David Burke (British actor)
David Burke | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 May 1934 Liverpool, Lancashire, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Spouse | Anna Calder-Marshall |
| Children | Tom Burke |
David Burke (born 25 May 1934)[1] is an English actor, known for playing Dr. John Watson in the initial series of Granada Television's 1980s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which starred Jeremy Brett in the title role.[2] He also starred as Joseph Stalin in the last two episodes of Reilly, Ace of Spies.[3]
Early life
Burke was born on 25 May 1934 in Liverpool, England, and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[4]
Career
In the theatre, Burke originated the part of Niels Bohr in Michael Frayn's Copenhagen.[5]
Burke played Dr. Watson in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for the initial series and then left the programme after receiving an invitation to join the Royal Shakespeare Company along with his wife, Anna.[6] They both considered the joint work to be the best idea for their young son, Tom, who was around 3 years old at the time.[7][8] He was thought by many to portray Dr. Watson with an excellent style.[9][10] He was replaced by Edward Hardwicke, whom he had recommended as his successor.[11] Burke had earlier experience with Holmes having played the villain in an adaptation of "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" for the 1965 BBC series[12] starring Douglas Wilmer and Nigel Stock.
Other notable TV appearances include his turn as Joseph Stalin in the British serial Reilly, Ace of Spies and the John Wyndham science fiction story Random Quest.[13] He also played William Morris in the 1975 series The Love School.[14] Burke frequently portrays Johannes Coenradus Klene in the Dutch commercials for Klene liquorice. He was also in the "Midsomer Rhapsody" episode of Midsomer Murders in 2005. He appeared with his son, Tom Burke, in the 2006 BBC adaptation of the M.R. James ghost story, Number 13. He appeared with his wife, Anna Calder-Marshall, in the 2018 short film Only the Lonely.
Personal life
Burke is married to Anna Calder-Marshall.[15] Their son Tom Burke is also an actor.[16] Burke is an Everton supporter.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Rattle of a Simple Man | Jack | Uncredited |
| 2005 | The Trial of the King Killers | Hugh Peters | |
| 2009 | The Summer House | Freddie | Short |
| 2010 | Love & Distrust | Freddie | Video |
| 2012 | The Woman in Black | PC Collins | |
| 2016 | The Young Messiah | The Blind Rabbi | |
| 2018 | Only the Lonely | George | Short |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Avengers | John James Wrightson | Episode: "Death of a Batman" |
| The Sentimental Agent | Civic Guard | Episode: "May the Saints Preserve Us" | |
| 1963–1966 | Coronation Street | John Benjamin / Schoolmaster | 5 episodes |
| 1963–1967 | ITV Play of the Week | Major Digby/Ken Wickes | 2 episodes |
| 1963–1969 | Z Cars | Ernie Franks / Dannyboy / Johnny Oulton | 5 episodes |
| 1965 | Sherlock Holmes | Sir George Burnwell | Episode: "The Beryl Coronet" |
| 1965-1966 | Redcap | Private Burroughs/Corproral Bond | 2 episodes |
| 1965-1968 | Dixon of Dock Green | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1966 | Softly, Softly | Swaine | Episode: "Best Out of Three" |
| The Baron | Whetlor | Episode: "You Can't Win Them All" | |
| 1968 | Dr. Finlay's Casebook | Dr. Rawlings | Episode: "'Is Anybod There?' Said the Traveller" |
| The Champions | Roger Carson | Episode: "The Fanatics" | |
| 1969 | The Wednesday Play | Len | Episode: "There is Also Tomorrow" |
| 1970 | The Woodlanders | Giles Winterborne | 4 episodes |
| 1971 | ITV Sunday Night Theatre | Dan | Episode: "The Hotel in Amsterdam" |
| Hine | George Dyson MP | Episode: "The Old School Noose" | |
| The Guardians | Dr. Frank Benedict | 8 episodes | |
| 1971-1979 | Play for Today | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1972 | Villains | Eric | Episode: "Billy Boy |
| 1973 | Barlow at Large | Bill Walker | Episode: "Informant" |
| 1975 | The Love School | William Morris | 4 episodes |
| Rooms | Alan | 2 episodes | |
| 1975-1979 | Crown Court | Dr Boyd | 4 serials |
| 1977 | Esther Waters | Fred Parsons | 2 episodes |
| 1978 | Armchair Thriller | Tom Amyas MP | Serial: "Quiet as a Nun" |
| 1981-1983 | BBC Television Shakespeare | Various | 1983 |
| 1982-1983 | Nanny | Sam Tavener | 5 episodes |
| 1983 | Reilly, Ace of Spies | Joseph Stalin | 2 episodes |
| 1984–1985 | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Dr John Watson | 13 episodes |
| 1988 | Screen Two | Gareth | Episode: "Run for the Lifeboat" |
| 1993–2002 | Casualty | James / Ron Fisher | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | In Suspicious Circumstances | James Maybrick | Segment: "Poisoned Whispers" |
| The House of Eliott | Sir John Coworough | 2 episodes | |
| Shakespeare: The Animated Tales | Narrator | Episode: As You Like It | |
| Space Precinct | Vachel | Episode: "Seek and Destroy" | |
| 1995 | Agatha Christie’s Poirot | Sir Arthur Stanley | Episode: "Hickory Dickory Dock" |
| 1996 | Testament: The Bible in Animation | God | Episode: "Creation and the Flood" |
| 1998 | Performance | Kent | Episode: King Lear |
| The Bill | Ch.Supt.Golding / Chief Supt. Golding | 2 episodes | |
| 2002 | Animated Tales of the World | Goat-Kneed Commander | Episode: "The Sheppardess and the Chimney Sweep: A Story from Denmark" |
| Bertie and Elizabeth | Lord Reith | TV movie | |
| Waking the Dead | Philip Bryant | 2 episodes | |
| 2003 | Doctors | Martin Shepley | Episode: "The Long and Winding Road" |
| 2004 | The Inspector Lynley Mysteries | DSI Webberley | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | The Afternoon Play | Judge | Episode: The Trouble With George" |
| A View from a Hill | Patten | TV movie | |
| Dalziel and Pascoe | Paul Boddison | 2 episodes | |
| Spooks | Fiona's Father | Episode: "The Russian" | |
| 2005-2006 | A Ghost Story for Christmas | Pattene/Gunton | 2 episodes |
| 2005–2016 | Midsomer Murders | John “Hedge” Farrow / Fred Messenger | |
| 2006 | Number 13 | Gunton, Hotel Landlord | TV movie |
| 2007 | Holby City | Bernie Moore | Episode: "The Reckoning" |
| 2014 | The Musketeers | Father Duval | Episode: "The Reckoning" |
| 2015 | Harry Price: Ghost Hunter | Leonard Thornton | TV movie |
| 2016 | Heartbeat | Dr. David | 2 episodes |
References
- ^ Redmond 2011, p. 249.
- ^ "Obituary - Edward Hardwicke". The Daily Telegraph. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- ^ Angelini, Sergio. "Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983)". BFI Screenonline. British Film Institute. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- ^ McMullen 2012.
- ^ Law 2011, p. 126.
- ^ Davies 2007.
- ^ Haining 1994, p. 172.
- ^ Barnes 2002, p. 118.
- ^ Haining 1994, p. 169.
- ^ Hulse, Stephen R. (2000). "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984)". Television Heaven. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ Barnes 2002.
- ^ Smith 2009, pp. 81, 108.
- ^ "BBC Four - Random Quest". BBC. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- ^ "The Love School: The Artisan". BBC Genome Project. BBC. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- ^ Cotter 2013, p. 36.
- ^ Amer, Matthew (26 July 2012). "My Place: Tom Burke". Official London Theatre. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
Bibliography
- Barnes, Alan (2002). Sherlock Holmes on Screen. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. ISBN 978-1903111048.
- Cotter, Robert Michael (2013). The Women of Hammer Horror: A Biographical Dictionary and Filmography. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786472086.
- Davies, David Stuart (2007). Starring Sherlock Holmes. Titan Books. ISBN 9781845765378.
- Haining, Peter (1994). The Television Sherlock Holmes. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0863697937.
- Law, Jonathan (2011). The Methuen Drama Dictionary of the Theatre. Methuen Drama. ISBN 9781408131473.
- McMullen, Kieran (2012). The Many Watsons. MX Publishing. ISBN 9781780923031.
- Redmond, Christopher (2011). Sherlock Holmes Handbook (2nd ed.). Dundurn Group Ltd. ISBN 9781554884469.
- Smith, Daniel (2009). The Sherlock Holmes Companion: An Elementary Guide. Castle Books. ISBN 9780785827849.
External links
- David Burke at IMDb