Norman John Frank Rodway (7 February 1929 – 13 March 2001) was an Anglo-Irish actor.
Early life Rodway was born at the family home, Elsinore (named after the castle where Shakespeare's Hamlet is set), on Coliemore Road, Dalkey, Dublin, to Lillian Sybil (née Moyles) and Frank Rodway, who ran a shipping agency. His parents were English, and had moved to Dublin two years before he was born because his father had been posted there for work. He was educated at St Andrew's Church of Ireland National School and the High School, then studied at Trinity College Dublin, where he was elected a Scholar in classics in 1948. He worked as an accountant, teacher, and lecturer in Latin and Greek at Trinity before acting.
Career He made his stage debut in May 1953 at the Cork Opera House. There, he portrayed General Mannion in The Seventh Step. He made his first appearance in London's West End in 1959, as The Messenger in Cock-A-Doodle Dandy, and moved to England the following year. In 1962, he portrayed the young James Joyce in Stephen D, based on Joyce's writings. Rodway joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. His theatrical parts included Bassov in Summerfolk, and the title roles in Butley and Richard III.
Although he was primarily a stage actor, he also performed in radio, television and film productions. With his expressive voice (described by Jack Adrian as "rich and dark and thumpingly Celtic"), he made many radio broadcasts for the BBC. Major television roles included Cummings in Reilly, Ace of Spies, and Charles Brett in The Bretts. He also appeared in series such as Miss Marple, Rumpole of the Bailey and Inspector Morse. He acted with Orson Welles in Chimes at Midnight (1965) and I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967), and with Patrick McGoohan in an episode of Danger Man, "The Man Who Wouldn't Talk". He often acted as the villain, including Adolf Hitler in The Empty Mirror (1999). He played the role of Apemantus in both television and audiobook productions of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens.
Personal life He was married four times. His first wife was actress Pauline Delaney, and his second was casting director Mary Selway. He was stepfather to Tara FitzGerald by his third marriage to Sarah Callaby (née Fitzgerald); Rodway and Callaby had a daughter, Bianca. He was married to Jane Rodway from 1991 to his death.
He was a noted enthusiast for crossword puzzles. Fellow actor Simon Russell Beale notes that Rodway turned him onto solving them during their run together at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Troilus and Cressida in 1990. It remained a running joke with them through his last illness.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1959 This Other Eden Conor Heaphy 1961 Johnny Nobody Father Healey 1961 Murder in Eden Michael Lucas 1961 A Question of Suspense Frank Brigstock 1962 The Webster Boy Donald Saunders 1962 Ambush in Leopard Street Kegs 1962 The Devil's Agent Machine Gunner at border Uncredited1962 The Quare Fellow Lavery 1965 Four in the Morning Husband 1965 Chimes at Midnight Henry 'Hotspur' Percy 1967 The Penthouse Dick 1967 I'll Never Forget What's'isname Nicholas 1975 The Hiding Place Van Der Veen 1976 The Story of David Joab TV movie1981 Dragonslayer Greil Dub only1981 John Bunyan The Preacher 1982 Who Dares Wins Ryan 1985Coming Through William Hopkin TV film1986 Tai-Pan Aristotle Quance 1990 King of the Wind Capt. 'Blueskin' Blake 1996 Mother Night Werner Noth 1996 The Empty Mirror Adolf Hitler 2000 County Kilburn Mr. Bollox 2001 A. Hitler Hitler (final film role)
Television Year Title Role Notes1963 Sergeant Cork John D'Arcy Episode: "The Case of the Fenian Men" 1964 The Massingham Affair Mr. Gilmore 4 episodes 1965 The Sullavan Brothers Father Blaise 1 episode1973 The Protectors Colin Grant Episode: "For the Rest of Your Natural..."1976 Thriller Peter Ingram Episode: "A Midsummer Nightmare"1976 The Sweeney Philip Edmunds Episode: "Lady Luck"1978 Out Det. Insp. Bryce 5 episodes1981 BBC Television Shakespeare Apemantus Episode: "Timon of Athens"1983 Reilly: Ace of Spies Cummings 10 episodes 1984 Cockles Jacques du Bois 6 episodes1987–1989 The Bretts Charles 19 episodes1988 Rumpole of the Bailey Morry Machin Episode: "Rumpole and the Bubble Reputation"1989 Inspector Morse Roland Marshall Episode: "Deceived by Flight"1993 Jeeves and Wooster Major Plank Episode: "Totleigh Towers (or, Trouble at Totleigh Towers)"1998 As Time Goes By James Episode: "An Old Flame"
Sources Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television (vol. 26), 2000 Who’s Who in Theatre, 1981
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