Nicholas Clay
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Anthony Phillip Clay (18 September 1946 – 25 May 2000) was an English
actor
.
, to Bill and Rose Clay, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
(RADA) and began his acting career in the early 1970s with small parts in film
and television
.
theatre productions. He was cast in several of Laurence Olivier
's Old Vic
productions and during the decade came to be regarded as one of British theatre's most promising actors. Among his successes was The Misanthrope
, which led Clay to the United States
, where he also played this role on Broadway
in 1975.
His most widely seen screen performance was as Lancelot
in the 1981 film Excalibur
. He also appeared as Mellors in Just Jaeckin
's film version
of D. H. Lawrence
's Lady Chatterley's Lover
(1981), and Agatha Christie
's Evil Under the Sun
(1982), the latter reuniting him with Diana Rigg
, his co-star in The Misanthrope. He also appeared as Alan in the 1976 version of The Picture of Dorian Gray alongside Peter Firth
. In 1978 he played Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
in the drama series Will Shakespeare
, about the life of Shakespeare.
Clay continued working regularly on stage and appeared in a number of made-for-television movies and miniseries. In 1984, he played Mike Preston in the Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
episode "Child's Play".
In 1983, Clay appeared as Stapleton in a version of The Hound of the Baskervilles
. Two years later, in 1985, he appeared in another Sherlock Holmes
adaptation in the role of Doctor Percy Trevelyan in an episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
entitled The Resident Patient
. He also appeared in the UK ITV series Gentleman and Players in 1988-1989.
In 1992 he appeared with Kim Thomson
in the BBC TV series Virtual Murder
. His final screen appearance was in Roger Ashton-Griffiths
' short film, And Beyond.
In the last years of his life he taught drama at the Actors Centre and the Academy of Live and Performing Arts, and also worked in association with RADA, generally in the role of promoting the organisation, or providing advice to acting students.
in 1980. He died of liver cancer
in London and was survived by his wife, daughters Ella born 1983 and Madge born 1986, and mother.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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...
.
Early life
Born in Streatham LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to Bill and Rose Clay, he studied at the 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...
(RADA) and began his acting career in the early 1970s with small parts in film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
.
Career
Clay also appeared in several West EndWest End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
theatre productions. He was cast in several of Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
's Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
productions and during the decade came to be regarded as one of British theatre's most promising actors. Among his successes was The Misanthrope
The Misanthrope
The Misanthrope is the first EP from metal band Darkest Hour. It was released in 1996 on the defunct label Death Truck Records. It is much more hardcore orientated metalcore unlike their later releases.- Track listing :# "Vise" - 5:30...
, which led Clay to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he also played this role on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1975.
His most widely seen screen performance was as Lancelot
Lancelot
Sir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
in the 1981 film Excalibur
Excalibur (film)
Excalibur is a 1981 dramatic fantasy film directed, produced and co-written by John Boorman that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Adapted from the 15th century Arthurian romance, Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory, Excalibur features the music of Richard Wagner...
. He also appeared as Mellors in Just Jaeckin
Just Jaeckin
Just Jaeckin is a French film director.-Life:He was born in Vichy France during the Nazi Occupation, but left with his mother and father for England: after the war, he returned to France where he studied art and photography, much of it he did before and after serving with the French Army: while...
's film version
Lady Chatterley's Lover (film)
Lady Chatterley's Lover is a 1981 film directed by Just Jaeckin, and starring Sylvia Kristel and Nicholas Clay.-Cast:*Sylvia Kristel as Lady Constance Chatterley*Shane Briant as Sir Clifford Chatterley*Nicholas Clay as Oliver Mellors...
of D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...
's Lady Chatterley's Lover
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Lady Chatterley's Lover is a novel by D. H. Lawrence, first published in 1928. The first edition was printed privately in Florence, Italy with assistance from Pino Orioli; it could not be published openly in the United Kingdom until 1960...
(1981), and Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's Evil Under the Sun
Evil Under the Sun (1982 film)
Evil Under the Sun is a 1982 British mystery film based on the 1941 novel Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie.-Production:The screenplay was written by Anthony Shaffer and an uncredited Barry Sandler...
(1982), the latter reuniting him with Diana Rigg
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg, DBE is an English actress. She is probably best known for her portrayals of Emma Peel in The Avengers and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service....
, his co-star in The Misanthrope. He also appeared as Alan in the 1976 version of The Picture of Dorian Gray alongside Peter Firth
Peter Firth
Peter Firth is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks, of which he is the only actor to have starred in every episode of the show's 10 series lifespan...
. In 1978 he played Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley , 3rd Earl of Southampton , was the second son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, and his wife Mary Browne, Countess of Southampton, daughter of the 1st Viscount Montagu...
in the drama series Will Shakespeare
Will Shakespeare (TV series)
Will Shakespeare, also known as Life of Shakespeare, was a 1978 historical drama series created and written by John Mortimer. Broadcast in six parts, the series is a dramatisation of the life of William Shakespeare, and was co-produced by Lew Grade's ATV and RAI and distributed internationally by ITC...
, about the life of Shakespeare.
Clay continued working regularly on stage and appeared in a number of made-for-television movies and miniseries. In 1984, he played Mike Preston in the Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense was a short-lived anthology television series from Hammer Studios similar to the format now used by Masters of Horror in which several directors under contract to Hammer produced thirteen 69-73 min films for television. It is known in the United States as Fox...
episode "Child's Play".
In 1983, Clay appeared as Stapleton in a version of The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983 film)
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a British television film directed by Douglas Hickox and starring Ian Richardson as Sherlock Holmes and Donald Churchill as Dr. John H. Watson...
. Two years later, in 1985, he appeared in another Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
adaptation in the role of Doctor Percy Trevelyan in an episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (TV series)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the name given to the TV series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations produced by British television company Granada Television between 1984 and 1994, although only the first two series bore that title on screen. The series was broadcast on the ITV network in the UK,...
entitled The Resident Patient
The Adventure of the Resident Patient
"The Adventure of the Resident Patient", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes...
. He also appeared in the UK ITV series Gentleman and Players in 1988-1989.
In 1992 he appeared with Kim Thomson
Kim Thomson
Kim Thomson is an English actress who has appeared on stage, television and film since the early 1980s in both the United Kingdom and the United States.-Early life:...
in the BBC TV series Virtual Murder
Virtual Murder
Virtual Murder was an unusual investigative drama series shown on BBC television in 1992. It starred Nicholas Clay as Dr John Cornelius, a psychology lecturer at a provincial university, and Kim Thomson as his vivacious, red-headed partner, Samantha Valentine.- Subject matter and cast :Virtual...
. His final screen appearance was in Roger Ashton-Griffiths
Roger Ashton-Griffiths
Roger Ashton-Griffiths is a British character actor, screenwriter and film director.He graduated from Lancaster University and the University of East London , and began his career as a singer with English National Opera at the London Coliseum.He has appeared in numerous high-profile films,...
' short film, And Beyond.
In the last years of his life he taught drama at the Actors Centre and the Academy of Live and Performing Arts, and also worked in association with RADA, generally in the role of promoting the organisation, or providing advice to acting students.
Personal life and death
Clay married actress Lorna HeilbronLorna Heilbron
Lorna Heilbron is a Scottish actress born on the 8 June 1948 in Glasgow.She appeared in television series such as Ace of Wands, Van der Valk, Blake's 7, Taggart and Lovejoy...
in 1980. He died of liver cancer
Liver cancer
Liver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
in London and was survived by his wife, daughters Ella born 1983 and Madge born 1986, and mother.