Actor. Born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, he is best-known to American audiences as Dr. Sam Loomis in the "Halloween" horror movie series, and as Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the 1967 James Bond motion picture "You Only Live Twice." He worked briefly as a railway clerk and stage actor before joining the British Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War, serving as a member of the 166th Squadron Bomber Command. He was shot down while on a bombing mission over German occupied France in August 1944, and spent the remainder of the war in a German prisoner of war (POW) camp. Following the conclusion of the war, he returned to the study of acting. From 1952 to 1972, he appeared in several Broadway theater productions including "Caesar and Cleopatra," "Anthony and Cleopatra," "The Caretaker," "Poor Bitos," "The Man in the Glass Booth" and "Wise Child." In 1969, he was the recipient of a Tony Award for his work in "The Man in the Glass Booth" and was also a nominee for four additional Best Actor awards during his stage career. He made his film debut in the 1954 motion picture "The Beachcomber." His notable film credits include: "1984" (1956), "A Tale of Two Cities" (1958), "Look Back in Anger" (1959), "Killers of Kilimanjaro" (1959), "The Great Escape" (1963), "The Hallelujah Trail" (1965), "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), "Fantastic Voyage" (1966), "THX 1138" (1971), "Wake in Fright" (1971), "Death Line" (1972), "Escape to Witch Mountain" (1975), "The Eagle Has Landed" (1976), "The Last Tycoon" (1976), "Oh, God!" (1977), "Dracula" (1979), "Escape from New York" (1981), "Alone in the Dark" (1982), "Prince of Darkness" (1987), "The Great Escape II: The Untold Story" (1988), "Hanna's War" (1988), "Diên Biên Phú" (1992), "Safe Haven" (1995) and "Fatal Frames" (1996). His numerous television credits include: "The Adventures of Robin Hood," "The Twilight Zone," "The Outer Limits," "The Fugitive," "Hawaii Five-O," "Columbo" and "Centennial." In 1994, he was made a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II, for his contributions to the motion picture and stage industries. He died in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Alpes-Maritimes, France following complications from heart valve surgery.
Actor. Born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, he is best-known to American audiences as Dr. Sam Loomis in the "Halloween" horror movie series, and as Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the 1967 James Bond motion picture "You Only Live Twice." He worked briefly as a railway clerk and stage actor before joining the British Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War, serving as a member of the 166th Squadron Bomber Command. He was shot down while on a bombing mission over German occupied France in August 1944, and spent the remainder of the war in a German prisoner of war (POW) camp. Following the conclusion of the war, he returned to the study of acting. From 1952 to 1972, he appeared in several Broadway theater productions including "Caesar and Cleopatra," "Anthony and Cleopatra," "The Caretaker," "Poor Bitos," "The Man in the Glass Booth" and "Wise Child." In 1969, he was the recipient of a Tony Award for his work in "The Man in the Glass Booth" and was also a nominee for four additional Best Actor awards during his stage career. He made his film debut in the 1954 motion picture "The Beachcomber." His notable film credits include: "1984" (1956), "A Tale of Two Cities" (1958), "Look Back in Anger" (1959), "Killers of Kilimanjaro" (1959), "The Great Escape" (1963), "The Hallelujah Trail" (1965), "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), "Fantastic Voyage" (1966), "THX 1138" (1971), "Wake in Fright" (1971), "Death Line" (1972), "Escape to Witch Mountain" (1975), "The Eagle Has Landed" (1976), "The Last Tycoon" (1976), "Oh, God!" (1977), "Dracula" (1979), "Escape from New York" (1981), "Alone in the Dark" (1982), "Prince of Darkness" (1987), "The Great Escape II: The Untold Story" (1988), "Hanna's War" (1988), "Diên Biên Phú" (1992), "Safe Haven" (1995) and "Fatal Frames" (1996). His numerous television credits include: "The Adventures of Robin Hood," "The Twilight Zone," "The Outer Limits," "The Fugitive," "Hawaii Five-O," "Columbo" and "Centennial." In 1994, he was made a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II, for his contributions to the motion picture and stage industries. He died in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Alpes-Maritimes, France following complications from heart valve surgery.
Bio by: Nils M. Solsvik Jr.
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
