Richard Morant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 30 October 1945 |
| Died | 9 November 2011 (aged 66) |
| Alma mater | Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouses | Melissa Fairbanks
(m. 1969; div. 1979)Valerie Buchanan (m. 1982) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Angela Morant (sister) Penelope Wilton (cousin) Susan Travers (cousin) |
Richard Morant (30 October 1945 – 9 November 2011) was an English actor.
Morant was born in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire.[1] His father was Shakespearean actor Philip Morant (1909–1993).[2][3][4] His sister is actress Angela Morant. He was also a nephew of actors Bill and Linden Travers, and a cousin of actress Penelope Wilton.[5] He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama before joining the Prospect Theatre Company, and touring with Ian McKellen in Richard II, Edward II and Twelfth Night.[6]
He enjoyed a long television and theatrical career, first creating an impression as the bully Flashman in a BBC adaptation of the Thomas Hughes novel, Tom Brown's Schooldays (1971), and had a starring role in Thames Television's Armchair Theatre play Verité (1972) and followed this up with a regular role as Dr Dwight Enys in the popular BBC series of Poldark (1975).[7][8]
Morant also appeared in several BBC classic serials, including adaptations of Walter Scott's Woodstock (1973), as the future Charles II, and The Talisman (1980), as Conrade of Montserrat.[7]
He played Maximilien Robespierre in The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982), and he later played Mervyn Bunter, the valet of Lord Peter Wimsey, in A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery, the BBC's 1987 productions of Strong Poison, Have His Carcase and Gaudy Night (all based on Dorothy Sayers's original novels).[9][10] In 1988 he played Theodore Dyke Acland in the serial Jack the Ripper.[11]
His film career included roles in Zeppelin (1971), Mahler (1974), The Company of Wolves (1984), The Second Victory (1986), Scandal (1989) and Janice Beard (1999).[12]
His stage appearances included a starring role in Noël Coward's Private Lives at the Theatre Royal, Bath in 1984.[13] The following year he co-starred with Stephanie Beacham and Pam Ferris in ITV's rag-trade soap drama, Connie.[14] He also did voice-over, radio, and audio book work including voicing books by Julian Barnes and Julian Fellowes.[15]
Morant's first wife was Melissa Fairbanks, a daughter of Douglas Fairbanks Jr., with whom he had a son and daughter. His second wife was Valerie Buchanan, with whom he had another son and daughter.[4]
He had a sideline as a dealer in Asian carpets and textiles, including running his own gallery in Notting Hill.[6] In 2005 he became the sole owner of an established company specialising in carpets and fine textiles,[16] headquartered in Notting Hill, London. After suffering a short illness, Morant died suddenly of an aneurysm[7] on 9 November 2011, aged 66.[17]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Battle of Britain | Replacement Pilot - Red Section 'Red 2' | Uncredited |
| 1971 | Zeppelin | Billy Chisholm | Uncredited |
| 1974 | Mahler | Max | |
| 1974 | The Protectors - Episode The Bridge | David Mitchell | TV series |
| 1975 | Hijack! | Colin | |
| 1975 | Poldark | Dr Dwight Enys | TV movie |
| 1977 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Phoebus | TV movie |
| 1980 | The Merchant of Venice | Lorenzo | TV movie |
| 1982 | The Scarlet Pimpernel | Maximilien Robespierre | |
| 1983 | On the Third Day | Jeremy Bolt | |
| 1984 | The Company of Wolves | Wealthy Groom | |
| 1985 | The Last Place on Earth | Lawrence Oates | |
| 1987 | The Second Victory | Capt. Johnson | |
| 1989 | Scandal | D'Lazlo | |
| 1999 | Janice Beard | Boss | |
| 2006 | Day Night Day Night | Flirt |
