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Nicholas Anthony Phillip Clay (18 September 1946 – 25 May 2000) was an English actor.
Clay appeared in several West End theatre productions.
He returned to films with The Night Digger (1971), a horror film with Patricia Neal and was in episodes of Take Three Girls, Armchair Theatre, and Love Story.
Clay had the starring role of Charles Darwin in The Darwin Adventure (1972) and was in William: The Life, Works and Times of William Shakespeare (1972). He was cast in several of Laurence Olivier's Old Vic productions and during the 1970s came to be regarded as one of British theatre's most promising actors. At the National Theatre he played Aumerle in Richard II, Giovanni in Tis Pity She's a Whore (directed by Roland Joffe), Nugget in Equus, a Jumper in Jumpers (directed by Peter Wood), Rocca in Saturday Sunday Monday (directed by Franco Zeffirelli), Young Seward in Macbeth (directed by Michael Blakemore) and Acaste in The Misanthrope. Blakemore also directed him in the part of Young Inna in Arturo Ui at Nottingham Playhouse, where Clay acted several roles in Jonathan Miller's production of King Lear. He played Hastings in Clifford Williams's world tour of She Stoops to Conquer. The Misanthrope led Clay to the United States, where he also played this role on Broadway theatre in 1975. On the West End stage, Clay was Maurice in Flint (Criterion Theatre) and Trigorin in The Seagull (Cambridge Theatre).
He appeared in In This House of Brede (1975) with Diana Rigg and played Alan in the 1976 version of The Picture of Dorian Gray, alongside Peter Firth. Clay was in Terror of Frankenstein (1977) then did Saturday Sunday Monday (1978) with Laurence Olivier.
In 1978 he played Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton in the drama series Will Shakespeare, about the life of Shakespeare.
Clay had a small role in Zulu Dawn (1979) and was in Lovespell, filmed in 1979 but not released until 1981. He played Orestes in The Greeks: A Journey in Space and Time (1980).
In 1981 he gave his most widely seen screen performance, as Lancelot in the 1981 film Excalibur. He followed it playing the title role in The Search for Alexander the Great (1981). He appeared in Just Jaeckin's film version of D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover (1981), playing Mellors, and in Agatha Christie's Evil Under the Sun (1982), the latter reuniting him with Diana Rigg, his co-star in The Misanthrope. Director of Evil Guy Hamilton said "I was looking for someone like Stewart Granger or Michael Rennie - handsome, dashing, physical, romantic. Nick has it all. A fine sense of timing, the right looks and a good physique."
For TV Clay was in The Agatha Christie Hour (1982), in an adaptation of "In a Glass Darkly" then Russian Night... 1941 (1983), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983) and The Last Days of Pompeii (1984).
Clay continued working regularly on stage and appeared in a number of made-for-television films and miniseries. In 1984 he played Mike Preston in the Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense episode "Child's Play". He did Das Martyrium des heiligen Sebastian (1984) in Germany and The Corsican Brothers (1985) for TV. Clay was Doctor Percy Trevelyan in an episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes entitled "The Resident Patient".
Clay had support parts in Sleeping Beauty (1987), Lionheart (1987) and (1987). He also appeared in the UK ITV series Gentlemen and Players in 1988-89.
In 1992 he appeared with Kim Thomson in the BBC TV series Virtual Murder.
Later appearances included The New Adventures of Robin Hood, Zorro, Kavanagh QC, Shine on Harvey Moon, The Odyssey, Shanghai 1937, Bugs, Highlander, Psychos and playing Lord Leo in the 1998 TV miniseries Merlin starring Sam Neill.
His final screen appearance was in Roger Ashton-Griffiths' short film And Beyond.Nicholas Clay: 1F The Times 5 June 2000: 21 Later theatre work included Design for Living (1995).
In the latter years Clay taught drama at The Actors' Centre and the Academy of Live and Performing Arts, and also worked in association with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, generally in the role of promoting the organisation, or providing advice to acting students.
Death
Clay died in London on 25 May 2000, at age 53 from liver cancer.
Personal life
In 1980, Clay married actress Lorna Heilbron; they had two daughters.
Filmography
Film
1963 The Damned Richard 1971 The Night Digger aka The Road Builder Billy Jarvis 1972 The Darwin Adventure Charles Darwin 1977 Terror of Frankenstein Henry Clerval 1979 Zulu Dawn Lt. Raw 1981 Excalibur Lancelot 1981 Lady Chatterley's Lover Oliver Mellors 1981 Lovespell Tristan 1982 Evil Under the Sun Patrick Redfern 1987 Sleeping Beauty The Prince 1987 Lionheart Charles De Montfort
Television
1975 In This House of Brede David TV movie 1978 Will Shakespeare Earl of Southampton Television miniseries 1981 The Search for Alexander the Great Alexander the Great TV miniseries 1983 The Hound of the Baskervilles Jack Stapleton TV movie 1984 The Last Days of Pompeii Glaucus TV miniseries 1985 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Percy Trevelyan Episode: "The Resident Patient" 1987 Mdivani TV movie 1988 Gentlemen and Players Mike Savage 1991 Zorro Viscount Armand de Jussac 2 episodes 1992 Virtual Murder Dr. John Cornelius 1995 Shine on Harvey Moon Squadron Leader Cunningham 4 episodes 1995 Kavanagh QC Mr Justice Fulbright Episode "Blood Money" 1997 The Odyssey Menelaus TV miniseries The New Adventures of Robin Hood Sheriff of Nottingham 2 episodes Highlander Loxley Episode: "Unusual Suspects" 1998 Merlin Lord Leo TV miniseries 1999 Psychos Dr. Angus Harvey 6 episodes
External links
Categories: 1946 Births, 2000 Deaths, Alumni Of The Royal Academy Of Dramatic Art, Deaths From Liver Cancer In England, English Male Film Actors, Male Actors From London, English Male Stage Actors, English Male Television Actors, 20th-century English Male Actors, Actors From The London Borough Of Lambeth, People From Streatham
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