Oliver Ford Davies

Oliver Ford Davies (born Oliver Robert Ford Davies) was born on August 12, 1939.  His father was an English teacher who founded the Latymer School dramatic society.  Ford Davies attended King's School (Boarding and Day) in Canterbury.  It was during his teens that he joined Questors Theatre in west London, then attended College at Merton, in Oxford (J.R.R Tolkien 1945).  He earned a scholarship to Oxford University, he was torn between history and drama.  He was was an excellent writer and was also the president of the Dramatic Society at Oxford.

Ford Davies spent six more years at  Oxford after graduating to work on his Dphil (Doctorate of philosophy - Dr. Ford Davies) on the wealth and influence of the English aristocracy (1688 - 1714).  Being equally talented as a playwright (and a critic) he worked for The Guardian as a reviewer of some note.

After getting his Dphil, Ford Davies became an assistant history lecturer at Edinburgh University (1964-1966) though it was only three weeks into this position before he was sure that he didn't want to pursue this avenue.

Ford Davies acted with the RSC for ten years (1965- 1975) and was in twenty-seven productions during that time.  But, during his time at the RSC he found the playwright in him was coming to the surface, for a while he wrote full-time and nearly decided to give up acting, but didn't feel he had the confidence in his writing skills.  The pull for acting was too strong.

 

 

 

Film

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith~2005 - Governor Sio Bibble

Gladiatress~2004 -

Mother, The~2003 - Bruce

Johnny English~2003 - Archbishop of Canterbury

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones~2002 - Governor Sio Bibble

Revelation~2001 - Prof. Casubon

Just Visiting~2001 - Pit Rivers

Blow Dry~2001 - Doctor Hamilton

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace~1999 - Governor Sio Bibble

Ideal Husband, An~1999 - Sir Hugo Danforth

Titanic Town~1998 - Whittington

Mrs. Dalloway~1997 - Hugh Whitbread

Mrs. Brown~1997 - Dean of Windsor

Sense and Sensibility~1995 - Doctor Harris

Paper Mask~1990 - Coroner

Scandal~1989 - Mr. Woods, MI5

Luther~1972 - 

 

TV

Midsomer Murders~1997 - Otto Benham in Hidden Depth (#9.1) 3/13/05

Rosemary & Thyme~2003 - Sir Basil Slavinski in The Italian Rapscalion (#2.6) 11/5/04

Cherished~2004 - Lord Justice Judge

Wren: The Man Who Built Britain~2004 - Sir Roger Pratt

Sparkling Cyanide~2003 - Colonel Geoffrey Reese

My Uncle Silas II~2003  - Cosmo

Sirens~2002 (mini)  - Henry Marshall

Spooks~2002 -  Sir Danny Bowman (# 2.4) 6/23/03

Foyle's War~2002 -  Lawrence Gascoigne in  A Lesson in Murder (# 1.3) 11/10/02

Bertie and Elizabeth~2002  - Archbishop Lang

Sunday~2002 

Fire, Plague, War and Treason~2001 - voice

Way We Live Now, The~2001 (mini)  - Mr. Longestaffe

Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The~2000  - Dr. Sheppard

David Copperfield~1999  - Mr. Wickfield

Wren, The Man Who Built Britain~1998 -

Kavanagh QC~1994 -  Peter Foxcott QC in  (see Actor Connections - TV)

    Dead Reckoning (# 4.6) 4/21/98

    Innocence of Life (# 4.5) 4/14/98

    Bearing Witness (# 4.4) 4/7/98

    Care in the Community (# 4.2) 3/24/98

    Peter Lowell QC in  Memento Mori (# 4.1) 3/17/98

    The Ties That Bind (# 3.5)4/7/97

    Diplomatic Baggage (# 3.4) 3/24/97

    Ancient History (# 3.3) 3/17/97

    Blood Money (# 3.2) 3/10/97

    Mute of Malice (# 3.1) 3/3/97

McLibel~1998 - Dr. Sydney Arnott

Uninvited, The~1997 

Dance to the Music of Time, A~1997 (mini)  - Le Bas (see Actor Connections - TV)

Royal Scandal, A~1996  - Lord Liverpool

Truth or Dare~1996  - Derek McKendrick

Wycliffe~1994 -  Dr. Donald Treloar in  Slave of Duty (# 3.3) 7/7/96

Coogan's Run~1995 -  Dr. Phillips in  Natural Born Quizzers (# 1.5) 12/15/95

MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis~1994  - Prof. Carson

Maigret~1992 - Dr. Pardon in Maigret on the Defensive (#2.3) 3/28/93

Between the Lines~1992 - john Gollap in Some Must Watch (#2.5) 11/2/93

Alleyn Mysteries~1993 -  Sir Herbert Carrados in  Death in a White Tie (# 1.5) 5/16/93

Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The~1992 - Ship's Captain in Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal (#1.1) 3/4/92

Van der Valk~1972 - Guus Kroese in Still Waters (#5.3) 2/19/92

Cloning of Joanna May, The~1992  - Gerald

War That Never Ends, The~1991  - Melian Representative

Inspector Morse~1987 -  Frederick Redpath in  Second Time Around (# 5.1) 2/20/91

Chancer~1990 - Vicar in Faith (#1.7) 4/17/90

Police, The~1990 

Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story~1989  - Police Commander

Casualty~1986 -  The Major in  Victim of Circumstances (# 4.7) 10/20/89

Very Peculiar Practice, A~1986 -  Lecturer in  The New Frontier (# 2.1) 2/24/88

Death of a Son~1988  - Prosecuting Counsel

Very British Coup, A~1988  - Tweed

Taste for Death, A~1988 (mini)  - Father Francis Barnes

Cause Célèbre~1987  - J.D. Casswell (see Actor Connections - TV)

Defence of the Realm~1985 - Anthony Clegg

Citadel, The~1983 (mini)  - Reverend Parry (see Actor Connections - TV)

Tenko~1981  - Priest in:

    (#2.5) 11/18/82 

    (#2.4) 11/11/82

Father Brown~1974 - Detective Inspector Corliss in The Eye of Apollo (#1.4) 10/17/74

Moonbase 3~1973 - Astronaut in Achilles Heal (#1.3) 9/23/73

Spyder's Web~1972 - One in Spyder Secures a Main Strand (#1.1) 1/21/72

 

Theater

The Soldier's Fortune~2007 -  (Young Vic, London, UK)

The Life of Galileo~2006 - Cardinal Inquisitor (National Theatre Cottesloe, Lyttelton, UK)

Enemies~???? - ?? (Almeida Theatre, London, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)

The Linden Tree~2006 - Professor Robert Linden (The Orange Tree, Richmond, UK)

Playing With Fire~2005 - Frank (National Theatre, London, England, UK)

Darwin in Malibu~2004 - Charles Darwin (Hampstead Theatre, London, UK)

Absolutely! (perhaps)~2003 - Lamberto Laudisi (Wyndam's Theatre, London, England, UK)

King Cromwell~2003 - Cromwell (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, UK)

King Lear~2002 - King Lear (The Almeida Theatre, London, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)

Ivanov~2002 - Count Shabielski (The Almeida Theatre, London, UK)

Richard II~2000 - Duke of York

Coriolanus~2000 - Menenius Agrippa (The Royal Shakespeare Company)

2 Pianos, 4 Hands~1999 - 

Larkin With Women~1999 - Philip Larkin (Theatre in the Round, Scarborough, England, UK)

Leprechauns~1999 - 

Christmas Carol, A~1999 - Desmond Barrit

Naked~1998 - Old Novelist Ludovico Nota (Almeida, Islington, UK)

Ivanov~1997 -  (Almeida Theatre, London, UK)

Virtuoso~1996 - (Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, England, UK)

Racing Demon~1994 - (Doolittle Theatre, Los Angeles)

Four Repertoire Booklets~1994/5 - (National Theatre, London, UK)

Five Repertoire Booklets~1993/4 - (National Theatre, London, UK)

Six Repertoire Booklets~1991/2 - (National Theatre, London, UK)

Six Repertoire Booklets~1990/1 - (National Theatre, London, UK)

Shape of the Table~1990 -  (Cottesloe Theatre, )

*Racing Demon~1993 - Revd. Lionel Espy (Royal National Theatre)

*Murmuring Judges~1993 - (Royal National Theatre)

*Absense of War~1993 - (Royal National Theatre)

Five Repertoire Booklets~1989 - (National Theatre, London, UK)

The Greeks: Patroclus~1980 -  (The Royal Shakespeare Company)

Henry VI~1977-8 - Somerset (The Aldwych Theatre, London, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)

Mrs. Dalloway~ - Hugh Whitbread

Old Country, The~ - (Watford Palace Theatre),

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde~ - (RSC

The Shaughraun~1989 -  (National Theatre, )

Hamlet~1989 - Player King (National Theatre, )

Merry Wives of Windsor~1986 - (Barbican Theatre, London, UK)

Il Candelaio~1986 - Scaramuré (The Pit, London, UK)

Principia Scriptoriae~1986 - Norton Quinn (The Pit, London, UK)

Danton Affair, The~1986 - Fouquier-Tinville (Barbican Theatre, London, UK)

Devil's, The~1984 - Jean D'Armagnac (The Pit, London, UK)

Measure for Measure~1983/4  - Provost (Royal Shakespeare Theatre; The Barbican Theatre, UK)

Henry VIII~1983/4 - Gardiner (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, ; The Barbican Theatre, UK)

Julius Caesar~1983/4 -  Marullus/Titinius (Royal Shakespeare Theatre; The Barbican Theatre, UK)

Henry V~ - (The Royal Shakespeare Company)

Shadow of  a Gunman, The~1981 - Mulligan (The Donmar Warehouse, Donmar, UK)

Forest, The~1981 - Milonov (The Other Place, Stratford Upon Avon, UK; The Donmar Warehouse, Donmar, UK; The Aldwych Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon, UK; )

Troilus and Cressida~1981 - Nestor (The Aldwych Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon, UK)

Timon of Athens~1981 - Senator (Donmar Warehouse, Donmar, UK)

Love-Girl and the Innocent, The~1981 - Camp Doctor (The Aldwych Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon, UK)

Coriolanus~1979 - Junius Brutus (European Tour)

Waste~1985 - Gilbert Wedgecroft (The Pit, London, UK)

Greeks, The~1980 - Old Man/Peleus/Polymestor/Priam (The Aldwych Theatre, )

Love's Labour's Lost~1979 - Boyet (Aldwych Theatre, London, UK)

Henry V~1978 - Montjoy/Governor of Harfleur (The Aldwych Theatre, London, UK)

Coriolanus~1977 - Junius Brutus (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, UK

As You Like It~1977 - Duke Senior (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, UK)

Henry VI~1977 - Somerset (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, UK)

Henry V~1977 - Montjoy/Governor of Harfleur (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, UK)

Henry V~1976 - Montjoy/Governor of Harfleur (International Tour)

Perkin Warbeck~1975 - Earl of Huntly (The Other Place, Stratford Upon Avon, UK)

Henry V~1975 - Montjoy/Governor of Harfleur (Royal Shakespeare Theatre; International Tour; The Aldwych Theatre, UK)

Henry IV~1975 - Morton/Sir Michael/Retainer of Northumberland/Wart (The Royal Shakespeare Company)

Aunt Sally or The Triumph of Death~1973 - (Arts Theatre, Cambridge, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)

Twelfth Night~1973 - Valentine, Attendant of the Duke (Ashcroft Theatre, Cambridge, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)

She Stoops to Conquer~1973 - Hardcastle (Ashcroft Theatre, Cambridge, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)

School for Scandal, The~1973 - Sir Peter Teazle (Cambridge Theatre Company, Cambridge, UK)

Hamlet~1973 - Horatio (Cambridge Theatre Company, Cambridge, UK)

Mary Rose~1972 - Mr. Moreland (London)

Romeo and Juliet~1972 - Friar Lawrence (Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, UK)

Tonight at 8:30~1971 - (Hampstead Theatre, London, UK)

Pygmalian~1970 - Colonel Pickering (Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham, UK; Chicago, US)

Hadrian VII~1968 - Bishop of Caerleon (The Mermaid Theatre, London, UK; Theatre Royal Haymarket, UK)

Richard II~1967 - John of Gaunt (Birmingham Repertory Theatre)

Othello~1963 - Othello (Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, UK)

Henry IV~1962 - Falstaff (Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, UK)

John Ogden~ - Maestro John Ogden (Almeida Theatre, Ipswich, UK)

 

Romeo and Juliet~1955? - Mercutio (King's School?)

Romeo and Juliet~ - Capulet

 

*David Hare Trilogy

 

Theatre Playwright

King Cromwell~2003 (play)

 

Radio

Iris~ - reader (5 part series)

The Perfect Courtier~2003 (BBC 3 Radio) - Perseus

 

Books/Writing/Playwright

Playing Lear~2003 (book)

From Britain With Love~1997 - (article in the Independent, UK)

 

Awards, Honors and Nominations

Drama Desk Awards (NY):

Nom 2001  Acting Featured or Supporting for Richard II

Olivier Awards:

Nom 2004 Best Performance in a Supporting Role for Absolutely! (perhaps)

Rec'd 1990 Best Actor for Racing Demon

Theatre Book Prize

Shortlist 2003 for Playing Lear

 

Miscellany

Gave a recital in 1997, part theatrical, part academia, called "Shakespeare's Kings: The Exercise of Power"

 

Read Hardy, Wordsworth  and Larkin at 15th and 16th Thomas Hardy Conferences~2003/2004 in Dorchester, Dorset, England, UK 

 

Won a competition at Oxford for playwriting (with a play on the Black Death)

Archives

CONTESTS

Coming Soon!

LINKS

See Rare personal Star Wars photos!

Other

Stuff!

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