David Warner

LONDON (AP) - David Warner, a versatile British actor whose roles ranged from Shakespearean tragedies to sci-fi cult classics, has died. He was 80.

He later won an Emmy for his role as Roman politician Pomponius Falco in the 1981 TV miniseries “Masada.” He had a prolific career on film and TV in both Britain and the United States, and became beloved of sci-fi fans for roles in Terry Gilliam's “Time Bandits,” computer movie “Tron,” Tim Burton's remake of “Planet of the Apes,” and the “Star Trek” franchise, where he made several appearances in different roles. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Warner became a young star of the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing roles including King Henry VI and King Richard II. His 1965 performance in the title role of “Hamlet” for the company, directed by Peter Hall, was considered one of the finest of his generation.

Warner had an incredibly prolific career that spanned episodes of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Twin Peaks, as well as films like Tron, Titanic, and The Omen.

Genre fans would recognize Warner’s roles from the Star Trek films The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country, where he played St. John Talbot and Chancellor Gorkon, respectively. As a young man, David Warner enrolled at the Royal Academy for Dramatic Arts in London, getting his start on the stage before shifting gears to film. At the time of his passing he has over 200 credited acting roles.

David Warner, an English actor who gave memorable performances in 'The Omen' and 'Tron,' has died. He was 80.

He played the title role in “Hamlet” at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in 1965. Returning to Stratford in April, he performed the title role in “Richard II,” Mouldy in “Henry IV, Part 1” and “Henry VI.” At the Aldwych in October 1964, he was cast as Valentine Brose in Henry Livings’ play “Eh?,” reprising the role in the 1968 film adaptation “Work Is a Four-Letter Word.” Warner starred with Vanessa Redgrave in Karel Reisz’s 1966 feature comedy “Morgan — A Suitable Case for Treatment,” in which he played a man obsessed with Karl Marx and gorillas who resorts to all sorts of bizarre tactics to prevent his upper-class ex-wife from remarrying. Warner was also tied to various franchises, including “Star Trek.” He played two unrelated roles in “Star Trek” movies. He was among the large cast of James Cameron’s 1997 epic “Titanic” but was wasted in the role of a thug-like butler. More recently he recurred on the popular “Wallender” mystery series, starring Kenneth Branagh, as Wallender’s father in 2008-10. He played a simian senator in Tim Roth’s 2001 reimagining of “Planet of the Apes” and a doctor in the 2005 hit comedy “Ladies in Lavender.” He was subjected to a memorable decapitation in the film. The same year Warner starred with Nick Mancuso in killer-bat horror film “Nightwing” (the New York Times said: “Mr. Warner is quite funny — intentionally, I suspect — when he attempts to explain his fanaticism. David Warner was born in Manchester, England. His father changed jobs frequently, which meant the family moved from town to town, and David from school to school, where he performed poorly. We are heartbroken,” the statement continued. David Warner, the English actor who gave memorable performances on the big screen, in a key role in “The Omen,” and as villains in “Time After Time,” “Time Bandits” and “Tron,” has died.

David Warner, the storied and celebrated British actor known for his work in films like Tron, The Omen, and Titanic, as well as his on-stage performances in ...

Warner became especially well-known for playing villains, like in Terry Gilliams’ Time Bandits, the pioneering sci-fi flick, Tron, and the 1981 historical miniseries Masada, where his turn as an menacing legion commander for a Roman emperor earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special. And it amazes me each time when the phone rings and somebody asks me to be in something. He will be missed hugely by us, his family and friends, and remembered as a kind-hearted, generous and compassionate man, partner and father, whose legacy of extraordinary work has touched the lives of so many over the years. Born out of wedlock in Manchester, England, in 1941, Warner endured a somewhat tumultuous childhood as he spent time being shuttled between parents. In a statement, his family said, “Over the past 18 months he approached his diagnosis with a characteristic grace and dignity… Despite his theatrical bona fides, Warner left the stage abruptly in the early Seventies after a production of I, Claudius received scathing reviews and left him with stage fright.

Stage and screen actor hailed for his 1965 Hamlet at the RSC who went on to have a distinguished film and TV career.

Accepting a part in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1992), he said: “Now, at last, I can look my daughter’s friends in the face. He donned prosthetics for Tim Burton’s mediocre reboot of Planet of the Apes (2001), joined in with the silliness of The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse (2005) and had recurring roles as a retired police officer with Alzheimer’s in the powerful BBC series Conviction (2004) and as the father of the popular Swedish detective played by Kenneth Branagh in Wallander (2008-15). He also made his stage comeback in New York in Major Barbara, in 2001, and in London in The Feast of Snails the following year, as well as playing King Lear in Chichester in 2005. He worked with Peckinpah once more, on the second world war drama Cross of Iron (1977). By that time, Warner had retreated from the theatre after suffering stage fright in 1972 during productions of I, Claudius and David Hare’s The Great Exhibition; he would not return for another 30 years. He played Jack the Ripper in Time After Time (1979), Evil in Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits (1981) and a computerised tyrant in Disney’s Tron (1982), for which he had only one stipulation for the studio: “There’s to be no doll of my character on the market. After playing Konstantin in Sidney Lumet’s film of The Seagull (1968), he starred in The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), the first of three movies for Sam Peckinpah. That year, Warner broke both his feet after falling from a balcony in Rome. The mysterious circumstances of the accident gave rise to rumours of drug use. Warner was then surprised by Hall’s invitation to play Hamlet. “I’m really a character actor, an old man actor,” he said, though he was only 24 at the time. I don’t want my child having a plastic baddie as a daddy.” A younger generation got the chance to boo him as a dastardly valet in the smash-hit Titanic (1997). He next landed the title role in Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment as a daydreamer descending into apparent insanity. “There was no theatrical tradition but plenty of histrionics,” he remarked of them. Fame and acclaim interested him not; it was said that he read all his reviews for Hamlet but kept only the bad ones. “David’s gentleness and passivity chimed absolutely with flower power and all that,” noted Hall. “He was wonderful.” It would be misleading to suggest that the actor David Warner, who has died aged 80, struggled to recapture the success he found early on in his career.

David Warner, who recently starred in Mary Poppins Returns, dies from a cancer-related illness.

The actor once described his upbringing as "messy" and his family as "dysfunctional", explaining that going into acting was "a means of escape". Warner said he had a teacher who became his mentor and encouraged his interest in drama, adding that it was a choice between acting or "being a juvenile delinquent". We are heartbroken," it continued. "A tortured student, in his long orange scarf, David seemed the epitome of 1960s youth, and caught the radical spirit of a turbulent age. He went on to win an Emmy award in 1981 for outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or special for his portrayal of Pomponius Falco in the television miniseries Masada. "Over the past 18 months he approached his diagnosis with a characteristic grace and dignity," his family said in a statement given to the BBC.

Warner, who was also in "The Omen" and "Mary Poppins Returns," died from a cancer-related illness, his family said.

He also mentioned his "utmost respect for the actors in the turtle suits." In Disney's landmark sci-fi flick "Tron," he played a power-hungry executive who passed off Jeff Bridges' ideas as his own. Despite his prolific career, Warner often regarded his legacy with a lightheartedness. His was a prolific career that spanned more than 50 years, from horror classics to Oscar winners; from beloved animated series to a Disney musical. Though he often played Shakespearean heroes onstage, in films, he was often cast as the antagonist. But that's show biz ... and, you know, I think I've still done okay."

David Warner, the Emmy-winning actor with over 200 acting credits to his name, has died in England at 80.

Warner also voiced the Unbound Doctor in the BBC science-fiction audio series “Doctor Who,” first appearing in “Doctor Who Unbound” and returning for “The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield.” He also voiced Professor Boston Schooner in the “New Eighth Doctor Adventure, Deimos,” and appeared on screen for the first and only time as Professor Grisenko in the episode “Cold War.” Many will also recognize Warner for his species-shifting roles in “Star Trek” — the actor first played St. John Talbot in “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” Klingon Chancellor Gorkon in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” and Cardassian Gul Madred in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” During his career, Warner embraced the role of the villain, acting as mischievous valet Spicer Lovejoy in “Titanic” and playing Jack the Ripper in 1979’s “Time After Time.” In 1981, he played Pomponius Falco in the fictionalized, historical TV miniseries “Masada,” which won him an Emmy for supporting actor in a miniseries or special.

David Warner, a versatile British actor whose roles ranged from Shakespearean tragedies to sci-fi cult classics, has died. He was 80.

He later won an Emmy for his role as Roman politician Pomponius Falco in the 1981 TV miniseries “Masada.” Gregor Doran, the RSC’s artistic director emeritus, said Warner’s Hamlet, played as a tortured student, “seemed the epitome of 1960’s youth, and caught the radical spirit of a turbulent age.” Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Warner became a young star of the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing roles including King Henry VI and King Richard II. His 1965 performance in the title role of “Hamlet” for the company, directed by Peter Hall, was considered one of the finest of his generation.

Warner's illustrious career includes roles in Tron, Time After Time, Star Trek and more.

“He will be missed hugely by us, his family and friends, and remembered as a kind-hearted, generous and compassionate man, partner and father, whose legacy of extraordinary work has touched the lives of so many over the years. Most recently, he appeared on screen as Admiral Boom in the 2018 Mary Poppins sequel, Mary Poppins Returns. “Over the past 18 months he approached his diagnosis with a characteristic grace and dignity,” his family says in a statement to the outlet.

He seemed destined for a major stage career but by the early 1970s was focused on film and TV. His credits included “TRON,” “Titanic” and hundreds more.

He had recurring roles in the series “Twin Peaks” in 1991 and “Wallander” and “Ripper Street” in this century, among others. It is said to have included one of Mr. Dylan’s earliest performances of “Blowin’ in the Wind.” “You see, I’m not a man of the theater,” he told The Times in 2001. His résumé included moderately prestigious roles — he won an Emmy Award for his performance in the 1981 mini-series “Masada,” about the Roman Empire’s siege of the Masada citadel in Israel — but also a stint as a Klingon chancellor in the “Star Trek” franchise. Instead, while Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi and Mr. Holm had become towering figures of the theater, Mr. Warner by that time had become known for seemingly never encountering a film or TV role he wouldn’t take. Some 35 years later, Emily Young, who directed him in the 2003 drama “Kiss of Life,” said basically the opposite. He had stopped doing stage work, he said, in part because of anxiety about performing live. “It was the young people’s Hamlet. David’s gentleness and passivity jibed absolutely with flower power and all that. In his first full decade in film and TV, the 1970s, he gathered more than two dozen credits; in the 1990s, more than 80. The production ran in repertory for two years. One fan was Mark Gardner of The Sunday Mercury of Birmingham, England. “So getting the girl is something that has never happened to me.

The classically trained British character actor David Warner excelled at disappearing into his work. Warner's now best known—or maybe just beloved—for his ...

Speaking to Den of Geek in 2008, he refers to the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” two-parter “Chain of Command” as a “classic,” but hastens to add that “they tell me that anyway!” In that same interview, Warner demurs that science-fiction is “a genre that I don’t understand, but that I have a lot of involvement with.” It’s also nice to see that various obituaries, including this one at the BBC website, recall Warner’s reply when “Sherlock” co-creator Mark Gatiss asked, on the TV docu-series “A History of Horror,” about Jennings’s severed head. “Not being recognized is the greatest compliment for a character actor,” Warner told Cultbox in 2012, “because it means they’ve only seen the character you were playing.” In that same interview, he calls himself the “proud winner of no major acting awards”: “I’m happy with that because I work consistently.” (Warner suffered from vertigo and panic attacks) Warner would notably collaborate with Peckinpah on two other films, “Straw Dogs” and “Cross of Iron.” They remained friendly until Peckinpah’s death, despite rumors that Warner had his name removed from “Straw Dogs” because Warner disapproved of its content. That quote is just one of a few great moments in Warner’s interview with Harris, which is itself a fine showcase for the actor’s neurotic sensitivity and consummate ability. Speaking with Harris, Warner remembers that Lumet suggested that he work with Sam Peckinpah, and that Peckinpah supposedly delayed the production of “ The Ballad of Cable Hogue” in order to accommodate Warner, who couldn’t bring himself to cross the Atlantic by plane. Instead, Warner claimed that his name wasn’t formally attached to “Straw Dogs” because his agents tried to get him higher billing than his name alone was worth. Warner also notably starred in “Morgan—A Suitable Case for Treatment,” a 1966 film adaptation of David Mercer’s stage play. Warner also didn’t always consider acting to be his great calling in life, as he joked with The AV Club’s Will Harris during a characteristically exhaustive interview. He was directed by Peter Hall, who had previously worked with Warner when he played Henry VI in Edward IV, Henry VI, and Richard III at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1964. Some critics sniffed at Warner’s performance since Morgan was obviously meant to speak to (or simply about) his disaffected generation. He’s a Prince at one moment, and an ordinary man the next.” Warner is also quick to note that the “ordinary” qualities that he brought to his role didn’t originate with him, but rather came about “very slowly” and “intuitively.” “I never went into it with any preconceptions, or thought about it before,” Warner adds before noting that Hamlet was never a role that he had hoped to play. Warner’s now best known—or maybe just beloved—for his supporting roles in genre movies like “The Omen” (the tragically decapitated Keith Jennings), “ Time Bandits” (the comically haughty Evil Genius), and “ Tron” (the imperiously vain Ed Dillinger/Master Control/Sark), as well as his instantly recognizable voice-acting performances in cartoons like “Freakazoid” (the deliriously goofy The Lobe) and “Batman: The Animated Series” (the royally vain Ra’s Al Ghul). He defined himself as both a character actor and an “ old man actor” when he was 24 years old.

Warner died from an illness related to his cancer diagnosis.

His resume dates back roughly 60 years and features hundreds of credits for popular television series, films, and West End stage productions, plus a handful of prestigious accolades including the Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries. "He will be missed hugely by us, his family and friends, and remembered as a kind-hearted, generous and compassionate man, partner and father, whose legacy of extraordinary work has touched the lives of so many over the years. He died on Sunday at Denville Hall, a retirement and care home in London where a number of British actors and entertainment industry figures have stayed.

The veteran British actor had a star-making turn playing Hamlet on stage at 24 and racked up more than 200 credits, including an array of villainous roles.

To his family, he was a loving husband and father. His childhood was like “wading through glue and treacle,” Warner explained during one interview. The range of his roles was as broad as his list of credits.

Robert Jennings is the most relatable character in the film — and he suffers the most horrific demise.

"The Omen" is not that kind of movie, and its death sequences still pack a punch almost 50 years later. If there is one criticism of the Jennings character, it's more down to David Seltzer's screenplay, which makes him a bit Basil Exposition at times. He has found sinister lines on photos of the nanny that look eerily like a rope around her neck, and reveals that he also has skin in the game. Richard Donner obviously knew this was the money shot, and he sure makes the most of it, stretching the moment out over six shots from six different angles as Jennings' noggin is separated from his shoulders and sent spinning through the air. Next stop is Israel, where an archaeologist tells him how to do it: He must kill the child by placing seven ceremonial daggers in the shape of a crucifix. It hits a wall, sending a sheet of plate glass hurtling off the back, decapitating Jennings. We knew it was coming, but that doesn't prepare us for how horrible it is. Evidence stacks up that Damien really is the Antichrist and Thorn's natural son was murdered just after childbirth to make way for the evil sprog. Remarkably, for a couple with a husband in such a high-profile position, they don't see anything concerning about this and hire her on the spot. Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) is in Rome, rushing to the hospital where wife Kathy (Lee Remick) is giving birth to their first child. Best of all, though, is David Warner as a photographer whose pictures predict the ghastly deaths of anyone who tries to interfere with Satan's plan. It follows Robert Thorn, an American diplomat who gradually comes to believe his adopted son is the Antichrist, playing fast and loose with the Book of Revelation to create an atmosphere of ancient evil and impending doom, complemented by some breathtakingly brutal freak death sequences that suggest everything is foretold. I couldn't stand the idea a new version, so I turned the idea down flat, socking it to 20th Century Fox by depriving them of my talents.

The actor died of a cancer-related illness on Sunday in London, his family said. Billy Zane, David Warner, Titanic 1997.

He played the title role in “Hamlet” at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in 1965. Returning to Stratford in April, he performed the title role in “Richard II,” Mouldy in “Henry IV, Part 1” and “Henry VI.” At the Aldwych in October 1964, he was cast as Valentine Brose in Henry Livings’ play “Eh?,” reprising the role in the 1968 film adaptation “Work Is a Four-Letter Word.” Warner starred with Vanessa Redgrave in Karel Reisz’s 1966 feature comedy “Morgan — A Suitable Case for Treatment,” in which he played a man obsessed with Karl Marx and gorillas who resorts to all sorts of bizarre tactics to prevent his upper-class ex-wife from remarrying. Warner was also tied to various franchises, including “Star Trek.” He played two unrelated roles in “Star Trek” movies. He was among the large cast of James Cameron’s 1997 epic “Titanic” but was wasted in the role of a thug-like butler. More recently he recurred on the popular “Wallender” mystery series, starring Kenneth Branagh, as Wallender’s father in 2008-10. He played a simian senator in Tim Roth’s 2001 reimagining of “Planet of the Apes” and a doctor in the 2005 hit comedy “Ladies in Lavender.” He was subjected to a memorable decapitation in the film. The same year Warner starred with Nick Mancuso in killer-bat horror film “Nightwing” (the New York Times said: “Mr. Warner is quite funny — intentionally, I suspect — when he attempts to explain his fanaticism. David Warner was born in Manchester, England. His father changed jobs frequently, which meant the family moved from town to town, and David from school to school, where he performed poorly. We are heartbroken,” the statement continued. David Warner, the English actor who gave memorable performances on the big screen, in a key role in “The Omen,” and as villains in “Time After Time,” “Time Bandits” and “Tron,” has died.

Actor David Warner passed away at 80, leaving a legacy of great roles. One of his most notable roles in gaming was as a villain in Baldur's Gate.

He was incredibly powerful and ambivalent to the suffering of those in his path. Irenicus was so popular that developer Beamdog added a younger version of the character in an expansion called "Siege of Dragonspear" which was added to the Enhanced Edition of the original "Baldur's Gate." There was a sternness about Warner that lent a sense of gravitas to any scene he was in.