Oliver Cotton

Last updated

Oliver Cotton
Born20 June 1944 (1944-06-20) (age 80)
London, England
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • playwright

Oliver Charles Cotton (born 20 June 1944) is an English actor and playwright, known for his prolific work on stage, TV and film. He remains best known for his role as Cesare Borgia in the BBC's 1981 drama series The Borgias . [1]

Contents

Early life

Cotton was born in London on 20 June 1944, the son of Ester and Robert Norman Cotton. [2] He trained at the Drama Centre, London.

Career

Cotton worked extensively at the National Theatre Company during the period when Sir Laurence Olivier was its artistic director. Cotton played leading roles in many productions including The Royal Hunt of the Sun , Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead , Much Ado in About Nothing , As You Like It , Peter Brook’s Oedipus , In His Own Write and many others.

At the Royal Court in London, Cotton has played leads in many productions including The Local Stigmatic , The Duchess of Malfi , Man is Man, The Tutor by Bertholt Brecht, Lear and Bingo by Edward Bond. He was a founder member of Joint Stock appearing in the company's inaugural production The Speakers by Heathcote Williams.

For the Royal Shakespeare Company he has played leading roles in Granville Barker's The Marrying of Ann Leete, Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III, The Plain Dealer, Some Americans Abroad by Richard Nelson, and as the Mayor in Brand by Ibsen in 2003. [3]

In the West End he has starred in The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, Children of A Lesser God by Mark Medoff, Benefactors by Michael Frayn, An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, Life x 3 by Yasmina Reza (RNT transfer), "Passion Play" (by Peter Nichols). He also played King Lear at the Southwark Playhouse and performed as Malvolio in a (historically correct all-male) production Twelfth Night at the reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe. At the Old Vic, under the directorship of Kevin Spacey, he appeared as Seth Lord in The Philadelphia Story , as Northumberland in Richard II, and as Dr Finache in A Flea in Her Ear . In 2010 he played Henry IV in Shakespeare's Henry IV at the Globe Theatre. At Chichester he has appeared as Jim Casy in The Grapes Of Wrath in 2009 and as Arturo Santaniello in The Syndicate. In 2012, he played Victor Velasco in a major tour of Barefoot in the Park . In 2013 he played Jim in Passion Play by Peter Nichols at the Duke of York's Theatre – and in 2014 starred as Billy in his own play Daytona at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

His numerous TV appearances have included The Borgias (Cesare Borgia), David Copperfield , The Year of The French, The Party, Room at the Bottom, Space:1999, Redemption, Poirot, The Camomile Lawn , Westbeach, Sharpe's Battle , Rhodes , All Quiet on the Preston Front, Innocents , Judge John Deed, Inspector Lynley, Waking The Dead, Murder Investigation Team, Beastly Games, Margaret, Money, Ripper Street and Lovejoy.

His films include Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush , The Day Christ Died, Oliver Twist, Firefox, The Sicilian, Eleni, Hiding Out, Christopher Columbus, Son of the Pink Panther , The Innocent Sleep, Phoenix Blue, The Opium War , Beowulf, Baby Blue, The Dancer Upstairs, Shanghai Knights , Bone Hunter, Rain Dogs, Colour Me Kubrick, Pope Joan, The Dark Knight Rises , Gangs of Tooting Broadway , A Long Time Coming.

Writing

For the stage his writing includes: The Enoch Show (Royal Court), Scrabble (National Theatre), Wet Weather Cover (King's Head Theatre), Daytona, Dessert, Sans Souci. His TV and film scripts include: A Touch of Frost , Diamond Geezer , Trace, The Intruder, Singing for Stalin, Sofa, Wet Weather Cover: The Movie, Peeping Through and The English Game .

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1968 Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush Curtis
1982 Firefox Dmitri Priabin
1985 Eleni Katis
1987 The Sicilian Cmdr. Roccofino
Hiding Out Killer
1992 Christopher Columbus: The Discovery Harana
1993 Son of the Pink Panther King Haroak
1996 The Innocent Sleep Lusano
1997Queen: Made in HeavenMan
Yapian zhanzheng
1999 Beowulf Hrothgar
2000 Innocents Mike Angelini
2001Baby BlueRon Wood
2002 The Dancer Upstairs Merino
2003 Shanghai Knights Jack the Ripper
The Bone HunterRegulus
2004RaindogsDuke
Steamboy Robert Stephenson Voice
2005 Colour Me Kubrick PC MetcalfUncredited
2009 Pope Joan Arsenius
2012 The Dark Knight Rises 2 Star Air Force General
2013 Gangs of Tooting Broadway Marcus
2015 North v South Brian Galloway
2017PylonThe Chairman
2020 Wonder Woman 1984 Simon Stagg
2021 The Last Duel Jean de Carrouges III

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1970–1973 Z-Cars Chick Randall / Robert Durley / John North4 episodes
1975 Space: 1999 Spearman1 episode
1981 The Borgias Cesare Borgia10 episodes
1982 Oliver Twist MonksTV movie
1983 Bergerac Jacques Laronde1 episode
Jemima Shore Investigates Renard1 episode
1986 Lovejoy Frobel1 episode
Robin of Sherwood Lord Owen of Clun2 episodes
C.A.T.S. Eyes Stefan Johns1 episode
1986–1988 Room at the Bottom Tom6 episodes
1989 Boon Raoul Gomez1 episode
1990 Agatha Christie's Poirot Gregorie Rolf1 episode
1992 The Camomile Lawn Max3 episodes
1993West beachAlan Cromer10 episodes
1995 Sharpe's Battle LoupTV movie
1997 Heartbeat Harry Adams1 episode
2001 The Bill DI Hubbard1 episode
Judge John Deed Maurice Phillips QC1 episode
2003 Casualty Dr. Chris Cassidy1 episode
2004 Waking the Dead Sir Charles Stewart1 episode
Dalziel and Pascoe Keith HenshawEpisode: "Great Escapes"
2005 Midsomer Murders Michael Maybury1 episode
2009 Margaret Michael HeseltineTV movie
2014 Penny Dreadful Father Matthews1 episode
New Tricks Hugh Dryden1 episode

Video game

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008 Fable II Lucien Fairfax
2016 Hitman Additional Voices, Civilian Male 05, Tharn Srisai, Hotel Staff Member, Hotel Groundskeeper, Hospital Director, Hotel Staff, Landlord, Wes Liston, Ezra Berg, The Curator
2021 Hitman 3 Gregory Carlisle, Mr. Fernsby

Related Research Articles

<i>King Lear</i> Play by William Shakespeare

King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between his daughters Goneril and Regan, who pay homage to gain favour, feigning love. The King's third daughter, Cordelia, is offered a third of his kingdom also, but refuses to be insincere in her praise and affection. She instead offers the respect of a daughter and is disowned by Lear who seeks flattery. Regan and Goneril subsequently break promises to host Lear and his entourage, so he opts to become homeless and destitute, goes insane, and the French King married to Cordelia invades Britain to restore order and Lear's rule. In a subplot, Edmund, the illegitimate son of Gloucester, betrays his brother and father. Tragically, Lear, Cordelia and several other main characters die.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Shakespeare Company</span> British theatre company

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratford-upon-Avon, and on tour across the UK and internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noël Coward Theatre</span> West End theatre in St. Martins Lane in London, formerly the Albery Theatre

The Noël Coward Theatre, formerly known as the Albery Theatre, is a West End theatre in St. Martin's Lane in the City of Westminster, London. It opened on 12 March 1903 as the New Theatre and was built by Sir Charles Wyndham behind Wyndham's Theatre which was completed in 1899. The building was designed by the architect W. G. R. Sprague with an exterior in the classical style and an interior in the Rococo style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colm Feore</span> Canadian actor (born 1958)

Colm Joseph Feore is a Canadian actor. A 15-year veteran of the Stratford Festival, he is known for his Gemini-winning turn as Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the CBC miniseries Trudeau (2002), his portrayal of Glenn Gould in Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993), and for playing Detective Martin Ward in Bon Cop, Bad Cop (2006) and its sequel Bon Cop, Bad Cop 2 (2017).

Sir Antony Sher was a British actor, writer and theatre director of South African origin. A two-time Laurence Olivier Award winner and a four-time nominee, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982 and toured in many roles, as well as appearing on film and television. In 2001, he starred in his cousin Ronald Harwood's play Mahler's Conversion, and said that the story of a composer sacrificing his faith for his career echoed his own identity struggles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinéad Cusack</span> Irish stage, television and film actress

Sinéad Moira Cusack is an Irish actress. Her first acting roles were at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, before moving to London in 1969 to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has won the Critics' Circle and Evening Standard Awards for her performance in Sebastian Barry's Our Lady of Sligo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Pennington</span> British actor (born 1943)

Michael Vivian Fyfe Pennington is an English actor, director and writer. Together with director Michael Bogdanov, he founded the English Shakespeare Company in 1986 and was its Joint Artistic Director until 1992. He has written ten books, directed in the UK, US, Romania and Japan, and is an Honorary Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He is best known for his role as Moff Jerjerrod in the original Star Wars trilogy film Return of the Jedi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Wood (English actor)</span> English actor (1930–2011)

John Wood was an English actor, known for his performances in Shakespeare and his lasting association with Tom Stoppard. In 1976, he received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Stoppard's Travesties. He was nominated for two other Tony Awards for his roles in Sherlock Holmes (1975) and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1968). In 2007, Wood was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Wood also appeared in WarGames, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Ladyhawke, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Orlando, Shadowlands, The Madness of King George, Richard III, Sabrina, and Chocolat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances de la Tour</span> English actress (born 1944)

Frances J. de Lautour, better known as Frances de la Tour, is an English actress. She is known for her role as Miss Ruth Jones in the television sitcom Rising Damp from 1974 until 1978. She is a Tony Award winner and three-time Olivier Award winner.

William Charles Anthony Gaunt is an English actor. He became widely known for television roles such as Richard Barrett in The Champions (1968–1969), Arthur Crabtree in No Place Like Home (1983–87) and Andrew Prentice in Next of Kin (1995–97). He has had many other roles on television and also an extensive stage career as an actor and director, including performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Porter</span> British actor (1928–1995)

Eric Richard Porter was an English actor of stage, film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Hyde</span> Australian and British actor (born 1948)

Jonathan Stephen Geoffrey King, known professionally as Jonathan "Nash" Hyde, is an Australian actor. Hyde is perhaps best known for roles as Herbert Arthur Runcible Cadbury in the comedy film Richie Rich (1994), Samuel Parrish and Van Pelt in the fantasy adventure film Jumanji (1995), J. Bruce Ismay in the epic romantic film Titanic (1997), Culverton Smith in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Warren Westridge in creature feature film Anaconda (1997), Dr. Allen Chamberlain in the adventure horror film The Mummy (1999), and Eldritch Palmer in the FX TV series The Strain. Although an Australian citizen, he has mostly lived in the United Kingdom since 1969, after his family left Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esmond Knight</span> English actor (1906–1987)

Esmond Penington Knight was an English actor. He had a successful stage and film career before World War II. For much of his later career Knight was half-blind. He had been badly wounded in 1941 while on active service on board HMS Prince of Wales when she fought the Bismarck at the Battle of the Denmark Strait, and remained totally blind for two years, though he later regained some sight in his right eye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Russell Beale</span> British actor (born 1961)

Sir Simon Russell Beale is an English actor. He has been described by The Independent as "the greatest stage actor of his generation". He has received two BAFTA Awards, three Olivier Awards, and a Tony Award. For his services to drama, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Ford Davies</span> English actor

Oliver Robert Ford Davies is an English actor and writer, best known for his extensive theatre work, and to a broader audience for his role as Sio Bibble in Star Wars Episodes I to III. He is also known for his role as Maester Cressen in HBO series Game of Thrones.

<i>Slings & Arrows</i> Canadian television series

Slings & Arrows is a Canadian television series set at the fictional New Burbage Festival, a Shakespearean festival similar to the real-world Stratford Festival. It stars Paul Gross, Stephen Ouimette and Martha Burns. Rachel McAdams appeared in the first season.

Alan MacKenzie Howard, CBE was an English actor. He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1966 to 1983 and played leading roles at the Royal National Theatre between 1992 and 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shakespeare in performance</span> Performances of William Shakespeares plays

Thousands of performances of William Shakespeare's plays have been staged since the end of the 16th century. While Shakespeare was alive, many of his greatest plays were performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men and King's Men acting companies at the Globe and Blackfriars Theatres. Among the actors of these original performances were Richard Burbage, Richard Cowley, and William Kempe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jasper Britton</span> British actor (born 1962)

Jasper Britton is an English actor.

The Ian Charleson Awards are theatrical awards that reward the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors under age 30. The awards are named in memory of the British actor Ian Charleson, and are run by the Sunday Times newspaper and the National Theatre. The awards were established in 1990 after Charleson's death, and have been awarded annually since then. Sunday Times theatre critic John Peter (1938–2020) initiated the creation of the awards, particularly in memory of Charleson's extraordinary Hamlet, which he had performed shortly before his death. Recipients receive a cash prize, as do runners-up and third-place winners.

References

  1. "TV REVIEW; 'THE BORGIAS,' A NEW SERIES ON CABLE", New York Times, 2 October 1985. Accessed 15 October 2015
  2. Oliver Cotton Biography (1944–). Filmreference.com (20 June 1944). Retrieved on 7 February 2020.
  3. Philip Fisher "Brand", British Theatre Review