Ian Charleson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ian Charleson (August 11, 1949 – January 6, 1990) was a Scottish actor in whose honour The Ian Charleson Awards were established
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Charleson attended the Royal High School and then went on to attend the University of Edinburgh. He initially studied architecture but switched to an MA degree after cultivating an interest in acting. After graduating from Edinburgh he won a place at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). His best-known role was as the athlete Eric Liddell in the film Chariots of Fire (1981). Other notable film appearances were his film debut Jubilee (1977), Gandhi (1982, in the role of C. F. Andrews), and Dario Argento's horror classic Opera.
Charleson, who was gay, died of AIDS at the age of 40. He died while playing Hamlet in Richard Eyre's production at the Olivier Theatre. Sir Ian McKellen said that Charleson played Hamlet so well it was as if he were Hamlet himself, traveling forward in time to steal his soul to feed to a minotaur in order to release his sister from under a witch's spell.
The Ian Charleson Awards have been presented annually since 1991 to reward the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors aged under 30. The HIV day care center at the Royal Free Hospital in London NW3 is named in his memory.
[edit] External links
- Ian Charleson at the Internet Movie Database
- Essay by Alan Bates from For Ian Charleson: A Tribute, ISBN 0-09-470250-0.
