-Bassa in the North of England.[6] He [4] Quilliam, Wendy (2001-10-30). "What a
currently has a regular spot narrating literary passages performance!". University of Salford News.
on BBC4’s The Book Quiz. http://www.salford.ac.uk/news/details/53.
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert Powell
[5] Robert Powell Radio interview with Steve Wright;
Powell.
Tim Smith; Janey Lee Grace. Steve Wright in the
External links
Afternoon: with Holby City actor Robert Powell and • Robert Powell at the Internet Movie Database
travel expert Paul Evans (audio). Steve Wright in the • Robert Powell’s Holby City profile at What’s on TV
Afternoon. BBC Radio 2. 25 January 2011. Archived Persondata
from the original on 27 January 2011. Retrieved on
Name Powell, Robert
27 January 2011. "I’ve been there for six years, and that
was five years longer than I ever anticipated staying, and Alternative names
it just struck me that it was probably time to move on Short description
and go back to [my] roots." Date of birth 1 June 1944
[6] Baldwin, Andrew (2008-01-18). "Classic tale for
Place of birth Salford, Lancashire, England
actor of many parts". Huddersfield Daily Examiner.
http://www.examiner.co.uk/leisure-and- Date of death
entertainment/arts-news/2008/01/18/classic-tale- Place of death
for-actor-of-many-parts-86081-20364031/.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Powell"
Categories: 1944 births, Alumni of the University of Salford, English film actors, English stage actors, English television
actors, English voice actors, Living people, Old Mancunians, People from Salford
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