Ronald Magill
Encyclopedia
Ronald Edmund Magill was an English
actor
. He is best remembered for playing Amos Brearly
in the British
soap opera
Emmerdale Farm
from 1972 to 1991, and appeared again in this role in 1994 and 1995.
, Yorkshire
. The child of two teacher
s, his father died when he was aged 9 and he then grew up in an orphanage
in Birmingham
, visiting his mother in Ireland
during the holidays. After leaving school he became a tyre
sales
man. During World War II
Magill served in the Royal Corps of Signals
and was a member of "Stars in Battledress
". In Egypt he helped build a theatre
where the company staged plays.
. In 1961, Magill spent a year at the Belgrade Theatre
in Coventry
. In 1963 when he went to work at the Nottingham Playhouse
, where he was later made artistic director and he stayed there until 1968. Magill directed many productions, and also wrote plays and translated others into English
. In starred in the West End
production of The Ruling Class
and appeared at the Bristol Old Vic
in Death of a Salesman
and The Browning Version. His first television appearances were in 1969, in the programmes Special Branch
and Parkin's Patch
, and the following year appeared in the film Julius Caesar
.
when the soap opera
launched on 16 October 1972. He played Amos Brearly
, a character who co-ran The Woolpack
with Henry Wilks
and they became a double act for the next 19 years. His bushy sideburns
, which he became famous for, were the result of having come to the audition from playing an Edwardian
in a stage play and he was told they were perfect for the part. After his departure from Emmerdale, as it is now titled, in January 1991, Magill had his sideburns shaved off on Wogan
. He reappeared as Amos for short-lived appearances in 1994 and 1995, the latter when the character accompanied Annie Sugden to her son Joe's funeral.The two characters later married off screen in Spain. His final appearance was on 7 July 1995.
Magill had been suffering from Bell's Palsy
in the years leading up to his death.
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...
. He is best remembered for playing Amos Brearly
Amos Brearly
Amos Brearly is a fictional character in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He was played by Ronald Magill.He ran the Woolpack, along with Henry Wilks for 19 years.-Character backstory:...
in the British
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Emmerdale Farm
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
from 1972 to 1991, and appeared again in this role in 1994 and 1995.
Early life
Ronald Edmund Magill was born in 1920 in HullKingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. The child of two teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s, his father died when he was aged 9 and he then grew up in an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, visiting his mother in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
during the holidays. After leaving school he became a tyre
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
sales
Sales
A sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation. It is an act of completion of a commercial activity....
man. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Magill served in the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
and was a member of "Stars in Battledress
Stars in Battledress
Stars in Battledress ' was an organisation that produced entertainment during World War II for and by military personnel- History :In Britain, during the Second World War, entertainment was considered an essential to keep morale high. In 1939 ENSA was organised by Basil Dean to send groups of...
". In Egypt he helped build a theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
where the company staged plays.
Stage career
Following the war, he worked with the Arena Theatre Company and repRepertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
. In 1961, Magill spent a year at the Belgrade Theatre
Belgrade Theatre
The Belgrade Theatre is a live performance venue seating 858 and situated in Coventry, England. It was the first civic theatre to be built after the Second World War in Britain and as such was more than a place of entertainment...
in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. In 1963 when he went to work at the Nottingham Playhouse
Nottingham Playhouse
The Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in the 1950s when it operated from a former cinema. Directors during this period included Val May and Frank Dunlop.-The building:...
, where he was later made artistic director and he stayed there until 1968. Magill directed many productions, and also wrote plays and translated others into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. In starred in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of The Ruling Class
The Ruling Class
The Ruling Class is a 1972 British black comedy film. It is an adaptation of Peter Barnes' satirical stage play which tells the story of a paranoid schizophrenic British nobleman who inherits a peerage. The film costars Alastair Sim, William Mervyn, Coral Browne, Harry Andrews, Carolyn Seymour,...
and appeared at the Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic
The Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...
in Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Premiered at the Morosco Theatre in February 1949, the original production ran for a total of 742 performances.-Plot :Willy Loman...
and The Browning Version. His first television appearances were in 1969, in the programmes Special Branch
Special Branch (TV series)
Special Branch is a British television series made by Thames Television for ITV and shown between 1969 and 1974. A police drama series, the action was centred on members of the Special Branch anti-espionage and anti-terrorist department of the London Metropolitan Police.The first two series were...
and Parkin's Patch
Parkin's Patch
Parkin's Patch is a Yorkshire Television production that aired on ITV from 1969 to 1970. PC Moss Parkin played the lead role of a police constable in the North York Moors. The series was filmed in the North York Moors as well as certain scenes being shot in Leeds, including parts around the Farm...
, and the following year appeared in the film Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar (1970 film)
Julius Caesar is a 1970 independent film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, directed by Stuart Burge from a screenplay by Robert Furnival. The film stars Charlton Heston , Jason Robards and John Gielgud . It is the first film version of the play made in color...
.
Emmerdale Farm
Ronald Magill joined the cast of Emmerdale FarmEmmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
when the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
launched on 16 October 1972. He played Amos Brearly
Amos Brearly
Amos Brearly is a fictional character in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He was played by Ronald Magill.He ran the Woolpack, along with Henry Wilks for 19 years.-Character backstory:...
, a character who co-ran The Woolpack
The Woolpack
This article is about the soap opera. Click the link for the Cumulus cloud formation synonym.The Woolpack is a fictional public house on the popular ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Its sign is a wool bale, a popular symbol in sheep-rearing country. It has played host to many of the soap's storylines and...
with Henry Wilks
Henry Wilks
Henry Wilks is a fictional character from the popular soap opera Emmerdale played by Arthur Pentelow. He ran the Woolpack Inn, along with Amos Brearly for nearly 20 years....
and they became a double act for the next 19 years. His bushy sideburns
Sideburns
Sideburns or sideboards are patches of facial hair grown on the sides of the face, extending from the hairline to below the ears and worn with an unbearded chin...
, which he became famous for, were the result of having come to the audition from playing an Edwardian
Edwardian period
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910.The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era...
in a stage play and he was told they were perfect for the part. After his departure from Emmerdale, as it is now titled, in January 1991, Magill had his sideburns shaved off on Wogan
Wogan
Wogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
. He reappeared as Amos for short-lived appearances in 1994 and 1995, the latter when the character accompanied Annie Sugden to her son Joe's funeral.The two characters later married off screen in Spain. His final appearance was on 7 July 1995.
Later years
After landing the part of Amos, he rarely appeared on the stage. Magill's boyfriend of 32 years, David Soar, died in 1997. Ten years later in 2007, Ronald Magill died aged 87.Magill had been suffering from Bell's Palsy
Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII that results in the inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Several conditions can cause facial paralysis, e.g., brain tumor, stroke, and Lyme disease. However, if no specific cause...
in the years leading up to his death.