Scottish actor, theatre director (born 1936)
Richard Wilson
OBE (born Iain Carmichael Wilson ;
[1] 9 July 1936) is a Scottish actor, theatre director and
broadcaster . He is most famous for playing
Victor Meldrew in the
BBC sitcom
One Foot in the Grave . Another notable role was as
Gaius , the court physician of
Camelot , in the BBC drama
Merlin .
[2]
Early life
Wilson was born in
Greenock in
Renfrewshire ,
Scotland . He went to the Lady Alice Primary school in Greenock. He studied science subjects at
Greenock Academy ,
[3] then completed his
National Service with the
Royal Army Medical Corps , serving in
Singapore .
[4]
Career
Wilson worked in a laboratory at
Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow as a research assistant
[5] before switching to acting at age 27. He trained at
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating in 1965 with an Acting (RADA Diploma).
[6] He then appeared in repertory theatres in
Edinburgh (
Traverse Theatre ),
Glasgow and
Manchester (Stables Theatre).
[7]
Wilson initially turned down the role of
Victor Meldrew and it was almost offered to
Les Dawson before Wilson changed his mind.
[8]
Wilson was appointed an
OBE in the
1994 Birthday Honours
[9] for services to Drama. In April 1996, he was elected
Rector of the University of Glasgow for a term of three years.
[5]
The narration of "
The Man Who Called Himself Jesus ", from Strawbs' 1969
eponymous first album , was performed by Wilson.
[10]
Wilson's biography, One Foot on the Stage: The Biography of Richard Wilson , was written by
James Roose-Evans .
[11]
In March 2011, Wilson presented an edition of the
Channel 4 current affairs programme
Dispatches entitled Train Journeys From Hell , with transport journalist
Christian Wolmar highlighting the failings of the
British railway network .
[12]
Personal life and political views
Wilson has lived in London since 1959.
[13]
Wilson has been a campaigner for gay rights for many years.
[14] He appeared at charity events organised by gay rights campaign group
Stonewall , but had not discussed his own sexuality in interviews with the media.
[15] He was named in a list of influential gay people in 2013 by
Time Out magazine, which he considered to have
outed him.
[16]
[17]
Wilson is a supporter of his local football club,
Greenock Morton , but he has come to lend greater support to English club
Manchester United .
[4] He is a patron of the
Manchester United Supporters Trust .
[18] Wilson is a good friend of his One Foot in the Grave co-star
Angus Deayton , and is godfather to Deayton's son.
[19]
Wilson is one of the patrons of
Scottish Youth Theatre .
[20] Wilson is also a long-time supporter of the charity Sense and in 2007 hosted their annual award ceremony.
[21] He is also one of the honorary patrons of the London children's charity, Scene & Heard.
[22] He has been Honorary President of the Scottish Community Drama Association (SCDA) since 1998.
[23]
Wilson is a supporter of the
Labour Party . He donated more than £5,000 to the party in 1997
[24] and recorded the party's manifesto on audio for the
2010 general election .
[25]
[26]
It was reported on 12 August 2016 that Wilson had suffered a heart attack. He had been due to reprise the role of
Victor Meldrew in a one-man show at the 2016
Edinburgh Festival Fringe .
[27]
In June 2021 Wilson was the guest on BBC Radio 4's
Desert Island Discs . His choices included "Hammond Song" by
The Roches ,
Symphony No. 6 in D minor by Sibelius and "
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face " by
Roberta Flack . His book choice was the poetry of
Robert Burns and his luxury item was a subscription to
The Guardian .
[28]
Wilson had one older sister, Moira, who died in 2021 aged 91.
[28]
[29]
Filmography
Films
Television
Stage acting
Twelfth Night , as
Malvolio –
Royal Shakespeare Company
Whipping it Up by Steve Thompson –
Bush Theatre ,
Ambassadors Theatre
What the Butler Saw , as Dr Rance –
Royal National Theatre
Peter Pan , as Mr Darling/Captain Hook –
Royal Festival Hall
Waiting for Godot , as
Vladimir –
Traverse Theatre , Edinburgh and
Royal Exchange Theatre , Manchester
Uncle Vanya , as Vanya –
Traverse Theatre
A Little Hotel on the Side by
Georges Feydeau –
Theatre Royal, Bath , August 2013
Krapp's Last Tape , as Krapp, Sheffield Crucible Theatre, 25 June – 19 July 2014
Forty Years On by
Alan Bennett –
Chichester Festival Theatre , as the Headmaster 21 April – 20 May 2017.
Theatre direction
Wilson won the
TMA Best Director Award in 2000 for Mr Kolpert .
[5]
An Inspector Calls by
J B Priestley – The
Royal Exchange Theatre , Manchester, 1986
A Wholly Healthy Glasgow by
Ian Heggie – The
Royal Exchange Theatre ,
Edinburgh International Festival ,
The Royal Court , 1988/89
Women Laughing by Michael Wall – The
Royal Exchange Theatre , (1992)
The Lodger by
Simon Burke . World premiere at the
Royal Exchange Theatre , (1994)
Primo 2004
The Woman Before by
Roland Schimmelpfennig –
Royal Court , May 2005
East Coast Chicken Supper by
Martin J Taylor –
The Traverse , 2005
Rainbow Kiss by
Simon Farquhar –
Royal Court , April 2006
Smack Family Robinson by
Richard Bean –
Kingston upon Thames , March and April 2013
Blasted by
Sarah Kane –
Sheffield Studio , 2015
Peggy For You by
Alan Plater –
Hampstead Theatre , 2021
Radio
The Corrupted (BBC Radio 4 2017) as Melford Stevenson
Believe It! (BBC Radio 4). As himself in a spoof comic autobiography written by
Jon Canter
[36]
Radio Diaries (BBC Radio 4 2021) as Archie, a former tango dance partner/teacher on cruise liners, now in a care home, looking back over his life relationship with the tango. Written by Ron Hutchinson.
Exercise videos
References
^ Walker, Lynne (12 June 1999).
"he's all the rage" .
The Herald . Retrieved 24 October 2017 .
^
"BBC - Press Office - Merlin press pack: Richard Wilson" . BBC. Retrieved 7 May 2020 .
^
"Richard Wilson's Beacon Theatre hopes" . Greenock Telegraph . 27 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2018 .
^
a
b Dugan, Emily (21 November 2010).
"Richard Wilson: Retire? He doesn't believe in it" . The Independent . UK: Independent Print. Retrieved 11 June 2011 .
^
a
b
c
"Richard Wilson – Drama Faces" . BBC. Archived from
the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2008 .
^
"RADA Student & graduate profiles: Richard Wilson" . rada.ac.uk . Retrieved 16 May 2020 .
^
"Richard Wilson - Past Performances" . theatricalia.com . Retrieved 29 October 2023 .
^ Plunkett, Richard (26 July 2016).
"I don't believe it! Victor Meldrew role almost went to Les Dawson" .
The Guardian . Retrieved 13 August 2016 .
^ United Kingdom list:
"No. 53696" .
The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 June 1994. pp. 1–30.
^
"Strawbs website" . Strawbsweb.co.uk. 22 November 1968. Retrieved 7 August 2011 .
^
"One Foot on the Stage on Vialibri" . Vialibri.net. Retrieved 7 August 2011 . [
dead link ]
^
"Train Journeys From Hell" . Dispatches . Channel 4. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2011 .
^
"He's all the rage" . 12 June 1999.
^ Rees, Jasper (26 June 2014).
"Richard Wilson, interview: 'A lot of Scots hate me' " . The Daily Telegraph .
Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2017 .
^ Ahad, Nick (4 July 2011).
"The big interview: Richard Wilson" .
The Yorkshire Post . Retrieved 2 May 2018 .
^ Maddocks, Fiona (15 November 2015).
"Interview. Richard Wilson: 'For a long time I thought Tony Blair was the greatest thing since cream cheese' " . The Observer . Retrieved 2 April 2018 .
^ Earp, Catherine (2 March 2013).
" 'Merlin's Richard Wilson: 'I don't mind people knowing I'm gay' " . Digital Spy . Retrieved 22 November 2017 .
^
"Richard Wilson" . joinmust.org . Manchester United Supporters Trust. Retrieved 11 June 2011 .
^ McLean, Craig (12 July 2016).
"Interview: Richard Wilson and Angus Deayton on how they won't be painting Edinburgh red together this Fringe" . The List . Retrieved 22 November 2017 .
^
"Scottish Youth Theatre website" . Scottishyouththeatre.org. 26 March 2008. Archived from
the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011 .
^
"Celebrity supporters of Sense" . Listal.com. 24 June 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2011 .
^
"Scene & Heard – Who We Are" . sceneandheard.org. 2010. Archived from
the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2010 .
^
"Honorary Presidents and Members – SCDA" . Retrieved 7 May 2020 .
^
" 'Luvvies' for Labour" . BBC News . 30 August 1998. Retrieved 25 March 2024 .
^
"Delay in Labour braille and audio manifesto criticised" . BBC News . BBC. 15 April 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010 .
^ Young, Kevin (20 April 2010).
"Election 2010: Political celebrities – then and now" . BBC News . Retrieved 20 April 2010 .
^
"Victor Meldrew actor Richard Wilson suffers heart attack" . BBC News . 12 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016 .
^
a
b
"BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Richard Wilson, actor and director" . BBC. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021 .
^ Jones, Marcus (2016).
"Richard Wilson's sister 'praying' as Victor Meldrew star suffers heart attack" . Premier Christianity . Retrieved 22 November 2017 .
^
How to Get Ahead in Advertising , retrieved 8 May 2020
^
Sherlock Gnomes (2018) - IMDb , retrieved 8 May 2020
^
"Richard Wilson Archive" . richardwilsonarchive.com .
^
The Red Headed League , retrieved 8 May 2020
^
Selling Hitler , retrieved 8 May 2020
^
"Richard Wilson On The Road Episode 2 | presscentre" .
^
"BBC Radio 4 - Believe It!" . BBC.
Further reading
J. Roose-Evans, One Foot on the Stage: The Biography of Richard Wilson
External links
1958–1975 1976–2000 2001–present
International National Artists Other