Douglas Campbell (actor)
Encyclopedia
Douglas Campbell, CM
(11 June 1922 – 6 October 2009) was a Canadian-based stage actor
. He was born in Glasgow
, Scotland
.
production of King John. He first performed in the 1941 Old Vic touring productions of Medea
and Jacob's Ladder
.
He was invited to Canada in 1953 by Guthrie, who had just been appointed the first Artistic Director of the fledgeling Stratford Festival of Canada
. Campbell played Hastings in the opening production of Richard III
in 1953, and King Oedipus in the stage and screen production of Oedipus Rex
in 1954. He appeared many times at Stratford in the fifty years that followed, drawing great acclaim in the role of Othello
in 1959, and in many appearances as Falstaff
.
Campbell founded the Canadian Players in 1954, and was Artistic Director at the Guthrie Theater
in Minneapolis from 1966 to 1967. He was awarded the Order of Canada
on 17 April 1997.
and Dame Sybil Thorndike
. His children from that marriage are Dirk Campbell, television director; Teresa Padden who played Cordelia to his first King Lear, Tom Campbell
, painter; Benedict Campbell, actor. In the late 1960s, Campbell developed a relationship with Moira Wylie, an actress and director, with whom his children Beatrice and Torquil Campbell
were born. Beatrice Campbell is a stage manager at the Shaw Festival while Torquil Campbell
is an actor and lead singer/songwriter of the indie rock band Stars. Casson, whom Campbell never divorced, died in 1990. He and Wylie married in 1993.
Campbell died at Hôtel Dieu hospital
in Montreal
, Quebec
from complications of diabetes and congestive heart disease
on 6 October 2009.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(11 June 1922 – 6 October 2009) was a Canadian-based stage actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He was born in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Acting career
Campbell's interest in the theatre began at London's Old Vic Theatre at age 17, where working as a stage hand he saw Tyrone Guthrie'sTyrone Guthrie
Sir William Tyrone Guthrie was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, at his family's home, Annaghmakerrig, in County Monaghan, Ireland.-Life and career:Guthrie...
production of King John. He first performed in the 1941 Old Vic touring productions of Medea
Medea (play)
Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, based upon the myth of Jason and Medea and first produced in 431 BC. The plot centers on the barbarian protagonist as she finds her position in the Greek world threatened, and the revenge she takes against her husband Jason who has betrayed...
and Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder is a "ladder to heaven", described by biblical Jacob in the Book of GenesisJacob's Ladder may also refer to:* Ladder of Jacob, a pseudepigraphic text of the Old Testament...
.
He was invited to Canada in 1953 by Guthrie, who had just been appointed the first Artistic Director of the fledgeling Stratford Festival of Canada
Stratford Festival of Canada
The Stratford Shakespeare Festival is an internationally recognized annual celebration of theatre running from April to November in the Canadian city of Stratford, Ontario...
. Campbell played Hastings in the opening production of Richard III
Richard III (play)
Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
in 1953, and King Oedipus in the stage and screen production of Oedipus Rex
Oedipus the King
Oedipus the King , also known by the Latin title Oedipus Rex, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed c. 429 BCE. It was the second of Sophocles's three Theban plays to be produced, but it comes first in the internal chronology, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone...
in 1954. He appeared many times at Stratford in the fifty years that followed, drawing great acclaim in the role of Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
in 1959, and in many appearances as Falstaff
Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare. In the two Henry IV plays, he is a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. A fat, vain, boastful, and cowardly knight, Falstaff leads the apparently wayward Prince Hal into trouble, and is...
.
Campbell founded the Canadian Players in 1954, and was Artistic Director at the Guthrie Theater
Guthrie Theater
The Guthrie Theater is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the result of the desire of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, Oliver Rea, and Peter Zeisler to create a resident acting company that would produce and perform the classics in...
in Minneapolis from 1966 to 1967. He was awarded the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
on 17 April 1997.
Personal life
In 1947, Campbell married Ann Casson, actress and daughter of Sir Lewis CassonLewis Casson
Sir Lewis Thomas Casson MC was a British actor and theatre director and the husband of Dame Sybil Thorndike.-Early life:...
and Dame Sybil Thorndike
Sybil Thorndike
Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike CH DBE was a British actress.-Early life:She was born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire to Arthur Thorndike and Agnes Macdonald. Her father was a Canon of Rochester Cathedral...
. His children from that marriage are Dirk Campbell, television director; Teresa Padden who played Cordelia to his first King Lear, Tom Campbell
Tom Campbell
Thomas John "Tom" Campbell is the Dean of Chapman University School of Law, a former five-term Republican United States Congressman from California's 12th and 15th districts, a former professor at Stanford Law School, a former dean of the Haas School of Business, and a former professor of business...
, painter; Benedict Campbell, actor. In the late 1960s, Campbell developed a relationship with Moira Wylie, an actress and director, with whom his children Beatrice and Torquil Campbell
Torquil Campbell
Torquil Campbell is the lead singer and songwriter for the Montreal-based indie rock band Stars. He also records and performs with Broken Social Scene. In addition to singing, he also plays the melodica and trumpet...
were born. Beatrice Campbell is a stage manager at the Shaw Festival while Torquil Campbell
Torquil Campbell
Torquil Campbell is the lead singer and songwriter for the Montreal-based indie rock band Stars. He also records and performs with Broken Social Scene. In addition to singing, he also plays the melodica and trumpet...
is an actor and lead singer/songwriter of the indie rock band Stars. Casson, whom Campbell never divorced, died in 1990. He and Wylie married in 1993.
Campbell died at Hôtel Dieu hospital
Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal
The Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal is the oldest hospital in Montreal, Quebec. Since 1996 it has been one of the three hospitals making up the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal ....
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
from complications of diabetes and congestive heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
on 6 October 2009.
Movies
- 1957: Oedipus Rex
- 1965: When Tomorrow Dies
- 1980: Double NegativeDeadly CompanionDeadly Companion is a 1980 Canadian mystery film based on the novel The Three Roads by Ross Macdonald.-Plot:...
- 1980: Nothing Personal
- 1982: If You Could See What I HearIf You Could See What I HearIf You Could See What I Hear is a 1982 biography/drama movie about blind musician Tom Sullivan, starring Marc Singer and Shari Belafonte, directed by Eric Till.Tagline: The true story of a born winner!-Plot summary:...
- 1983: Strange BrewStrange BrewThe Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew is a 1983 Canadian comedy film starring the popular SCTV characters Bob and Doug McKenzie, played by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis, who also served as co-directors. Max von Sydow co-stars....
- 1985: PerfectPerfect (film)The soundtrack to Perfect was initially released in 1985 as a 12" vinyl record, and later re-released on CD.Side A#" Perfect" – 3:50#"I Sweat " – 3:54...
- 2000: Once Upon a ChristmasOnce upon a Christmas (film)Once Upon A Christmas is a 2000 family film directed by Tibor Takács. It stars Kathy Ireland, John Dye, and Mary Donnely-Haskell. The filming location was in Vancouver, British Columbia. It premiered on the PAX Network...
Television series
- 1979-1982: The Great DetectiveThe Great DetectiveThe Great Detective is a Canadian television drama, which aired on CBC from 1979 to 1982. It starred Douglas Campbell and James Dugan.-Background:...
(35 episodes) - 1999: Due SouthDue SouthDue South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...
(Appearance in the Final Episode) - 2000: Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing StoryAnne of Green Gables: The Continuing StoryAnne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story was a 2000 television mini-series that was highly anticipated among fans of Anne of Green Gables. It borrowed characters from the Anne of Green Gables novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery but not actual plot lines. Instead it served as a sequel to two...
(miniseries)