Jack Gwillim

Jack William Frederick Gwillim (15 December 1909 – 2 July 2001) was an English character actor.

Career Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, he joined the Royal Navy at 17 and served for over twenty years. He performed in an extensive amount of theatre, both classics and modern plays, in the West End of London and on Broadway.

Gwillim also featured in over fifty films and television series, usually war films or historical epics. Some of his most notable roles include playing a warship captain in Sink the Bismarck! (1960), the archbishop Hubert Walter in Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960), the obnoxious club secretary in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), King Aeëtes in Jason and the Argonauts (1963), an RAF officer in the James Bond film Thunderball (1965), the Lord Chief Justice in A Man for All Seasons (1966), General Harold Alexander in Patton (1970), Poseidon in Clash of the Titans (1981), and Van Helsing in The Monster Squad (1987). He also had a recurring role on the TV series Danger Man, The Saint, and The Troubleshooters.

He also appeared in The Avengers (1967) in the episode "The Hidden Tiger" as Sir David Harper.

He took part in a number of recordings for Caedmon Shakespeare Records.

Personal life Gwillim was twice married: to Peggy Bollard, until 1958, and Olivia Selby, from 1969 until his death. He had two children from his first marriage, Sarah-Jane Gwillim and David Gwillim, and a third, Jaxon Duff Gwillim, from his second marriage. His children also became actors, and he acted onstage with them in 1995 in a production of On Borrowed Time, which was his last on stage performance. Sammy Going South (1963) – District Commissioner Jason and the Argonauts (1963) – King Aeëtes The World Ten Times Over (1963) – Bolton The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964) – Sir Giles Dalrymple The Rivals (1964) – Rolf Neilson Thunderball (1965) – Senior RAF Staff Officer (uncredited) Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (1966) – British ambassador A Man for All Seasons (1966) – Chief Justice Casino Royale (1967) – British Officer at Auction (uncredited) The Bushbaby (1969) – Ardsley Battle of Britain (1969) – Senior Air Staff Officer Patton (1970) – General Sir Harold Alexander Cromwell (1970) – General Byron The Adams Chronicles (1976, TV mini-series) – Lord Carmarthen Clash of the Titans (1981) – Poseidon Sicilian Connection (1987) – (voice) Blind Date (1987) – Artist The Monster Squad (1987) – Abraham Van Helsing Blue Shark Hash (2001) – Jonah (final film role)