Richard Morant

Richard Morant (30 October 1945 – 9 November 2011) was an English actor.

Richard Morant
Born(1945-10-30)30 October 1945
Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, England
Died9 November 2011(2011-11-09) (aged 66)
Richmond, London, England
Alma materCentral School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActor
Spouse(s)
Melissa Fairbanks
​
​
(m. 1969; div. 1979)​

Valerie Buchanan
​
​
(m. 1982, his death)​
Children4
Parent(s)Philip Morant (1909–1993)
Pearl Travers

Biography

Morant was born in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire.[1] His father was the Shakespearean actor Philip Morant (1909–1993).[2][3][4] His sister is the actress Angela Morant. He was also a nephew of actors Bill and Linden Travers, and a cousin of actress Penelope Wilton.[5] He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama before joining the Prospect Theatre Company, and touring with Ian McKellen in Richard II, Edward II and Twelfth Night.[6] He enjoyed a long television and theatrical career, first creating an impression as the bully Gerald Flashman in a BBC adaptation of the Thomas Hughes novel, Tom Brown's Schooldays (1971), and had a starring role in Thames Television's Armchair Theatre play Verité (1972) and followed this up with a regular role as Dr Dwight Enys in the popular BBC series of Poldark (1975).[7][8]

Morant also appeared in several BBC classic serials, including adaptations of Walter Scott's Woodstock (1973), as the future Charles II, and The Talisman (1980), as Conrade of Montserrat.[7]

He played Maximilien Robespierre in The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982), and he later played Mervyn Bunter, the valet of Lord Peter Wimsey, in A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery, the BBC's 1987 productions of Strong Poison, Have His Carcase and Gaudy Night (all based on Dorothy Sayers's original novels).[9][10] In 1988 he played Theodore Dyke Acland in the serial Jack the Ripper.[11]

His film career included roles in Zeppelin (1971), Mahler (1974), The Company of Wolves (1984), The Second Victory (1986), Scandal (1989) and Janice Beard (1999).[12]

His stage appearances included a starring role in Noël Coward's Private Lives at the Theatre Royal, Bath in 1984.[13] The following year he co-starred with Stephanie Beacham and Pam Ferris in ITV's rag-trade soap drama, Connie.[14] He also did voice-over, radio, and audio book work including voicing books by Julian Barnes and Julian Fellowes.[15]

Personal life

His first wife was the actress Melissa Fairbanks, a daughter of the actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr., with whom he had a son and daughter. After that marriage ended he married Valerie Buchanan, with whom he had another son and daughter.[4]

He had a sideline as a dealer in Asian carpets and textiles, including running his own gallery in Notting Hill.[6] In 2005 he became the sole owner of an established company specialising in carpets and fine textiles,[16] headquartered in Notting Hill, London. After suffering a short illness, Morant died suddenly of an aneurism[7] on 9 November 2011.[17]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1969Battle of BritainReplacement Pilot - Red Section 'Red 2'Uncredited
1971ZeppelinBilly ChisholmUncredited
1974MahlerMax
1975Hijack!Colin
1977The Hunchback of Notre DamePhoebusTV Movie
1980The Merchant of VeniceLorenzoTV movie
1982The Scarlet PimpernelMaximilien Robespierre
1983On the Third DayJeremy Bolt
1984The Company of WolvesWealthy Groom
1987The Second VictoryCapt. Johnson
1989ScandalD'Lazlo
1999Janice BeardBoss
2006Day Night Day NightFlirt

References
  1. III, Harris M. Lentz (10 January 2014). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2011. McFarland. ISBN 9780786491346 – via Google Books.
  2. "Philip Morant". IMDb.
  3. "Philip Morant - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  4. "Richard Morant". The Daily Telegraph. 30 November 2011.
  5. "Richard Morant". The Herald. Glasgow.
  6. "Richard Morant: Actor best known as Flashman, and as Dr Enys in". The Independent. 25 November 2011.
  7. Hayward, Anthony (14 December 2011). "Richard Morant obituary". The Guardian.
  8. "Richard Morant - TV Guide". TV Guide.
  9. "The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)". BFI.
  10. "The Dorothy L Sayers Mysteries - S1 - Episode 10: Gaudy Night - Part Three". Radio Times.
  11. "Jack the Ripper (1988) - David Wickes - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.
  12. "Richard Morant". BFI.
  13. "Poster - V&A Search the Collections". V and A Collections. 12 January 2019.
  14. "Connie[30/06/85] (1985)". BFI.
  15. "Richard Morant - Obituaries". 7 December 2011.
  16. "自分でもできるdmのダイレクトなメール方法". dmというダイレクトにメールを送ることのメリット.
  17. "Richmond actor Richard Morant dies, aged 66 (From This Is Local London)". Thisislocallondon.co.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
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