Edward Woodward

Edward Albert Arthur Woodward (1 June 1930 – 16 November 2009) was an English actor and singer. He began his career on stage, appearing in productions in both the West End of London and on Broadway in New York City. He came to wider attention in the title role of the British television spy drama Callan (1967–1972), which earned him the 1970 British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.

Woodward starred as Police Sergeant Neil Howie in the British folk horror film The Wicker Man (1973) and in the title role of the Australian biopic Breaker Morant (1980). From 1985 to 1989, he starred as ex-secret agent turned private investigator Robert McCall in the American television series The Equalizer, which earned him the 1986 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Drama Actor.

Early life Edward Albert Arthur Woodward was born on 1 June 1930 in Croydon, Surrey, the only child of parents Edward Oliver Woodward, a metalworker, and Violet Edith Woodward (née Smith). As a boy, he was bombed out of his home three times during the Blitz. He attended Eccleston Road, Sydenham Road, as well as Kingston Day Commercial School and Elmwood High School, Hackbridge, all in Surrey.

After leaving school at the age of 15, Woodward wanted to train as a journalist, but took work in a sanitary engineer's office, and then at the age of 16 entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) as their youngest ever student.

Career Theatre Woodward's professional acting debut was in the Castle Theatre, Farnham, in 1946.

In 2004, Woodward, alongside Australian actor Daniel MacPherson, appeared as God in a revival of The Mystery Plays at Canterbury Cathedral.

Film Woodward made occasional film appearances before taking the lead role of Police Sergeant Neil Howie in the folk horror film The Wicker Man (1973). Robin Hardy, who directed the film, said, "He was one of the greatest actors of his generation, without a doubt, with a broad career on American television, as well as on British film." He was offered a cameo role in the remake, The Wicker Man (2006), but declined. He also appeared as Commander Powell in the 1982 film Who Dares Wins. The show typecast him somewhat, but the enduring success of the genre allowed him to gain leading roles in similar productions, though none would prove to be as iconic as Callan. Michael C. Burgess of Cinemalogue said, "of his more than 2,000 television performances, his portrayal of the ex-SIS undercover man Callan created an icon, if not a genre." In 1977, he starred in two series of the BBC2 dystopian drama 1990, about a future Britain lurching into totalitarianism.

In the mid 1980s, Woodward took the lead role in the American television series The Equalizer (1985–1989) as a former intelligence operative. After filming a few episodes of the third season, Woodward suffered a massive coronary. For several episodes, additional actors were brought in to reduce the workload on Woodward as he recovered from the condition. The first episode, filmed following Woodward's heart attack, involved his character being severely injured by a KGB bullet, providing Woodward with a chance to rest over several episodes. Later in the season, Woodward resumed his full duties and carried the show through a fourth season during 1988–1989. During this period, he also starred in the Cold War espionage thriller, Codename: Kyril (1988), as an MI6 double agent.

In 1999, Woodward appeared alongside his son Peter in "The Long Road", an episode of the Babylon 5 spin-off, Crusade, on which Peter was a regular cast member. Both actors were playing the part of unrelated Technomages.

His career continued with TV guest-star roles, including an appearance in The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Mr. Jones (or Philip, codename Flavius) in the series La Femme Nikita. He also guest-starred with his son Tim and grandson Sam as a London gangster family in a special storyline for The Bill in 2008. In March 2009, he joined EastEnders for six episodes, playing Tommy Clifford.

Woodward was a wargamer and hosted a six episode television series, called Battleground, for Tyne Tees Television in 1978 about the hobby, with fellow enthusiast Peter Gilder, who built and owned the beautiful Gettysburg diorama used for one of the gaming scenes for the 1974 film Callan.

Woodward was the subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions; in February 1971, he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the bar of London's White House Hotel, and in February 1995, Michael Aspel surprised him during a photoshoot at Syon House in West London.

Music Woodward's capability as tenor enabled him to record 12 albums of romantic songs, and three albums of poetry and 14 books to tape. His vocal ability and acting skill enabled him to make a number of appearances when time allowed on the BBC's Edwardian era music hall programme, The Good Old Days.

Woodward had two top-100 albums in the UK Albums Chart; This Man Alone (number 53 in 1970) and The Edward Woodward Album (number 20 in 1972), while the single "The Way You Look Tonight" peaked at number 42 on the UK singles chart in 1971. He also had two top-100 albums in Australia; Edwardian Woodward (number 97 in 1975) and A Romantic Hour (#92 in 1980)

Selected discography This Man Alone (1970) It Had to Be You (1971) The Edward Woodward Album (1972) An evening with.... Edward Woodward (1974) Woodward Again (1974) Edwardian Woodward (1975) Love Is the Key (1977) The Thought of You (1978) Don't Get Around Much Anymore (1979) A Romantic Hour--20 Golden Favourites (1980)

Personal life Woodward was married twice. His first marriage was to actress Venetia Barrett (born Venetia Mary Collett, 1928–2016) from 1952 to 1986.

In 1974, Woodward was present during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Staying in the northern town of Kyrenia, he was one of several Britons evacuated from the island by the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Hermes.

Woodward was a prominent endorser of the Labour Party in the 1970 general election, featuring in publicity material. He later declared his support for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Woodward suffered a massive heart attack in 1987 (during the third season of The Equalizer) and another one in 1994. He underwent triple-bypass surgery in 1996 and quit smoking. In 2003, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. In July 2009, a planned performance of Love Letters (1988), co-starring his wife Michele, was to be postponed because of damage caused to his hip when he fell down the stairs at his West Country home.

Death Woodward died of pneumonia at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, Cornwall, on 16 November 2009, at the age of 79, near his home at Hawker's Cove.

Awards Woodward won the 1970 BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his title role in Callan. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1978. At the 1987 Golden Globe Awards, he won Best Actor in a Dramatic TV Series for his role of Robert McCall in The Equalizer. At the Emmy Awards from 1986 to 1990, he was nominated each year for The Equalizer.

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama – 1987 British Academy Television Award for Best Actor – 1970 RTS Television Actor of the Year – 1969, 1970 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (nominated) – 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (nominated) – 1989 Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – 1978

Stage work

1955: Where There's a Will 1958: Romeo and Juliet 1958: Hamlet 1962: Rattle of a Simple Man 1964: High Spirits 1969: Two Cities 1969: Julius Caesar 1969: The White Devil 1970: Cyrano de Bergerac 1973: The Wolf 1975: Male of the Species 1976: On Approval 1978: The Dark Horse 1980: The Beggar's Opera (also as director) 1980: Private Lives 1982: The Assassin 1982: Richard III 1992: The Dead Secret

Filmography Film

Television