Patrick Wymark
Born: 1926-07-11 in Lincolnshire, England, UK
Died: 1970-10-20
Known For: Acting
Biography
Born Patrick Carl Cheeseman in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England. He was brought up in neighbouring Grimsby and frequently re-visited the area during the height of his career. He attended University College, London, before training at the Old Vic Theatre School and making his first stage appearance in a walk-on part in Othello in 1951. He toured South Africa the following year and then directed plays for the drama department at Stanford University, California. Moving to the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Wymark played a wide range of traditional roles, including Dogberry in Much Ado about Nothing and Stephano in The Tempest. He also played the parts of Marullus in Julius Caesar and Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Other stage parts included the title role in Danton's Death and, with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Ephihodov in The Cherry Orchard. His theatre roles also included playing the part of Bosola in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi in 1960. His film roles included: Children of the Damned (1964), Operation Crossbow (1965), Battle of Britain (1969), Where Eagles Dare (1968), Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) and Cromwell (1970). On television, where at one point he was considered as a replacement for William Hartnell on Doctor Who., he was best known for his role as the machiavellian businessman John Wilder in the drama series The Plane Makers/The Power Game, a role which led to offers of company directorships. Wymark, however, was a gentle man in real life, self-confessedly ignorant of business matters, who considered the Wilder character to be a "bastard" and was described by his wife as "the most inefficient, dreamy muddler in the world."
Filmography
2008
- Walt Disney Treasures - Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh as Joseph Ransley (archive footage)
1972
- The Man from the Other Side as Christian Holm
1971
- The Blood on Satan's Claw as The Judge
1970
- Cromwell as The Earl of Strafford
1969
- Doppelgänger as Jason Webb
- Battle of Britain as Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory
1968
- The Champions as Gen. Gomez
- Where Eagles Dare as Col. Wyatt Turner DSO MC
- Witchfinder General as Cromwell
- Tell Me Lies
1967
- Woman Times Seven as Henri
1966
- The Psychopath as Inspector Holloway
1965
- Operation Crossbow as Prime Minister Winston Churchill
- The Skull as Anthony Marco
- Repulsion as le propriétaire
- The Power Game as Sir John Wilder
1964
- The Wednesday Play as Sigismonda Pandolfo Malatesta
- Children of the Damned as Commander
- The Secret of Blood Island as Major Jocomo
- Sherlock Holmes
- Michelangelo as Vasari (voice)
- The Finest Hours as Churchill (voice)
- The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh as Joseph Ransley
1963
- West 11 as Father Hogan
- Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow as Joseph Ransley
- The Invasion as Royston Land-Price
- The Plane Makers as Sir John Wilder
- Moonstrike as Abess
- As You Like It as Touchstone
1962
- Man of the World as Downing
- The Scales of Justice as Mr. Godfrey
- The Pitcairn People as Narrator
- The Cherry Orchard as Semion Panteleyevich Epihodov
- The Cruel Necessity as Oliver Cromwell
1961
- Sir Francis Drake as Captain Williams
1960
- The League of Gentlemen as Wylie
- Twentieth Century Theatre: Colombe as Surette
- The Criminal as Sol
1959
- Brand as Mayor
1954
- The Wonderful World of Disney as Joseph Ransley
1951
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Winston Churchill (voice)