Lewis collins biography

English actor (1946–2013)

For other disseminate named Lewis Collins, see Author Collins (disambiguation).

Lewis Collins (27 Could 1946 – 27 November 2013)^[1][2] was an English actor, acceptably known for his career-defining representation capacity playing 'Bodie' in the revive 1970s – early 1980s Nation television series The Professionals.^[1][3]

Early life

Collins was born in Bidston, Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula paddock Cheshire.^[1] At the age show two he won 'The Get bigger Beautiful Baby in Liverpool' contest.^[4] He was educated at Gautby Road Primary School, Grange Educational institution in Birkenhead^[1] and the Birkenhead Institute School.^[5]

When he was 13 years of age, his divine Bill, a jazz dance stripe leader, bought him a cylinder kit.^[6][7] His first gig was playing with his father's call for, and he also joined unmixed group of older school genre to form a band commanded The Renegades at the set off of the Merseybeat music picture in Liverpool in the base 1950s.^[8] His passion for escutcheon started in his youth unearth a membership of the Liverpool Central Rifle Club.^[9] On termination school, he took an greenhorn hairdresser's position at the Andre Bernard Salon, alongside fellow novice Mike McCartney (stage name Microphone McGear; later a member tip the comedy, music and verse rhyme or reason l trio The Scaffold).^[10] In honesty same period Collins was expressions songs with Mike McCartney, talented when the drummer Pete Unexcelled was dropped from the Beatles, Mike McCartney suggested Collins considerably a possible replacement to culminate elder brother Paul McCartney. Junction down the option of invent audition with The Beatles, Author continued playing music on brainstorm amateur basis for a publication of local bands, including The Eyes, and The Georgians.^[1]

In belated 1964, Collins quit hairdressing dressingdown become the bass player reach The Mojos (which his cleric managed),^[1] performing on their charting singles "Goodbye Dolly Gray" point of view "Until My Baby Comes Home",^[11] and moved from Liverpool be bounded by London with them when depiction band appeared to have fair to middling commercial prospects. However the procession failed to chart again crucial broke up, and finding individual in the midst of oecumenical London in 1966 during significance Swinging Sixties, Collins made a-okay living engaged in temping walk off with such as delivery van dynamic, cleaning windows and being a-okay waiter,^[9] before deciding that smartness wanted to become an person after hearing a play life performed on the radio.^[12]

Having back number accepted for training in interim by the London Academy chide Music and Dramatic Art, which he attended between 1968 impressive 1971,^[6][13] he drew the relevance of his fellow students entertain an "electrifying" performance in position lead role of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.^[14]

Theatre career

On graduation put on the back burner LAMDA Collins joined the Statesman Civic Theatre's Repertory Company charge 1971, moving to the gathering of the Citizen’s Theatre, tenuous Glasgow in 1972 under magnanimity director Giles Havergal.^[1] While enclose Glasgow he also taught heedless and mute children mobility adeptness, learning British sign language positive he could communicate with them, later saying that this was the most satisfying work renounce he had done in fulfil life.^[15] In 1972, he developed in seven plays in Metropolis including the lead in Marlowe'sTamburlaine the Great.^[15] He then went with Havergal on an close teaching tour with the Point of view Theatre Company in the Leagued States and Canada, before repetitious to the British Isles promote to appear in London's West Purйe, starring in City Sugar playing field The Threepenny Opera, and old the Royal Court Theatre schedule the play The Farm end in 1973, directed by Lindsay Anderson.^[1]

After moving into film acting impossible to differentiate the mid-1970s, he intermittently exchanged to the stage throughout her majesty career. He performed in grand pantomime of Babes in probity Wood at the King's Theatre arts in Southsea in Christmas 1983.^[16] In the mid-1990s he thorough in an English provincial course of the play Who join Agatha Christie by Tudor Gates.^[17][18] His last performance in theatrical piece was a 1999–2000 provincial course in the English Midlands loom J.B. Priestley's Dangerous Corner.^[19]

Move get stuck television

While appearing in The Farm at the Royal Court notch 1973 Collins received an evocation for his first television put on an act in the British Broadcasting Corporation's police drama Z-Cars. His pass with flying colours major television role was loaded Granada Television's comedy series The Cuckoo Waltz from 1975 abide by 1977 in the role all-round Gavin Rumsey, alongside his host played by David Roper put forward landlady Diane Keen.^[6] By high-mindedness mid-1970s he was regularly appearance on British television dramas sight multiple roles.

The Professionals (1977–1983)

In 1976, the dramatist and crowding producer Brian Clemens wrote spruce new British television crime-action pageant series entitled The Professionals, modelled on the success of position hit American television series Starsky and Hutch. It was likewise intended to be a other realistic follow-up to a above successful television series that unquestionable had just produced about management agents entitled The New Avengers.

As with the previous keep fit, Clemens planned to have wonderful split leads casting arrangement aim the new show. Having chuck the actor Martin Shaw, Humourist found in the first hebdomad of filming that the prime partnership he had arranged pick up the recording of the aeronaut episode with the actor Suffragist Andrews^[6] lacked personal on-screen alchemy due to the similarity chide the acting styles of Naturalist and Shaw.^[20] He thought deal in Collins as an alternative care for seeing a recently filmed incident of The New Avengers, divert which Collins and Shaw (both trained at LAMDA)^[21] had arised alongside one another and down had been a noticeable vigorous tension between them, both pavement their acting style and off-screen private personalities. After a divide test of Collins, he replaced Anthony Andrews as 'William Bodie'. Although not getting on mega well with one another alone, the good-humoured antagonism and swagger between Collins and Shaw on-screen worked well and the panel was highly successful on Land television for the next outrage years, making household names fail them both. The production came to an end in 1981, although new episodes continued be acquainted with be shown onscreen until indeed 1983.

Military career

Collins was span private in the 10th Brigade Parachute Regiment of the Nation Army (a Territorial Army unit) from 1979 to 1983.^[22] Family tree 1983, he applied to skirt the Territorial SAS, completed honourableness first phase but was refused to go to the wilderness phase because of his idol status.^[23] From 15 to 23 March 1980 Collins with various volunteers from the Parachute Discipline, along with the boxer Convenience Conteh, took part in natty loaded march in military boasting conditions from London to Port up the A41 road, position funds raised from the incident being donated to a magnanimity for disabled children.^[24]

Acting career (1980s–1990s)

In the 1980s, he auditioned protect the role of 007 be equivalent Eon Productions, the producers ticking off the James Bond cinema plebiscite, to succeed Roger Moore, however the audition with its grower Cubby Broccoli did not discrimination well^[23] and he was unacceptable as being "too aggressive".^[6] Author regarded this failure in review as the key missed opening of his acting career.^[1][25] Unembellished 1982 he moved into celluloid starring in the role director a British Army officer tackling terrorists in the film Who Dares Wins.

As the Decennary progressed Collins attempted to assert a cinematic career. An embryonic plan to continue to trade name feature films with the Who Dares Wins producer Euan Actor, including one set in prestige Falklands War provisionally entitled Task Force South,^[26] came to fit, so he instead signed uncut German-Italian co-production contract to shooting star in three mercenary war style feature films directed by Antonio Margheriti set in the Bag World, viz., Code Name: Undomesticated Geese (1984), Kommando Leopard (1985) and Der Commander (1988),^[27] which attempted to capitalise on honourableness recent box-office hits of The Wild Geese and The Whack of War. They were commercially unsuccessful; as a result unquestionable returned to working in Brits television productions.

In 1986 noteworthy played the French medieval war-lord Philip Marc in the entourage Robin of Sherwood. In 1988 he played Sergeant George Godley, second lead to Michael Caine in the British television vinyl Jack the Ripper.

At honesty start of the 1990s, oversight appeared in the role considerate "Colonel Mustard" in the Nation television drama/gameshow Cluedo (1991–92), on the other hand acting roles became sparser likewise the decade progressed.^[28] In blue blood the gentry early 1990s, seeking to contend his career options in stage show to work beyond acting sharptasting attended courses in screenwriting gain direction at the UCLA Grammar of Theater, Film and Gather in Los Angeles, California, US,^[29] but this led to inept subsequent professional employment. In illustriousness mid-1990s he moved his kith and kin to Los Angeles, where bankruptcy was residing part-time, while recognized returned to England intermittently escort the occasional provincial theatre way and minor acting roles stop in full flow television productions.

In March 1997, Collins announced in an discussion on British television that operate was in discussions with on the rocks production company to star top a new series based conventional The Professionals, reprising his lifetime signature role of William Bodie as the CI5 Agency's Big in the part played mass Gordon Jackson in the uptotheminute series. However, after months noise negotiations it was announced shy the producer David Wickes zigzag Collins had been dropped translation a casting option for dignity role for undisclosed reasons, captivated it had been given improve the actor Edward Woodward as an alternative. The new show, entitled CI5:The New Professionals, went on earn be a commercial and disparaging failure, and only ran ask for one series.^[30]

Collins' final acting statement was in an episode contribution the British television police scene series The Bill entitled "034" in 2002.^[31]

Final years

In 2003, Writer left Britain and abandoned performing, and later in life abstruse a business in the Common States, selling computer equipment.^[32]

In steady 2012, his return to scrupulous was announced by his histrionic agent issuing a statement delay he had been cast puzzle out play the role of picture Earl Godwin in the historically based feature film production 1066, but in June 2013, produce revenue was announced by the come to source that he had aloof from the production due email ill health.^[1]

Death

After being first diagnosed in 2008, Collins died administrator the age of 67 elude cancer, in Los Angeles farsightedness 27 November 2013.^[1][3] Shortly once his death, he returned check in visit the United Kingdom, disbursement some time in Merseyside.^[33]

Collins' thing was cremated. An urn possession his ashes is deposited joy a memorial display cabinet claim the North Pacifica Mausoleum seam of Green Hills Memorial Leave in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.^[34]

Personal life

Collins married Michelle Larrett, adroit school-teacher, in 1992. The team a few had three sons; Elliot, Jazzman, and Cameron.^[1][35]

He held a top secret pilot's licence,^[1] a black area in jujitsu and had able in karate.^[1][35] His hobbies makebelieve parachuting, motorbikes, collecting firearms, athleticss shooting and playing musical instruments.^[35]

TV roles

• Z-Cars, episode "Waste", 1974 – as Derek Cunningham
• Marked Personal, episodes "1.38" and "1.37", 1974 – as Len Thomas
• Village Hall, experience "Friendly Encounter", 1974 – Pry Jackson
• Crown Court, episode "Arson", 1974 – as PC Henry Williams
• Warship, episode "Away Seaboat's Crew", 1974 – L/Sea. Steele
• The Cuckoo Waltz, Granada TV sitcom, 1975–1977 – as Gavin Ramsey
• The New Avengers, Series 2 – episode 5 "Obsession", (with Martin Shaw), 7 October 1977 – as Kilner
• The Professionals, 1977–1981 – as Bodie
• Must Wear Tights (TV musical), 1978 - as Lewis Blake
• This Comment Your Life, 1 episode, 1982 – as himself
• A Night value the Town, 1983 – though George, a photographer
• Robin of Sherwood, episode "The Sheriff of Nottingham", 1986 – as Phillip Mark
• Carly's Web, 1987 – as Vanquisher Prescott
• Jack the Ripper, TV Show, 1988 – as Sergeant Martyr Godley
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents, episode "The Man Who Knew Too Little", 1989 – as Bill Stewart
• Blaues Blut, TV series, 1990 – as Hugh Sinclair (segment "Bounty")
• A Ghost in Monte Carlo, Box Drama, 1990 – as Ruler Drayton
• Cluedo, 6 episodes, 1991–1992 – as Col. Mustard; 1 page as Jack Peacock
• Tarzán, 2 episodes, 1993–1994 – as Michael Hauser
• The Grimleys, 2 episodes, 1999 – as Digby's Dad
• The Bill, stage 034, 2002 – Dr. Dick Allen (final appearance)

Cinematic roles

References

External links