David Burke
Encyclopedia
David Burke is an English actor, known for playing Watson in the initial series of Granada Television
's 1980s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which starred Jeremy Brett
in the title role.
, England on 25 May 1934 and trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
.
in Michael Frayn
's Copenhagen
.
He was thought by many to portray Dr. Watson with an excellent style. He played Dr. Watson in the adventures of Sherlock Holmes for two series. He was replaced by Edward Hardwicke
at his own recommendation, because he did not want to be typecast.
Other notable TV appearances include his turn as Joseph Stalin
in the British serial Reilly, Ace of Spies
and the John Wyndham
science fiction story Random Quest
. He also played William Morris
in the 1975 series The Love School
. Burke frequently portrays Johannes Coenradus Klene in the Dutch commercials for Klene liquorice.
. Their son Tom Burke
is also an actor.
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
's 1980s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which starred Jeremy Brett
Jeremy Brett
Jeremy Brett , born Peter Jeremy William Huggins, was an English actor, most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in four Granada TV series.-Early life:...
in the title role.
Early life
Burke was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England on 25 May 1934 and trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
.
Career
In the theatre, Burke originated the part of Niels BohrNiels Bohr
Niels Henrik David Bohr was a Danish physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. Bohr mentored and collaborated with many of the top physicists of the century at his institute in...
in Michael Frayn
Michael Frayn
Michael J. Frayn is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce Noises Off and the dramas Copenhagen and Democracy...
's Copenhagen
Copenhagen (play)
Copenhagen is a play by Michael Frayn, based around an event that occurred in Copenhagen in 1941, a meeting between the physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. It debuted in London in 1998...
.
He was thought by many to portray Dr. Watson with an excellent style. He played Dr. Watson in the adventures of Sherlock Holmes for two series. He was replaced by Edward Hardwicke
Edward Hardwicke
Edward Hardwicke , sometimes credited as Edward Hardwick, was an English actor.-Early life and career:...
at his own recommendation, because he did not want to be typecast.
Other notable TV appearances include his turn as Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
in the British serial Reilly, Ace of Spies
Reilly, Ace of Spies
Reilly, Ace of Spies is a 1983 television miniseries dramatizing the life of Sidney Reilly, a Russian Jew who became one of the greatest spies to ever work for the British. Among his exploits in the early 20th century were the infiltration of the German General Staff in 1917 and a near-overthrow of...
and the John Wyndham
John Wyndham
John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris was an English science fiction writer who usually used the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names, such as John Beynon and Lucas Parkes...
science fiction story Random Quest
Random Quest
Random Quest is a science fiction short story, which is also a love story, by John Wyndham. It was included in his 1961 collection Consider Her Ways and Others...
. He also played William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
in the 1975 series The Love School
The Love School
The Love School is a BBC television drama series originally broadcast in 1975 about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, written by John Hale, Ray Lawler, Robin Chapman and John Prebble. It was directed by Piers Haggard, John Glenister and Robert Knights. It was shown during January and February 1975...
. Burke frequently portrays Johannes Coenradus Klene in the Dutch commercials for Klene liquorice.
Personal life
He is married to Anna Calder-MarshallAnna Calder-Marshall
Anna Calder-Marshall is a British actress.Her husband is actor David Burke and her son is actor Tom Burke.-Filmography:-External links:...
. Their son Tom Burke
Tom Burke (actor)
Tom Liam Benedict Burke is an English actor.-Early life:Born on 30 June 1981; Kent, England), he is the son of actor David Burke and actress Anna Calder-Marshall...
is also an actor.
Selected filmography
- Saturday Night OutSaturday Night OutSaturday Night Out is a 1964 British comedy drama film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Heather Sears, John Bonney, Bernard Lee, Erika Remberg, Francesca Annis, Margaret Nolan and David Lodge. A trio of merchant seamen and several passengers disembark from their ship when it arrives...
(1964) - The Woman in Black (2012)