Nicholas Woodeson Explained

Nicholas Woodeson
Birth Name:Nicholas Robin Frank Woodeson
Birth Date: 30 November 1949 df=y
Nationality:English
Education:Marlborough College
Alma Mater:University of Sussex
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1970–present

Nicholas Robin Frank Woodeson (born 30 November 1949)[1] [2] [3] is an English film, television and theatre actor, and Drama Desk and Olivier award nominee.[4]

Early life and education

Woodeson was born in Sudan and grew up in Haifa, Israel.[5] He later moved to England, where he started performing at prep school in Sussex, and Marlborough College. He read English at the University of Sussex,and became involved in student drama productions, where he met Michael Attenborough, Jim Carter, and Andy de la Tour. He also participated in the 1970 National Student Drama Festival. Next was a season in rep at the Lyceum Theatre, Crewe, after deciding not to pursue an academic career. He won a scholarship to RADA (1972–1974).[6]

Career

Theatre

Woodeson's first work after drama school was a season at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool (1974–75), in a company that included Jonathan Pryce (artistic director), Julie Walters, Pete Postlethwaite and Bill Nighy. He has worked in regional theatre in the UK and US, at the Hampstead Theatre, the Young Vic and Almeida Theatre in London, and at the Manhattan Theatre Club. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982 and remained there seven years. On Broadway, his work includes Straker in Man and Superman (1978), Piaf (1981), Inspector Goole in An Inspector Calls (1995), and Burleigh in Mary Stuart (2009). In 2011, he played Mr Prince in the National Theatre revival of Odets' Rocket to the Moon. He appeared in the West End production of Funny Peculiar (1976), in Good (1982), as Bonesy in Jumpers (2003), as Mussabini in Chariots of Fire (2012), and as Harold Wilson in The Audience (2015). He acted in two productions of Pinter's The Birthday Party playing McCann at the National Theatre in 1994, and Goldberg in the Lyric Hammersmith's 50th centenary production in 2008, and two productions of Pinter's The Homecoming, playing Lenny in the 25th Anniversary West End revival in 1991 and Max at the RSC in 2011.

In 2017, following the death of Tim Pigott-Smith, he took over the role of Willy Loman in the Royal & Derngate tour of Death of a Salesman, for which he was nominated for a UK Theatre Award as Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Film

Woodeson's first film work was a role in Heaven's Gate, released in 1980. By chance, he spent more time on location in Montana than any other actor in the film. He has also appeared in, among others, The Russia House (1990), The Pelican Brief (1993), Shooting Fish (1997), The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997) Titanic Town (1998), The Avengers (1998), Mad Cows (1999), Topsy-Turvy (1999), Dreaming of Joseph Lees (1999), Amazing Grace (2006), Hannah Arendt (2012), the James Bond film Skyfall (2012), Mr. Turner (2014), The Danish Girl (2015), Race (2016), Disobedience (2017), The Death of Stalin (2017) and The Hustle (2019).

In 2011/2012 he made the short film You Are Me for the Holocaust Survivors' Centre in London.

Television

Woodeson's first network television work was playing a US marine in A Rumor of War (1980) starring Brad Davis. He played killer Michael Hennessy in the very first episode of Cracker (1993),[7] starring Robbie Coltrane. In 1998 he appeared in Midsomer Murders "Death of a Hollow Man" as Avery Philips. He played SS-Gruppenführer Otto Hoffman in the acclaimed BBC/HBO production Conspiracy (2001), starring Kenneth Branagh, Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth. He portrayed Harman Grisewood, in the 2008 TV programme .[8] He has guest starred on series such as Miami Vice, Midsomer Murders, A Touch of Frost, and Poirot.

In the two 2005–06 HBO/BBC TV series of Rome, he played Posca, the personal slave of Julius Caesar. In 2007, he played Joseph Novak in 'Broken Souls', an episode of Foyle's War. In 2010, he appeared as Alexander Grozin, president of the fictional Eastern European state of Turgisia, in DR television production of Borgen. In 2013, he played William Corcoran, a proponent of Lamarckism, in the episode "Am I not Monstrous?" of Ripper Street.[9] He also appeared in Agatha Christie’s Poirot "Dead Man’s Folly" as Detective Sergeant Hoskins. In 2014, he appeared as Volkov in the American miniseries The Assets,[10] and as Algernon Wyse in a BBC TV adaptation of E. F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia.[11] In 2014, he played Yaakov in "The Eichmann Show" for the BBC. In 2016, Woodeson played the role of Reverend Matthew Denning in the BBC TV series The Living and the Dead. He has also appeared in episodes of New Tricks, George Gently and Holby City. Woodeson played the lawyer, Thoyt in the BBC One 2017 television drama series Taboo.

Personal life

Woodeson lives in London, but has also lived in the United States.

Filmography

Film

!Year!Title!Role!Notes
1980Heaven's GateSmall Man
1990The Russia HouseNiki Landau
1993The Pelican BriefStump
1997Shooting FishMr. Collyns
1997The Man Who Knew Too LittleSergei
1998Titanic TownImmonger
1998The AvengersDr. Darling
1999Topsy-TurvyMr. Seymour
1999Mad CowsDetective Slynne
1999Dreaming of Joseph LeesMr. Dian
2000One of the Hollywood TenBen
2006Amazing GraceHarrison
2009Pope JoanArighis
2011HysteriaDr. Richardson
2012John CarterDalton
2012Hannah ArendtWilliam Shawn
2012SkyfallDoctor Hall
2014Mr. TurnerGentleman Critics
2015The Danish GirlDr. Buson
2016RaceFred Rubien
2016The Limehouse GolemToby Dosett
2016Letters from BaghdadGeorge MacMunn
2017The Death of StalinBoris Bresnavich
2017DisobedienceRabbi Goldfarb
2017Paddington 2Insurance Company C.E.O.
2018BeirutHerzberg
2019The HustleAlbert
2019Jarhead: Law of ReturnMinister of Defense
2021FirebirdColonel Kuznetsov
2022My Father's SecretsOld Rabbi
2024Peter Pan's Neverland NightmareSteven[12]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1980Here's BoomerTheoEpisode: "The Jockey"
1980A Rumor of WarCpl. Kazmarak2 episodes
1982The Hound of the BaskervillesSir Henry Baskerville4 episodes
1984PiafEmilTelevision film
1985Miami ViceArtie CrossEpisode: "Made for Each Other"
1989BlackeyesStilkEpisode #1.1
1990Max and HelenMartin GreenbaumTelevision film
1991For the Greater GoodMichael Parke-Walsh MP3 episodes
1991The Wolvis FamilyDr. Graham Wilcockson6 episodes
1992A Fatal InversionInspector Winder2 episodes
1992ScreenPlayGeoff HarrisEpisode: "Bad Girl"
1992The Life and Times of Henry PrattDr. HargreavesEpisode #1.3
1992The Blackheath PoisoningsBertie Williams3 episodes
1992, 1994Screen TwoKeith / Roland2 episodes
1993Mr. Wroe's VirginsBrother Moses4 episodes
1993Bonjour la ClasseLeslie Piper6 episodes
1993PerformanceJorgen TesmanEpisode: "Hedda Gabler"
1993CrackerHennessyEpisode: "The Mad Woman in the Attic: Part 2"
1993The Poetry Hall of FameJohn KeatsTelevision film
1994The ChiefMilvertonEpisode #4.8
1995Pie in the SkyMaurice PlummerEpisode: "Brown Bread"
1995The Last EnglishmanAir Commodore BoyleTelevision film
1997The Woman in WhiteAsylum Proprietor
1998Midsomer MurdersAvery PhillipsEpisode: "Death of a Hollow Man"
1998Animated Epics: BeowulfAschereTelevision film
1999Great ExpectationsJohn Wemmick
2000The Mrs Bradley MysteriesJohn ForresterEpisode: "The Rising of the Moon"
2000ConspiracyOtto HofmannTelevision film
2001Waking the DeadReece Dickson2 episodes
2002Animated Tales of the WorldGreengrocer / Leader of PrimitivesEpisode: "The Crown and Sceptre"
2002Helen WestBrian Redwood3 episodes
2003A Touch of FrostAnton CaldwellEpisode: "Held in Trust"
2004The Last DetectiveGerald LeymanEpisode: "Christine"
2005Doc MartinVictorEpisode: "Blood Is Thicker"
2005–2007RomePosca17 episodes
2006Eleventh HourMartin CallanEpisode: "Containment"
2007Rough DiamondRussian AmbassadorEpisode: "Old Gold"
2008Foyle's WarJosef NovakEpisode: "Broken Souls"
2008Poppy ShakespeareProfessorTelevision film
2008Harman Grisewood
2009Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980Michael Warren
2010BorgenAlexander GrozinEpisode: "Statsbesøg"
2011The HourProfessor Beckett2 episodes
2011ShamelessIsaacEpisode: "Frank Gallagher: Sent By God"
2012SilkProfessor Stephen NymanEpisode #2.4
2012Secret StateLord Justice HolbeckEpisode #1.2
2012Loving Miss HattoErichTelevision film
2013It's KevinVariousEpisode #1.6
2013Agatha Christie's PoirotDetective Sergeant HoskinsEpisode: "Dead Man's Folly"
2013Ripper StreetDr. William CorcoranEpisode: "Am I Not Monstrous?"
2013The Escape ArtistGeorge Balfour QC3 episodes
2013MoonfleetBailiff2 episodes
2014The AssetsVolkov
2014The Honourable WomanJudah Ben-Shahar4 episodes
2014New TricksViktor ProustEpisode: "The English Defence"
2014Mapp & LuciaAlgernon Wyse3 episodes
2014BorgiaAlonso Pimental2 episodes
2015The Eichmann ShowYaakov JonilowiczTelevision film
2015Inspector George GentlyNormanEpisode: "Breathe in the Air"
2016The Living and the DeadMatthew Denning6 episodes
2016Friday Night DinnerRabbiEpisode: "The Funeral"
2016–2017Holby CityArtem Chernik3 episodes
2017DeliciousAllen BillingtonEpisode: "Funeral Plans"
2017TabooRobert Thoyt5 episodes
2017WillPhillip Henslowe3 episodes
2019BaptistePeterEpisode: "Shell"
2020QuizNicholas Hilliard QC2 episodes
2021Silent WitnessDerek Galton
2023A Paris ProposalJacques LaurentTelevision film
2024Father BrownBernard RossEpisode: "The Dead of Night"
2024Beyond ParadiseFather BrianEpisode: "#2.4"
2024CasualtyDr. Jack ClaytonEpisode: "Ghosts"

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 10 November 2005 . Companies House - Heathfield Court (Chiswick) Limited . 16 August 2023 . The Gazette . 2.
  2. Web site: Nicholas Robin Frank Woodeson - Heathfield Court (Chiswick) Limited . 16 August 2023 . Companies House . en.
  3. Web site: Nicholas Robin Frank Woodeson - British Equity Collecting Society Limited . 16 August 2023 . Companies House . en.
  4. News: EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE and More Nominated For UK Theatre Awards; Full List!. 14 September 2017. 20 September 2017. Broadway World.
  5. Web site: Actor: Nicholas Woodeson . 16 August 2023 . UK Jewish Film.
  6. News: Armitstead . Claire . 29 August 2002 . Obituary: Hugh Cruttwell: Influential Rada principal who shaped a generation of actors . en-GB . . 5 November 2020 . 0261-3077.
  7. Book: Jimmy McGovern's Cracker. Dunn. Josephine M. 30 March 2018. KDP. 9-7819-8062-5452. Amazon. 2–159.
  8. https://www.imdb.com/character/ch0085808/ IMDB – Harman Grisewood (Character) from '
  9. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2782526/ IMDB – "Ripper Street" Am I Not Monstrous?
  10. Web site: The Assets (TV Mini Series 2014) - IMDb. .
  11. News: Cast announced for BBC One's adaptation of EF Benson's Mapp And Lucia. BBC. 1 May 2014. 11 May 2014.
  12. Web site: 'Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare' – Official Poster for 'Poohniverse' Team's Next Horror Movie . . John . Squires . June 24, 2024 . June 24, 2024.