Michael Craig

Biography Craig was born in Poona, Bombay Presidency, British India, the son of Donald Gregson, who served in the 3rd Indian Cavalry as a captain. He was the elder brother of film producer and screenwriter Richard Gregson. His stage credits include A Whistle in the Dark (Apollo Theatre, 1961), Wars of the Roses (RSC at Stratford 1963–64), Funny Girl (with Barbra Streisand at the Prince of Wales Theatre 1966), Pinter's The Homecoming (Music Box Theatre, Broadway 1966–67) and the lead role in Trying in Australia in 2007 and at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 2009.

Screen Craig made his film debut in a non-speaking part, as an uncredited extra in the 1949 film Passport to Pimlico. Groomed as a star by the Rank Organisation, he appeared in a number of films, including Campbell's Kingdom (1957), Sea of Sand (1958), The Silent Enemy (1958), Sapphire (1959), Doctor in Love (1960), Cone of Silence (1960), Mysterious Island (1961), The Iron Maiden (1962), A Choice of Kings, Modesty Blaise (1966), Turkey Shoot (1982), Ride a Wild Pony (1975) and Appointment with Death (1988). He received a BAFTA Best actor nomination for his performance in Sea of Sand (1958).

In October 1956, John Davis, managing director of Rank, announced him as one of the actors under contract that Davis thought would become an international star. Filmink argued the success of Doctor in Love "vindicated Rank’s loyalty to Michael Craig over the years – the studio had given him numerous leading roles for little box office return, but still held on to him even after they jettisoned other back-up Bogardes like Patrick McGoohan and Ronald Lewis, and Craig turned down roles in films like The Gentleman and the Gypsy."

Craig's television credits include Arthur of the Britons (1973), The Emigrants (1976), Rush (1976), The Danedyke Mystery (1979), The Professionals (1980), Shoestring (1980), The Timeless Land (1980), Triangle (1981–83), Tales of the Unexpected (1982), Robin of Sherwood (1986), Doctor Who (in the serial Terror of the Vervoids 1986), the Australian series G.P. (1989–95), Brides of Christ (1991), Grass Roots (2000) and Always Greener (2003). He was the subject of an hour-long interview on his life and career recorded for and broadcast on Talking Pictures TV in 2018.

Scriptwriting credits Craig's scriptwriting credits include the ABC-TV trilogy The Fourth Wish (1974), which starred John Meillon in an award-winning performance as the father of a dying boy. Craig also wrote the screenplay for the feature film The Fourth Wish (1976), which was produced following the success of the television series.

Personal life Craig's first wife was Babette Collier. His second is the Australian actress Susan Walker.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1949 Passport to Pimlico Uncredited Feature film 1951 The Lady with a Lamp Wounded Soldier Feature film 1953 Malta Story British Officer (uncredited) Feature film 1954 The Love Lottery Cameraman Assistant (uncredited) Feature film The Embezzler Dr. Forrest Feature film Svengali Zouzou Feature film 1955 Passage Home Burton Feature film 1956 The Black Tent Sheik Faris Feature film Yield to the Night Jim Lancaster Feature film Eyewitness Jay Church Feature film House of Secrets Larry Ellis / Steve Chancellor Feature film 1957 High Tide at Noon Nils Sorenson Feature film Campbell's Kingdom Boy Bladen Feature film 1958 The Silent Enemy Leading Seaman Sydney Knowles Feature film Nor the Moon by Night Rusty Miller Feature film Sea of Sand Captain Tim Cotton Feature film 1959 Life in Emergency Ward 10 Dr. Stephen Russell Feature film Sapphire Inspector Phil Learoyd Feature film Upstairs and Downstairs Richard Barry Feature film 1960 The Angry Silence Joe Wallace Feature film Cone of Silence Captain Hugh Dallas Feature film Doctor in Love Dr. Richard Hare Feature film 1961 Payroll Johnny Mellors Feature film Mysterious Island Captain Cyrus Harding Feature film No My Darling Daughter Thomas Barclay Feature film 1962 A Pair of Briefs Tony Stevens Feature film Life for Ruth John Paul Harris Feature film The Iron Maiden Jack Hopkins Feature film The Captive City Captain Robert Elliott Feature film 1963 Stolen Hours Dr. John Carmody Feature film 1965 Sandra Andrew Dawdson Feature film Life at the Top Mark Feature film 1966 A Choice of Kings Harold Godwinson TV movie Modesty Blaise Paul Hagan Feature film 1968 Star! Sir Anthony Spencer Feature film 1969 The Royal Hunt of the Sun Estete Feature film 1970 Twinky Daddy Feature film Country Dance Douglas Dow Feature film Rendezvous with Dishonour Colonel Stephen Mallory Feature film 1971 A Town Called Bastard Paco Feature film 1973 The Vault of Horror Maitland Anthology filmSegment 4: "Bargain in Death" 1974 Essington Feature film 1975 Last Rites Eric Cordett Feature film Inn of the Damned Paul Melford Feature film Ride a Wild Pony James Ellison Feature film 1976 The Fourth Wish Dr. Richardson Feature film 1978 The Irishman Paddy Doolan Feature film 1982 Turkey Shoot Charles Thatcher Feature film 1988 Appointment with Death Lord Peel Feature film 2003 Fat Pizza Judge Feature film

Television Year Title Role Type 1970 Shadows of Fear TV series 1973 Arthur of the Britons Kurk TV series 1976 The Emigrants Bill Parker TV miniseries Rush TV series 1979 The Danedyke Mystery Reverend Septimus Treloar TV series 1980 The Professionals TV series Shoestring TV series The Timeless Land Stephen Mannion TV series 1981–83 Triangle Captain John Anderson TV series 1982 Tales of the Unexpected TV series 1986 Robin of Sherwood Earl of Huntingdon TV series Doctor Who Commodore Travers TV series,Serial: Terror of the Vervoids 1989–95 G.P. Dr. William Sharp TV series 1991 Brides of Christ TV miniseries 2000 Grass Roots Gordon Mahon TV series 2003 Always Greener TV series 2005 The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant Judge Stephens TV miniseries 2018 Talking Pictures TV TV special - interview

Stage Year Title Role Type 1953 A Man About the House Oxford Playhouse 1954 Four Winds Steve Graham Connaught Theatre with Worthing Theatre Company Sailor, Beware! Carnoustie Bligh 1955 The Wooden Dish Ed Mason Theatre Royal, Windsor with Windsor Repertory Company 1957 The Rainmaker Bill Starbuck 1961 Three Posts on the Square Arts Theatre, London A Whistle in the Dark Michael Carney Jnr Theatre Royal, Stratford East, Apollo Theatre, London 1963–64 Henry VI Earl of Suffolk Stratford & Aldwych Theatre, London with Royal Shakespeare Company Wars of the Roses Stratford with Royal Shakespeare Company 1964 Edward IV Jack Cade Aldwych Theatre, London with Royal Shakespeare Company I Love You, Mrs. Patterson Hal Patterson St Martin's Theatre, Camden, London 1965 Richard II Bolingbroke Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company 1966 The Country Wife Mr Horner Funny Girl Nick Arnstein Prince of Wales Theatre, London (with Barbra Streisand) 1966–67 The Homecoming Teddy Music Box Theatre, New York City & tour with Royal Shakespeare Company 1971–72 Move Over Mrs. Markham Philip Markham Theatre Royal, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 1977 The Tempest Prospero Sydney Opera House 1982 Deathtrap Sidney Bruhl (replacement) Beck Theatre, Hayes, Wimbledon Theatre & other locations with Newpalm Productions 1983 84 Charing Cross Road Frank Doel Theatre Royal, Bath & Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon 1983–84 Candida Rev James Mavor Morel Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford 1985 Nightcap Cliff Jordan Grand Theatre, Blackpool, Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham & other locations 1987 Barnaby and the Old Boys Theatr Clwyd 1988 The Browning Version / Harlequinade George Chudleigh / Dr Frobisher His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Canberra Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 1990 Love Letters Andrew Makepeace III Sydney Opera House 1995 Paradise Lost St George’s Cathedral, Perth 1996 Quartermaine’s Terms Marian Street Theatre, Sydney 1998 A Delicate Balance Sydney Opera House with STC 2000 Travelling North University of Sydney with Ensemble Theatre 2001 Julius Caesar Julius Caesar Sydney Opera House, Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Orange Civic Theatre, Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse, Canberra, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Geelong Arts Centre, Newcastle Civic Theatre, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth 2003 Broken Glass Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2005 Love Letters Andrew Makepeace III NIDA Parade Theatre 2005–07 Under Milk Wood First Voice / Captain Cat Australian tour 2007, 2009 Trying Francis Biddle Ensemble Theatre, Sydney & Finborough Theatre, London