Denis Lawson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Denis Lawson (born September 27, 1947 in Crieff, Perth and Kinross), is a Scottish actor. He is best known for his roles as Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars-trilogy and as Gordon Urquhart in the film Local Hero.
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[edit] Personal Life
Lawson was born in Perthshire, Scotland, on September 27, 1947.
In 1979 he had a child, Jamie[1], with actress Diane Fletcher, with whom he had a seven year relationship after meeting in a stage production of Twelfth Night.
He met his wife, Sheila Gish, on the set of the 1985 film That Uncertain Feeling. They lived together for nearly twenty years before marrying in March 2004 (Antigua) ; she died of cancer a year later (March 9, 2005). Her daughter from a previous marriage, Lou Gish, also succumbed to cancer in 2006.
He is an uncle of actor Ewan McGregor, who later played Obi-wan Kenobi in the second Star Wars Trilogy.
[edit] Career
Lawson began his career with a small role in a 1969 stage production of The Metamorphosis in London's West End. and has since starred in television dramas such as Rock Follies (1976), Dead Head (1986).
He played X-wing pilot Wedge Antilles in all three original Star Wars movies, and later reprised the role, in voiceover form, for the Nintendo GameCube game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2.
He recently appeared on an episode of "Loose Ends" hosted by Ned Sherrin on BBC Radio 4 (Saturday 10th December 2005), during which his mobile phone rang.
In 2005, he played the leading role of John Jarndyce in the critically acclaimed BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House, receiving an Emmy nomination for his sympathetic supporting performance.
In 2007, he will feature in the BBC One drama serial Jekyll, a modern version of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.[1]
[edit] Filmography
- Dolls (2006)
- Sensitive Skin (2005) TV
- Bleak House (2005) TV
- Lucky Jim (2003) (TV)
- Holby City (2002-2004) TV
- Joy-Rider (2002)
- The Fabulous Bagel Boys (2001) TV
- leonard (2001)
- Other People's Children (2000) TV
- Bob Martin (1999) TV
- Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant (1998) TV
- The Ambassador (1998) TV
- The Round Tower (1998) TV
- Cervellini fritti impanati (1996)
- A Royal Scandal (1996) TV
- Born Kicking (1992) TV
- Natural Lies (1992) TV
- Bejewelled (1991) TV
- One Way Out (1989) TV
- The Justice Game (1989) TV
- The Zip (1988)
- Love After Lunch (1987) TV
- Kit Curran (1986) TV
- Dead Head (1986) TV
- That Uncertain Feeling (1985) TV
- The Chain (1984)
- The Kit Curran Radio Show (1984) TV
- Bitter Cherry (1983)
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Local Hero (1983)
- The Flipside of Dominick Hide (1980) TV
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- The Girl Who Walked Quickly (1978) (TV)
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
- Rock Follies of '77 (1977) TV
- Providence (1977)
- The Man in the Iron Mask (1977) TV
- Rock Follies (1976) TV
- Survivors (1975) TV
- Ms or Jill and Jack (1974) TV
- The Merchant of Venice (1973) TV
[edit] Video games
[edit] Trivia
- Return of the Jedi is the only Star Wars film in which his name is correctly spelled "Denis" in the ending credits. In the credits of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, his name is misspelled "Dennis".
- As a joke, George Lucas asked him to play the role of Raymus Antilles (who is in no way related to Wedge) in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. However, Lawson declined.
- McGregor, interviewed in the August 2005 issue of Playboy, said that Lawson advised him to turn down the role of the young Obi-Wan.
- Was a teacher of Actors Cut and Actors Cut 2 at the Actors Centre in London, UK.
- During his filming of Hornblower , they had to be at sea for 12 hours a day...Lawson said that he was sick nearly all of the time.
- Denis turned his hand to writing and directing with the short film Solid Geometry for Channel 4. Based on Ian McEwan's* short story, Lawson's nephew Ewan McGregor played the lead role. He's also directed for the stage, including the West End* play Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs, again starring Ewan.
- He was a regular in Holby City between 2002 and 2004, playing alcoholic surgeon Tom Campbell-Gore.
- His sister, Carol Diane McGregor, dark, wavy-haired is a retired teacher who still lives in Perthshire. She’s the mother of actor Ewan McGregor and now serves as his personal assistant. She has a cameo in Shallow Grave.
- Early drama school castmate of Ian McDiarmid
- In the 1983 movie Local Hero (1983), Lawson played Gordon Urquhart; in the TV series "Holby City" (1999), he played Tom Campbell-Gore; and, in Lucky Jim (2003) (TV), he played Jules Gore-Urquhart.
- Glasgow Film Theatre (Glasgow, Scotland) has seat DO81 dedicated to him and his nephew Ewan McGregor: "For Ewan McGregor and Denis Lawson. Talent without frontiers."
[edit] Notes
- ^ An all-star cast to appear in BBC ONE's Jekyll. BBC Press Office (2006-08-29). Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
[edit] External links
- Denis Lawson at the Internet Movie Database
- Denis Lawson Obsession - A large repository of information on his career and personal life.
- Holby City & Casualty forum
- TomCampbellGoreRules yahoo group - Denis Lawson Fans Unite!
- Denis Lawson Yahoo Group, 2006
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Lawson, Denis |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Scottish actor |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 27, 1947 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Crieff, Perth and Kinross |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
