George Innes (born 8 March 1938) is a British actor.
Stage career Innes was born in Stepney, East London, and began his career with the National Theatre of Great Britain under Laurence Olivier. He trained at Toynbee Hall and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where he received the Shakespeare Cup for excellence. He later appeared in stage productions including The Dream of Peter Mann and other National Theatre performances. His final year of study and training was at the Bristol Old Vic School. He worked with Dunlop again in The Pantomime at the Bristol Old Vic, before a season at Nottingham Playhouse with Dunlop and John Neville.
Other theatre credits include working for Royal Court Theatre production company in Chips with Everything, which played in the West End and on Broadway. He appeared in Othello (understudying Frank Finlay's Iago) with Olivier at the National Theatre at Chichester and The Old Vic. Other performances in this period include roles in Dutch Courtesan, Mother Courage, Hobson's Choice, and The Master Builder. At the National Theatre at South Bank, he appeared in Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, Bedroom Farce (directed by Peter Hall, transferring to the West End), and The Vortex at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, (with Bob Ackerman directing). In 1993–94 he appeared in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, with Simon Curtis directing in Chicago, a production which appeared on Broadway. Returning to London, he performed at the Southwark Playhouse in Rosmersholm (1997) and Riders to the Sea (2005).
In 2009 he appeared off-Broadway in The Lodger at the Workshop Theatre (Harris Yulin directing). There he developed his one-man show called Tribute, based on the Ages of Man by Sir John Gielgud. It was also performed at The Players, a theatrical club in New York City. The show played during the August 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival to excellent reviews. In March 2010, he performed Tribute at the Barron's Court Pub Theatre in London, receiving these reviews: "... the whole show centres around a superb talent: not Gielgud's but that of George Innes. The veteran performer has a marvellously warming presence with a deep velvet voice that could make a line from Avenue Q sound profound ... Tribute really is a display of extraordinary talent." He performed the show at the Workshop Theatre in New York, touring westward to California.
Film career Innes's film career includes:
Billy Liar (1963, John Schlesinger) Charlie Bubbles (1968, Albert Finney) Before Winter Comes (1968, J. Lee Thompson) The Italian Job (1969, Peter Collinson) The Last Valley (1971, James Clavell) Gumshoe (1971, Stephen Frears) Pope Joan (1972, Michael Anderson) Diamonds on Wheels (1973, Jerome Courtland) A Bridge Too Far (1977, Richard Attenborough) Quadrophenia (1979, Franc Roddam) Shōgun (1980, Jerry London) Ivanhoe (1982, Douglas Camfield) Ordeal by Innocence (1984, Desmond Davis) Morons from Outer Space (1985, Mike Hodges).
His recent films include:
Shiner (2000, directed by John Irvin), The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001, directed by Stephen Whittaker), Last Orders (2001, directed by Fred Schepisi), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003, directed by Peter Weir), Things To Do Before You're 30 (2005, directed by Simon Shore), Stardust (2007, directed by Matthew Vaughn) Shekhar Kapur directed Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007).
Television career Notable television appearances include:
Upstairs, Downstairs Minder Budgie New Scotland Yard Danger UXB I, Claudius Open All Hours Rumpole of the Bailey Hill Street Blues Magnum, P.I. MASH*
Filmography
Year Title Role Director Notes1963 Billy Liar Stamp John Schlesinger 1968 Charlie Bubbles Garage Attendant Albert Finney 1968 Before Winter Comes Bill J. Lee Thompson 1969 The Italian Job Bill Bailey Peter Collinson 1970 Scars of Dracula Servant Roy Ward Baker Uncredited1971 The Last Valley Vornez James Clavell 1971 Gumshoe Bookshop Proprietor Stephen Frears 1972 Pope Joan Monk Michael Anderson 1973 Diamonds on Wheels Insp. Timothy Jerome Courtland TV movie1974 Where's Johnny? Fingers David Eady 1977 A Bridge Too Far Sergeant Macdonald Richard Attenborough 1977-1981You're Only Young TwiceSergeant HobbleGraeme MuirTV Series1978 The Medusa Touch Van Driver Jack Gold 1978 Sweeney 2 Pete Beale Tom Clegg 1978 The Odd Job Caretaker Peter Medak 1979 Quadrophenia Cafe Owner Franc Roddam 1980 Shōgun Vinck Jerry London TV Mini-Series, 5 episodes1980 A Tale of Two Cities Jeremiah 'Jerry' Cruncher Jim Goddard TV movie1981 Goliath Awaits Dave Winter Kevin Connor TV movie1982 Ivanhoe Wamba Douglas Camfield TV movie1984 Ordeal by Innocence Archie Leach Desmond Davis 1985 Morons from Outer Space Stanley Benson Mike Hodges 1988 The Most Dangerous Man in the World Kolev Gavin Millar 2000 Shiner 'Little Pete' Jones John Irvin 2001 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Newman Noggs Stephen Whittaker TV movie2001 Last Orders Bernie Fred Schepisi 2002 The Great Dome Robbery Terry Millman Gabriel Range 2003 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Joe Plaice, Able Seaman Peter Weir 2004 Unstoppable Korean War veteran David Carson 2005 Things To Do Before You're 30 Don Simon Shore 2007 Stardust Soothsayer Matthew Vaughn 2007 Elizabeth: The Golden Age Burton Shekhar Kapur
References
External links
George Innes website Archived