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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2019 13:08:59 GMT
Sad news that the great Freddie Jones has passed away aged 91. Freddie was best known in recent years for playing Sandy Thomas in Emmerdale for over a dozen years before he retired from acting last year. But out of anyone who has ever been a soap regular character Freddie had probably had one of the most distinguished careers and certainly played the widest variety of roles.
From originating the role of Sir in The Dresser on stage to well over 100 major TV roles and appearances in several David Lynch films Freddie was a top character actor for 45 years before he joined Emmerdale. I can first recall seeing him as a scene stealing Headmaster in the 1980's adaptation of Adrian Mole and he was always an actor you'd see having a role or a guest spot in many major TV adaptations, series or films etc.
For such a well known actor, Freddie didn't take up acting professionally until he was in his 30's. He was a Laboratory Assistant for over a decade originally and did acting as a hobby. However being asked to shave off his trademark beard caused him to leave his job and train to be a professional actor.
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Post by horton on Jul 10, 2019 16:30:38 GMT
Sad news- he created so many great roles
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Post by crowblack on Jul 10, 2019 17:23:12 GMT
There's a lovely father and son interview with Freddie and Toby Jones from 2009 on iplayer (Matthew Sweet tweeted the link). It's interesting to hear how much of their role an actor creates, rather than the writer or director - in the case of Lynch's Elephant Man it sounds like a lot was down to Freddie.
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Post by learfan on Jul 10, 2019 17:28:37 GMT
Never watch Emmerdale so to be honest id thought he passed away years ago. Good character actor.
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Post by xanady on Jul 10, 2019 19:58:07 GMT
One of the greats...remember him in a Granada Sherlock Holmes as Inspector Baynes in the episode,Wisteria Lodge where he played the part with ‘monumental and belligerent vanity’ according to one critic at the time..Jeremy Brett was used to acting everyone else into a frazzled stupor on his show,but not on this occasion!
Saw him in The Dresser at the Royal Exchange and he also did a lot of Hammer movies,Firefox,Krull,Zulu Dawn,All Creatures,etc and was featured in a number of David Lynch classics.He was the epitome of a character actor throughout his career...he spoke his words with passion,empathy and understanding... a versatile,verbose and often visceral actor who was never less than utterly entertaining and fabulously eccentric.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2019 1:07:47 GMT
His comedy turn in The Ghosts of Motley Hall is on YouTube. Not his finest work by any stretch of the imagination but another fun character called Sir George Uproar which it looks as if he had a great time playing and being able to be a bit OTT.
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Post by Marwood on Jul 11, 2019 19:08:03 GMT
His comedy turn in The Ghosts of Motley Hall is on YouTube. Not his finest work by any stretch of the imagination but another fun character called Sir George Uproar which it looks as if he had a great time playing and being able to be a bit OTT. First thing I remember seeing him in was Ghosts Of Motley Hall (which shows how old I am) but there’s not many people who have worked with David Lynch AND been in Emmerdale so for that reason alone Freddie,I salute you. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2019 22:39:20 GMT
Does anyone ever know if he ever did any seasons with the RSC. There would have been so many fantastic roles there he could have got his teeth into.
Even at 90, the decision to leave Emmerdale was his own, they had offered him a new contract but his character's son had been killed off and I read that the travelling to Leeds was getting a bit of a strain for him.
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Post by crowblack on Jul 12, 2019 9:49:10 GMT
RSC. There would have been so many fantastic roles there he could have got his teeth into. Yes, some in the early 60s - he made his debut in David Rudkin's Afore Night Come. His wife, Jennie Heslewood, was in Rudkin's famous Play for Today Penda's Fen in the 1970s and I saw their son Toby perform a new Rudkin piece 'Grim's Ditch' in Placeprints at the Printroom/Coronet theatre a couple of years ago because of the family connection (yes, I am very into what is now called English Eerie/ Folk Horror!). |
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Post by harrietcraig on Jul 12, 2019 16:48:35 GMT
His comedy turn in The Ghosts of Motley Hall is on YouTube. Not his finest work by any stretch of the imagination but another fun character called Sir George Uproar which it looks as if he had a great time playing and being able to be a bit OTT. First thing I remember seeing him in was Ghosts Of Motley Hall (which shows how old I am) but there’s not many people who have worked with David Lynch AND been in Emmerdale so for that reason alone Freddie,I salute you. I’m apparently even older than you, Marwood : the first thing I remember seeing him in was a 1967 episode of “The Avengers” (“Who’s Who???”) in which he played a villain who, along with his dastardly female partner, “switches brains” with Steed and Mrs. Peel. A comic tour de force for all four actors. |
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Post by xanady on Jul 12, 2019 17:24:06 GMT
Lovely to see so many people sharing happy memories of the great man on here.Wonder if he was ever considered for a knighthood?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2019 16:27:25 GMT
Lovely to see so many people sharing happy memories of the great man on here.Wonder if he was ever considered for a knighthood? Freddie never received any award let alone a Knighthood, I would have thought he'd have merited something. Also only ever had one Bafta nomination. I'd have thought he'd have been the sort of performer to get some supporting actor nods given all the great character roles he played. |
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Post by learfan on Jul 21, 2019 8:12:51 GMT
Does anyone ever know if he ever did any seasons with the RSC. There would have been so many fantastic roles there he could have got his teeth into. Even at 90, the decision to leave Emmerdale was his own, they had offered him a new contract but his character's son had been killed off and I read that the travelling to Leeds was getting a bit of a strain for him. He was in Adrian Noble 's first season in 1991. He was Malvolio in a disastrous Twelfth Night and then by all accounts quite funny in a rarity called the Virtuoso. Decent actor, knighthood? I dont think so. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2019 16:45:15 GMT
The stage obituary said his Malvolio was a disappointment, I'd have liked to have seen him as Falstaff personally.
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