Ronald William Lacey (28 September 1935 – 15 May 1991) was an English actor. He made numerous television and film appearances over a 30-year period. His roles included Harris in Porridge (1977), Frankie in the Bud Spencer comedy Charleston (1978), SD agent Sturmbannführer Arnold Ernst Toht in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and the Bishop of Bath and Wells in Blackadder II (1986).
Early life Lacey was born and grew up in Harrow, Middlesex. He received his formal education at Harrow Weald Grammar School. After a brief period of national service in the British Armed Forces, he enrolled at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art to train as an actor.
Career Lacey began his acting career in 1959 in a television play, The Secret Agent. His first significant performance was at the Royal Court Theatre in 1962's Chips with Everything. Lacey had an unusual 'pug' look, with beady eyes, an upturned nose, an overbite, receding chin and no brows. He could scream at a very high pitch. This unique combination of features landed him repeatedly in bizarre roles on both stage and screen, often as cowardly, seedy, creepy villains. Together with his Welsh background, it helped qualify him for the role of Dylan Thomas, which he played on BBC2 in what critic Clive James described as a "bravura performance".
Lacey performed on British television throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with roles spanning from a part in Kenneth Clark's Civilisation television series, as the gravedigger, in a re-enactment of the gravedigger scene from Hamlet, with Ian Richardson as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart as Horatio, to a guest shot as the "Strange Young Man" in The Avengers episode "The Joker", and as Harris in the sitcom Porridge, with the latter finally landing him in the role for which his unusual physical characteristics could be repeatedly used to full advantage. Again, these were well shown in the episode "Soup of the Day" in the acclaimed Department S (1969) as a sniveling villain. Disappointed with his acting career by the late 1970s, he began to consider starting a talent agency. Steven Spielberg then cast him as the Nazi agent Arnold Toht in Raiders of the Lost Ark. He followed this with villain roles for the next five to six years: Sahara (1983) with Brooke Shields, Flesh and Blood (1985) with Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Red Sonja (1985) with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Brigitte Nielsen. In 1982's Firefox with Clint Eastwood, Lacey played a Russian scientist helping the West behind the Iron Curtain. He then made two movies for Ice International Films: Assassinator starring alongside John Ryan and George Murcell, and Into the Darkness, starring with Donald Pleasence, John Ryan, and Brett Paul. He performed comic monologues on The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog, which was recorded 1982, and broadcast by Channel 4 in 1983. The Green Tie on the Little Yellow Dog production website
Lacey played a number of villainous roles and was known for his trademark smile, which would turn into a gleaming malicious leer. He also had a rather large mole on his left cheek, which he chose not to have removed, as well as a highly distinctive voice. In 1983's Trenchcoat, he used the mole as a beauty mark in his role as Princess Aida, a mysterious drag queen on the island of Malta. His other drag role was in Invitation to the Wedding from 1985, in which he played a husband/wife couple.
Personal life
Lacey married twice, first to the actress Mela White in 1962 (she married him under the name Brompton as this was her second marriage). They had two children, including Rebecca Lacey. Following their divorce, he married Joanna Baker in 1972, with whom he had a son.
Death Lacey was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer on 25 April 1991. He died less than one month later, on 15 May 1991, at the age of 55.
Filmography Films +YearTitleRoleNotes1962The Boys Billy Herne1963 Doctor in Distress Café Customer Uncredited1964Of Human Bondage "Matty" MathewsThe Comedy Man First Assistant Director Uncredited1967The Fearless Vampire Killers Village IdiotHow I Won the War Spool1969Take a Girl Like You GrahamOtley Curtis1971Say Hello to YesterdayCar Park Attendant UncreditedMacbeth Macbeth’s Man, Killed BanquoCrucible of Terror Michael Clare1972Disciple of DeathParson1973 Gawain and the Green KnightOswaldThe Final Programme "Shades"1975Mister Quilp Harris1976The Likely Lads Ernie1977Charleston Frankie1979Zulu DawnNorris Newman1980NijinskyLéon Bakst1981Raiders of the Lost Ark Major Arnold Ernst Toht1982Firefox Dr. Maxim Ilyich SemelovskyTangiersWedderburn1983SaharaLord BegInvitation to the WeddingClara/Charles EatwellTrenchcoatPrincess AidaYellowbeardMan With Parrot1984Making the Grade NickySword of the Valiant OswaldThe Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension President WidmarkThe Bengal Lancers!Monsieur Yves1985Flesh + BloodCardinalRed Sonja Ikol1986Aces Go Places 4Leader of the villainsSky BanditsFritzLone Runner MishaInto the Darkness Stewart Andrew Golding1988Jailbird RockWarden BaumanManifesto The Conductor1989Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Heinrich Himmler UncreditedValmont José1990Stalingrad Winston Churchill1992The AssassinatorStewartLandslideFred Donner1993 Angely smerti
TV +YearTitleRoleNotes1960Deadline Midnight Jensen1 episode1961A Chance of Thunder Johnny Travers3 episodes1962-68Z-CarsVarious4 episodes1965Comedy PlayhouseJustin FribbleEpisode: "Barnaby Spoot and the Exploding Whoopee Cushion"Gideon's WayJerry BlakeEpisode: "Gang War"1965-68Theatre 625Various4 episodes1966Sergeant CorkAlbert WatsonEpisode: "The Case of Albert Watson V.C."1967Great Expectations Orlick4 episodes1967-68The Avengers Strange Young Man/Humbert Green2 episodes1968Civilisation Grave Digger Episode: "Protest and Communication"1969Department S Jeremy StandishEpisode: "The Soup of the Day"Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)BeatnikEpisode: "My Late Lamented Friend and Partner"1970The Adventures of Don Quick Sergeant Sam CzopanserEpisode: "The Benefits of Earth"W. Somerset MaughamControleurEpisode: The Vessel of Wrath 1971Catweazle Ted "Tearful Ted"Episode: "The Sign of the Crab"1971-72Jason KingRyland4 episodes1972The Protectors CribbeEpisode: "King Con"1973 ColditzMajor ZibnekEpisode: "Murder?"Last of the Summer Wine WalterEpisode: "The New Mobile Trio"Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?ErnieEpisode: "Moving On"1975The Fight Against SlaveryCharles James FoxTV filmThe SweeneyBarry MonkEpisode: "Thou Shalt Not Kill!"1976Thriller BartlettEpisode: "The Next Victim"Our Mutual Friend Mr. Venus5 episodesThe New AvengersHong Kong HarryEpisode: "The Midas Touch"Play for TodayLangEpisode: "A Story to Frighten the Children" The Duchess of Duke Street Mr. ShephardEpisode: "The Outsiders"1977PorridgeHarris3 episodes, including "A Storm in a Teacup" and "Rough Justice"1978All Creatures Great and Small Stewie BrannonEpisode: "The Last Furlong"DylanDylan ThomasTV filmThe Mayor of CasterbridgeJopp4 episodes1979Blake's 7 TynusEpisode: "Killer"Tropic Geoffrey TurveyMiniseries1980Lady KillersInspector BannisterEpisode: "Killing Mice"1981Tiny RevolutionsInterrogatorTV film1982P.O.S.H. Mr. Vicarage1983 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Bobby BouchardEpisode: "There Goes the Neighbourhood"Hart to Hart Inspector MichelotEpisode: "Hostage Harts"The Hound of the Baskervilles Inspector LestradeTV film1984Magnum, P.I.Archer HayesEpisode: "The Case of the Red-Faced Thespian"1985Connie Crawder4 episodesMinderHarry RidlerEpisode: Minder on the Orient Express1986Blackadder II The Bishop of Bath and WellsEpisode: "Money"1987Sherlock HolmesThaddeus Sholto/Bartholomew SholtoEpisode: The Sign of Four 1988The Great Escape II: The Untold StoryWinston ChurchillTV film1989The Nightmare Years Emil Luger4 episodes1990Face to Face Dr. BrinkmanTV filmHaggardThe SeamanEpisode: "The Bellman"1991The Strauss DynastyBauerMiniseries
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