Nickolas Grace
Nickolas Grace | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nickolas Andrew Halliwell Grace 21 November 1947 West Kirby, Cheshire, England |
| Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Known for | Brideshead Revisited (1981) Robin of Sherwood (1984-86) |
Nickolas Andrew Halliwell Grace (born 21 November 1947) is an English actor notable for his roles on television, including Anthony Blanche in Brideshead Revisited (1979-1981), and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin of Sherwood (1984–1986). Other credits include Survivors (1975), The Professionals (1980), Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story (1987), Salome's Last Dance (1988), Birds of a Feather (1989), The Green Man (1990), Evita (1996), The Hunchback (1997), Merlin (1998), Ian Fleming: Bondmaker (2005), My Family (2008), Doctor Who (2011), and Killing Eve (2019).
Early life
[edit]Grace was educated at the King's School, Chester[1] and Forest School, Walthamstow. He trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama,[2]
Career
[edit]He made his theatrical debut in weekly rep in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex in 1969, and appeared in Trevor Peacock's Erb later that year, which transferred to the Strand Theatre in spring 1970,[3] his first appearance in the West End.[3] He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1972,[4] and in 1973 played Aumerle there in the Ian Richardson/Richard Pasco production of Richard II.[3]
Grace then played Hamlet for the opening of the Playhouse, Derby in 1975.[4] Back at the RSC, from 1976 to 1978 he appeared as Dromio of Ephesus in Trevor Nunn's first ever musical, The Comedy of Errors[4] (with Judi Dench, Michael Williams and Roger Rees), Hitler in Schweik and Witwoud in The Way of the World, directed by John Barton.[5]
Grace secured the part of the flamboyant aesthete Anthony Blanche in Brideshead Revisited (1979-1981).[4][2] He played Richard II at the Young Vic in 1981, and Mozart in Amadeus,[2] with Frank Finlay at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1982. He then began working in operetta, playing Koko in The Mikado.[2]
Grace played Harry Hamilton-Paul in the film Heat and Dust (1983).[4][2] It was around this time that he took the role of Robert de Rainault, the Sheriff of Nottingham, in ITV's Robin of Sherwood (1984–86).[4][2][6][7]
Grace's theatre work in the late 1980s and early 1990s included Jenkins' Ear by Dusty Hughes at the Royal Court in 1986, Bernstein's Candide (Old Vic/Scottish Opera/BBC) in 1988–89[3] and The Mystery of Irma Vep at the Haymarket Theatre, Leicester (1990), which transferred to the Ambassadors Theatre.[3] He played Cole Porter in A Swell Party[2] at the Vaudeville in 1991–92 and appeared as King Gama in Ken Russell's production of Princess Ida for ENO at the Coliseum Theatre in 1992.[8]
1993–present
[edit]Following a recurring role in 1993 as the unnamed 'Consultant' on Victor Lewis-Smith's loosely hospital-based sketch show Inside Victor Lewis-Smith, Grace played Marcus Green, the long-suffering husband of Dorien in Birds of a Feather,[9] in a couple of episodes between 1989 and 1997. He has also appeared three times as Mr Casey in the BBC Sitcom My Family.[10][11][12]
Grace played Underling the Butler in The Drowsy Chaperone with Elaine Paige at the Novello Theatre,[13] which ended its run on 4 August 2007.[3]
He had a recurring role in some Doctor Who audio stories, produced by Big Finish as a Time Lord ally; Straxus, of the Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller (Paul McGann and Sheridan Smith) in the stories Human Resources, Sisters of the Flame and Vengeance of Morbius.[14]
In 2012, Grace starred in Chariots of Fire,[4] the stage adaptation of the film of the same title. In it he played the Master of Trinity College[4][13]
Grace is President of the Vic-Wells Association.[15]
TV and filmography
[edit]| Genre | Year | Title | Episode | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film | 1960 | The City of the Dead | uncredited | ||
| TV series | 1970 | Z-Cars | "A Couple of Comic Turns: Part 2" | Private Jefferson | |
| TV series | 1971 | The Fenn Street Gang | "A Fair Swap" | Bernard | |
| TV series | 1971 | Kate | "A Good Meddle" | David Burwood | |
| TV series | 1971 | The Onedin Line | "When My Ship Comes Home" | Arab | |
| TV series | 1972 | Z-Cars | "Sweet Girl" | Boy | |
| TV series | 1975 | Churchill's People | "True Patriots All" | James Loveless | historical drama series |
| TV series | 1975 | The Love School | "The Brotherhood" | William Rossetti | |
| TV series | 1975 | Survivors | "Gone to the Angels" | Matthew | |
| TV series | 1975 | Ten from the Twenties | "The Anarchist" | Joe Manders | |
| Documentary film | 1978 | Europe After the Rain | Tristan Tzara | ||
| TV series | 1978 | BBC Television Shakespeare | "The Comedy of Errors" | Dromio of Ephesus | |
| TV series | 1978 | The Pink Medicine Show | |||
| TV miniseries | 1979 | Oresteia | "Agamemnon" | Messenger | |
| TV series | 1980 | The Professionals | "Mixed Doubles" | Joe | |
| TV film | 1981 | BBC Television Shakespeare | "All's Well That Ends Well" | The Soldier | |
| TV miniseries | 1981 | Brideshead Revisited | Anthony Blanche | ||
| TV series | 1983 | Bergerac | "Prime Target" | Inspector Chazottes | |
| Film | 1983 | Heat and Dust | Harry Hamilton-Paul | ||
| TV film | 1984 | Lace | Sir Christopher Swann | ||
| TV film | 1984 | The Master of Ballantrae | Secundra Dass | part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame | |
| TV film | 1984 | Morte d'Arthur | Sir Mordred | ||
| TV series | 1984 | Robin of Sherwood | "Robin Hood and the Sorcerer" "The Witch of Elsdon" "The King's Fool" "Seven Poor Knights from Acre" "Alan a Dale" "The Children of Israel" "The Betrayal" |
Robert de Rainault, Sheriff of Nottingham | 17 episodes total |
| TV miniseries | 1985 | The Last Place on Earth | Lord Howard De Walden | ||
| TV film | 1985 | Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future | Grossman | ||
| TV series | 1985 | Robin of Sherwood | "The Enchantment" "The Greatest Enemy" |
Robert de Rainault, Sheriff of Nottingham | 17 episodes total |
| TV play | 1985 | Vicious Circle | The Waiter | [16] | |
| TV series | 1986 | C.A.T.S. Eyes | "Powerline" | Jamie Leydon | |
| TV series | 1986 | Robin of Sherwood | "Herne's Son: Part 1" "Herne's Son: Part 2" "The Power of Albion" "The Sheriff of Nottingham" "The Betrayal" "Adam Bell" "The Pretender" "The Time of the Wolf: Part 1" "The Time of the Wolf: Part 2" |
Robert de Rainault, Sheriff of Nottingham | 17 episodes total |
| TV miniseries | 1987 | Lorca, muerte de un poeta | "Impresiones y paisajes (1903–1918)" "La residencia (1918–1923)" "El amor oscuro (1925–1928)" "El llanto (1929–1935)" "Una guerra civil (1935–1936)" |
Federico García Lorca | 6 episodes total |
| TV miniseries | 1987 | Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story | Lord Nelson | ||
| Film | 1988 | Dream Demon | Jenny's Father | ||
| Film | 1988 | Just Ask for Diamond | Himmell | ||
| TV miniseries | 1988 | Lorca, muerte de un poeta | "La muerte (1936)" | Federico García Lorca | 6 episodes total |
| Film | 1988 | Salome's Last Dance | Oscar Wilde | ||
| TV series | 1989 | Birds of a Feather | "Cheat!" | Marcus Green | 3 episodes total |
| TV film | 1989 | The Man in the Brown Suit | Guy Underhill | ||
| TV miniseries | 1989 | Twist of Fate | Wolf | ||
| TV series | 1990 | Cluedo | "Going, Going, Goner" | Peregrine Talbot-Wheeler | |
| TV serial | 1990 | The Green Man | Rev. Tommy Sonnenscheim | ||
| TV film | 1990 | Hands of a Murderer | Oberstein | ||
| TV series | 1990 | House of Cards | "The Final Cut" | Geoffrey Booza-Pitt | |
| TV series | 1991 | Tonight at 8.30 | "Hands Across the Sea" | Bogie Gosling | |
| TV series | 1992 | Absolutely Fabulous | "Fashion" | Jonny | |
| TV series | 1992 | Alas Smith and Jones | "Episode #7.4" | ||
| TV series | 1992 | The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes | "The Master Blackmailer" | Bertrand | |
| TV series | 1992 | Lovejoy | "Angel Trousers" | Jeremy Prince | |
| TV series | 1993 | Birds of a Feather | "Suspicious Minds" | Marcus Green | 3 episodes total |
| TV series | 1993 | Inside Victor Lewis-Smith | The Consultant | ||
| TV series | 1993 | The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries | "A Man Lay Dead" | Dr. Hans Hoffner | |
| TV series | 1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | "Prague, August 1917" | The Prague Spy/Clouseau | |
| TV series | 1994 | The Chief | "Episode #4.8" | Sir Oliver Creighton | |
| Short film | 1994 | Ole | 31 minutes; directed by Dennis Iliadis | ||
| TV film | 1994 | Sharpe's Honour | Father Hacha | ||
| TV series | 1994 | Space Precinct | "Double Duty" | Oturi Nissim | |
| Film | 1994 | Tom & Viv | Bertrand Russell | ||
| TV series | 1995 | Bugs | "Hot Metal" | Raymond Charlesworth | |
| TV serial | 1995 | The Final Cut | Geoffrey Booza Pitt | ||
| Animated film | 1995 | Pocahontas | voice actor | ||
| TV film | 1995 | Solomon & Sheba | Jeroboam | ||
| Film | 1995 | Two Deaths | Marius Vernescu | ||
| TV series | 1996 | Delta Wave | "A Glitch in Time: Part 1" "A Glitch in Time: Part 2" "Dodgy Jammers: Part 1" "Dodgy Jammers: Part 2" |
Stump | 4 episodes |
| Film | 1996 | Evita | Tailor | cameo | |
| TV series | 1996 | Tales from the Crypt | "Escape" | Albert Frye/Lieutenant Forsyth | |
| Video | 1997 | Absolutely Fabulous | "Absolutely Not!" | Jonny | |
| TV series | 1997 | Birds of a Feather | "Rising Damp" | Marcus Green | 3 episodes total |
| Video | 1997 | Caught in the Act | Melvin (Ventriloquist) | produced by Barrie Goulding | |
| TV film | 1997 | The Hunchback | Gauchére | ||
| Film | 1997 | Shooting Fish | Mr. Stratton-Luce | ||
| TV series | 1998 | Britain's Richest People | Narrator | ||
| TV miniseries | 1998 | Merlin | Sir Egbert | ||
| Film | 1999 | An Ideal Husband | Vicomte de Nanjac | ||
| TV film | 2000 | Cinderella | First Minister | ||
| Film | 2000 | The Golden Bowl | Lecturer | ||
| TV series | 2000 | Midsomer Murders | "Judgement Day" | Frank Mannion | 2 episodes total |
| Video game | 2001 | In Cold Blood | John Cord / Technicians | voice actor | |
| TV series | 2001 | My Family | "Driving Miss Crazy" | Mr. Casey | 3 episodes total |
| TV serial | 2002 | Daniel Deronda | Vandernoodt | ||
| Film | 2002 | Puckoon | Foggerty | ||
| Short film | 2002 | Putting Down the King | |||
| TV film | 2006 | Agatha Christie's Marple | "Sleeping Murder" | Lionel Luff | Agatha Christie's Marple TV series |
| TV serial | 2005 | Casanova | French Chancellor | ||
| TV series | 2005 | Egypt | "The Search for Tutankhamun" | Anton Badrutt | |
| TV film | 2005 | Ian Fleming: Bondmaker | William Plomer | docudrama about Ian Fleming | |
| Film | 2005 | Splinter | Glasses | ||
| TV film | 2006 | The Commander | "Blacklight" | Reginald Aitken | The Commander TV series |
| Film | 2006 | Confetti | Judge | ||
| TV film | 2006 | The Shell Seekers | Mundy | ||
| Film | 2006 | These Foolish Things | Nathaniel Meadowsweet | ||
| Short film | 2007 | Mr Thornton's Change of Heart | Cupid | 12 minutes | |
| Film | 2008 | Affinity | Mr. Hither | ||
| TV series | 2008 | The Bill | "Body of Evidence" | Richard Stirling | |
| TV series | 2008 | My Family | "Neighbour Wars" | Mr. Casey | 3 episodes total |
| TV series | 2009 | Minder | "The Art of the Matter" | Tasty Tim | |
| TV series | 2009 | Casual+y | "The Trap" | Dennis | |
| TV series | 2010 | Midsomer Murders | "The Creeper" | Hugo Greening | 2 episodes total |
| Short film | 2010 | The Hardest Part | Victor | 14 minutes | |
| TV series | 2010 | My Family | "Mary Christmas" | Mr. Casey | 3 episodes total |
| TV series | 2010 | Piers Morgan's Life Stories | "Joan Collins" | Himself | |
| TV series | 2011 | Doctor Who | "Death Is the Only Answer" | Albert Einstein | |
| TV series | 2011 | Doctor Who Confidential | "About a Boy" "Heartbreak Hotel" |
Himself / Albert Einstein | documentary series |
| TV series | 2017 | Decline and Fall | Episode 1 | Prostlethwaite | BBC1 TV drama |
| TV series | 2019 | Killing Eve | "The Hungry Caterpillar" | Larry | BBC America drama |
References
[edit]- ^ "Inspirational Alumni Members". The King's School Chester. Archived from the original on 15 December 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Nickolas Grace". npg.org.uk. National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Nickolas Grace". theatricalia.com. Theatricalia. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Our Team". vic-wells.co.uk. Vic-Wells Association. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "The Way of the World". michaelpennington.me.uk. Michael Pennington. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Stuart Jeffries (28 November 2013). "Lewis Collins obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
Robert de Rainault, the longstanding sheriff played by Nickolas Grace.
- ^ Patrick Mulkern (6 September 2014). "Doctor Who: Robot of Sherwood". radiotimes.com. Radio Times. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
For me, the definitive Sheriff will always be Robin of Sherwood's lascivious, blackly camp Nickolas Grace
- ^ Jacobs, Arthur. Princess Ida - English National Opera at the London Coliseum, November 14. Opera, January 1993, Vol.44 No.1, p107-110.
- ^ "Birds of a Feather". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "My Family, Series 8, Neighbour Wars". bbc.co.uk. BBC One. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "My Family Episode Guides Series Two Episode Six". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "My Family, Series 8, Can't Get No Satisfaction". bbc.co.uk. BBC One. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ a b Steve Stubbs (2012). "Edward Hall's Hampstead Theatre production of CHARIOTS OF FIRE will transfer to the Gielgud Theatre from 22 June 2012". backstagepass.biz. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Nickolas Grace Contributions". bigfinish.com. Big Finish. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Vic-Wells Association".
- ^ Vicious Circle – BBC – Radio Times
External links
[edit]- Nickolas Grace at IMDb
- Nickolas Grace at Theatricalia
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1947 births
- Living people
- 20th-century English male actors
- 21st-century English male actors
- Actors from Wirral
- Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
- English male film actors
- English male stage actors
- English male television actors
- Male actors from Cheshire
- People educated at Forest School, Walthamstow
- People educated at The King's School, Chester
- People from West Kirby
- Royal Shakespeare Company members