John Woodvine (born 21 July 1929) is an English actor who has appeared in more than 70 theatre productions, as well as a similar number of television and film roles.
Woodvine frequently played police officers from early in his career, including a regular role in the British drama series Z-Cars as Det. Insp. Witty (1968–69) and guest appearances in Softly, Softly in the 1970s. He re-created his role of Inspector Kingdom in the 1970s police drama New Scotland Yard. He is also particularly remembered as the disgruntled former policeman who took the lead character hostage in a 1983 episode of Juliet Bravo. His role as a policeman even extended to playing the traditional village 'bobby', as Constable Tedder in the BBC television adaptation of Arthur Ransome's Big Six and Coot Club. Further, it extended to the comedic police role of Sir Malachi Jellicoe in The New Statesman.
In 1969, he appeared as the Manchester cleansing depot inspector, Mr. Sinclair, referred to as "Bloody Delilah" by his subordinates, in first season of The Dustbinmen.[2]
Woodvine made apprentice appearances with James Cooper's Renegades Theatre Company in Ilford, where he played such parts as the Conjur Man in Dark of the Moon and Claudius in Hamlet (a role he repeated with Prospect Theatre Company). In 1954 he played Caspar Darde in Captain Carvallo on a tour of service establishments.
He joined the Old Vic company in September 1954, 'walking on' in Macbeth. Later in the same season he played Vincentio in The Taming of the Shrew (November 1954); Duke (Senior) in As You Like It (March 1955); Vernon in Part 1 and Lord Chief Justice in Part 2 of Henry IV (April 1955); Flavius in Julius Caesar (September 1955); Rugby in The Merry Wives of Windsor (September 1955); Cleomenes in The Winter's Tale (November 1955); and the Bishop of Ely and Macmorris in Henry V (December 1955).
In 1956 his roles for the company included Roderigo in Othello (February); Calchas in Troilus and Cressida (April); Murderer in Macbeth (May); Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (June); and Lord Scroop of Berkeley in Richard II (July). These four last-named productions toured, including a three-week season at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York in December 1956 and January 1957. Returning to the company in September 1959, he played Careless in The Double Dealer (William Congreve); Mowbray inRichard II; and Nym in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Personal lifeedit
Woodvine is married to actress Lynn Farleigh. His daughter is the actress Mary Woodvine. On 11 May 2012 Woodvine collapsed offstage during a Grand Theatre, Leeds, performance of the musical Carousel, shortly after his appearance as the Starkeeper. Although the reason for the collapse was unknown, he was admitted to hospital and made a full recovery.[11]
For the 1979 RSC Stratford season he played Sir John Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, and the title role in Julius Caesar; also playing Falstaff and Malvolio at the RSC Aldwych, 1980 season