- Michael Gough
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For other people named Michael Gough, see Michael Gough (disambiguation).For the American voice actor, see Michael Gough (voice actor).
Michael Gough 
Gough as Alfred Pennyworth in BatmanBorn 23 November 1916
Kuala Lumpur, British MalayaDied 17 March 2011 (aged 94)
London, EnglandNationality British Occupation Actor Years active 1946–2010 Spouse Diana Graves (divorced)
Anne Leon (m. 1950–1964, divorced)
Anneke Wills (m. 1962–79, divorced)
Henrietta Lawrence (m. 1980–2011, his death)Michael Gough (pronounced /ˈɡɔːf/ gawf; 23 November 1916 – 17 March 2011)[1][2] was an English character actor who appeared in over 150 films. He is perhaps best known to international audiences for his roles in the Hammer Horror films from 1958, and for his recurring role as Alfred Pennyworth in all four movies of the Burton/Schumacher Batman franchise, beginning with Batman (1989).
Contents
Early life and career
Michael Gough was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya (now Malaysia), the son of British parents Frances Atkins (née Bailie) and Francis Berkeley Gough.[3][4][5] Gough was educated in Rye Hill school, Tunbridge Wells, and Durham School, he moved onto Wye Agricultural College which he left to go to the Old Vic.[6][7] During World War II Gough was a conscientious objector, like his friend Frith Banbury, although he was obliged to serve in the Non-Combatant Corps[8] and was a member of No. 6 Company, NCC, in Liverpool.[9] Gough made his film debut in 1948 in Blanche Fury, and since appeared extensively on British television. In 1955, he portrayed one of the two murderers who kill the Duke of Clarence (John Gielgud) as well as the two little princes in Laurence Olivier's Richard III.
Gough became known for appearances in horror films including Dracula (1958), Horrors of the Black Museum (1959), The Phantom of the Opera (1962), The Corpse (Velvet House, 1970) and Norman J. Warren's stockbroker-Satanism debut Satan's Slave (1976).
Gough guest-starred on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, as the villain in the serial The Celestial Toymaker (1966) and also as Councillor Hedin in Arc of Infinity (1983). He also played the automation-obsessed, wheelchair-using Dr. Armstrong in "The Cybernauts", one of the best remembered episodes of The Avengers (1965). In the Ian Curteis television play Suez 1956 (1979) he played Prime Minister Anthony Eden. He also appeared in The Citadel (1983) as Sir Jenner Halliday, and in 1985's Out of Africa as Lord Delamere.
Later roles
His later roles included Alfred Pennyworth for director Tim Burton, including Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). He also reprised his role as Alfred in the 1994 BBC radio adaptation of Batman: Knightfall and in Joel Schumacher Batman films, Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997). Gough was one of two actors to have appeared in the four Batman films; the other actor was Pat Hingle (as Commissioner Gordon). Gough worked for Burton again in 1999's Sleepy Hollow and 2005's Corpse Bride. He also briefly reprised his Alfred role in six 2001 television commercials for the OnStar automobile tracking system, informing Batman of the system's installation in the Batmobile. As a favour to Burton, Gough came out of retirement once more to appear in Burton's Alice in Wonderland.[10]
Awards and nominations
He won Broadway's 1979 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role – Play) for Bedroom Farce. He was also nominated in the same category in 1988 for Breaking the Code.
He won a BAFTA TV Award in 1957 and was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award in 1972 for his work in The Go-Between.
He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play in 1979 for Bedroom Farce and again in 1988 for Breaking the Code.
Personal life
Gough was married four times—one of his ex-wives is Anne Elizabeth Leon (born 1925). They married in 1950, their daughter Emma Frances was born in 1953 and they divorced in 1964.[5] Another ex-wife is Doctor Who actor Anneke Wills, who played the Doctor's companion Polly. Wills had encountered him at various times during her life—firstly during a theatre trip with her mother in 1952—but they first met formally, on the set of Candidate for Murder and the attraction was instant. Gough adopted Wills's daughter Polly, and in 1965 their son Jasper was born. Gough was close friends with actor Alan Napier who played Alfred Pennyworth in the 1966's series.
Death
Michael Gough died on 17 March 2011 in London[citation needed] at the age of 94 after a short illness. He was survived by his fourth wife, Henrietta, daughter Emma and sons Simon (who is married to actress Sharon Gurney, the daughter of the Upstairs, Downstairs actress Rachel Gurney) and Jasper.[11] Michael Keaton, his co-star in the first two Batman films, said that Gough was sweet and charming and wrote, "To Mick – my butler, my confidant, my friend, my Alfred. I love you. God bless. Michael (Mr Wayne) Keaton."[12]
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes 1948 Anna Karenina Nicholai 1948 Blanche Fury Laurence Fury 1948 Saraband for Dead Lovers Prince Charles 1949 The Small Back Room Capt. Dick Stuart 1951 Blackmailed Maurice Edwards 1951 The Man in the White Suit Michael Corland 1953 Twice Upon a Time Mr. Lloyd 1953 The Sword and the Rose Duke of Buckingham 1953 Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue Duke of Montrose 1955 Richard III Dighton, the first murderer 1956 Reach for the Sky Flying Instructor Pearson 1957 Ill Met by Moonlight Andoni Zoidakis 1958 Dracula Arthur Holmwood 1958 The Horse's Mouth Abel 1959 Model for Murder Kingsley Beauchamp 1959 Horrors of the Black Museum Edmond Bancroft 1961 What a Carve Up! Fisk, the butler 1961 Konga Dr. Charles Decker 1962 The Phantom of the Opera Ambrose D'Arcy 1963 Black Zoo Michael Conrad 1963 Tamahine Cartwright 1965 Dr. Terror's House of Horrors Eric Landor Segment four: "Disembodied Hand" 1965 The Skull Auctioneer 1966 Alice in Wonderland March Hare 1966 Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker Celestial Toymaker 1967 Berserk! Albert Dorando 1968 Curse of the Crimson Altar Elder 1969 Women in Love Tom Brangwen 1969 A Walk with Love and Death Mad Monk 1970 Julius Caesar Metellus Cimber 1970 Trog Sam Murdock 1970 The Go-Between Mr. Maudsley 1970 The Corpse Walter Eastwood Also known as Velvet House and Crucible of Horror 1972 Henry VIII and His Six Wives Norfolk 1972 Savage Messiah M. Gaudier 1973 Horror Hospital Dr. Christian Storm 1973 The Legend of Hell House Emeric Belasco Uncredited 1976 Satan's Slave Uncle Alexander Yorke 1978 The Boys from Brazil Mr. Harrington 1981 Venom David Ball 1982 Smiley's People Mikhel 1983 Doctor Who: Arc of Infinity Councillor Hedin 1983 The Dresser Frank Carrington 1984 Oxford Blues Doctor Ambrose 1984 Top Secret! Dr. Paul Flammond 1984 A Christmas Carol Mr. Poole 1985 Out of Africa Baron Delamere 1986 Caravaggio Cardinal Del Monte 1987 Inspector Morse: The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn Philip Ogleby 1987 The Fourth Protocol Sir Bernard Hemmings 1988 The Serpent and the Rainbow Schoonbacher 1989 Strapless Douglas Brodie 1989 Batman Alfred Pennyworth 1989 Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome Alfred Pennyworth Voice 1991 Let Him Have It Lord Goddard 1992 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Russia 1910 Leo Tolstoy 1992 Batman Returns Alfred Pennyworth 1993 The Age of Innocence Henry van der Luyden 1993 The Hour of the Pig Magistrate Boniface 1993 Wittgenstein Bertrand Russell 1995 Batman Forever Alfred Pennyworth 1997 Batman & Robin Alfred Pennyworth 1998 St. Ives Comte de Saint-Yves 1999 The Cherry Orchard Feers 1999 Sleepy Hollow Notary Hardenbrook 2005 Corpse Bride Elder Gutknecht Voice 2010 Alice in Wonderland Uilleam Voice; Final role References
- ^ Gough in the London Times, 23 June 1997: "There was some indecision as to when I was born. My sister said it was 1916. I'd lost my birth certificate." Gough's wife Henrietta confirmed 1916 (and not 1915) as her husband's birth year in 2010 (see Christian Heger: Mondbeglänzte Zaubernächte. Das Kino von Tim Burton. Marburg 2010).
- ^ Eric Shorter Obituary: Michael Gough, The Guardian, 17 March 2011
- ^ Michael Gough Biography
- ^ Michael Gough Biography – Yahoo! Movies
- ^ a b thePeerage.com – Person Page 18350
- ^ "Michael Gough". The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/person/27964/Michael-Gough/biography. Retrieved 8 November 2009. "Education: Wye Agricultural College, England; Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, England, Major – drama; Durham School, England; Rose Hill School, Kent, England"
- ^ Eric Shorter (17 March 2011). "Michael Gough obituary". London: guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/mar/17/michael-gough-obituary. Retrieved 21 April 2011. "Michael Gough, actor, born 23 November 1916; died 17 March 2011 ... He was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, where his father was a rubber planter. After attending Rose Hill school, Tunbridge Wells, and Durham school, he dropped out of Wye Agricultural College in Kent in order to study acting at the Old Vic."
- ^ Read, Piers Paul (2005). Alec Guinness: the authorized biography. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0743244982.
- ^ Starkey, Pat (1992). I will not fight: conscientious objectors and pacifists in the North West during the Second World War. Liverpool Historical Studies. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0853234671.
- ^ "Michael Gough, 94, was butler Alfred in “Batman”". bcdb.com, March 17, 2011
- ^ "Michael Gough, Batman's Alfred, dies aged 94". BBC News. 17 March 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12772355.
- ^ Mike Moody. "Michael Keaton praises Michael Gough". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.com/celebrity/news/a309844/michael-keaton-praises-michael-gough.html.
External links
- Michael Gough at Find a Grave
- Michael Gough at the Internet Movie Database
- Michael Gough at AllRovi
- Michael Gough at the Internet Broadway Database
- Gough's obituary in The Telegraph newspaper
British Academy Television Award for Best Actor (1952-1959) Paul Rogers (1955) · Peter Cushing (1956) · Michael Gough (1957) · Michael Hordern (1958) · Donald Pleasence (1959)
Complete list · (1955–1959) · (1960–1979) · (1980–1999) · (2000–2019) Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play (1976–2000) Edward Herrmann (1976) · Jonathan Pryce (1977) · Lester Rawlins (1978) · Michael Gough (1979) · David Rounds (1980) · Brian Backer (1981) · Zakes Mokae (1982) · Matthew Broderick (1983) · Joe Mantegna (1984) · Barry Miller (1985) · John Mahoney (1986) · John Randolph (1987) · B. D. Wong (1988) · Boyd Gaines (1989) · Charles Durning (1990) · Kevin Spacey (1991) · Laurence Fishburne (1992) · Stephen Spinella (1993) · Jeffrey Wright (1994) · John Glover (1995) · Ruben Santiago-Hudson (1996) · Owen Teale (1997) · Tom Murphy (1998) · Frank Wood (1999) · Roy Dotrice (2000)
Complete list · (1949–1975) · (1976–2000) · (2001–2025) Notable actors and actresses appearing in Hammer films Ralph Bates · Peter Cushing · Veronica Carlson · John Carson · Jennifer Daniel · Edward de Souza · Clifford Evans · Suzan Farmer · Michael Gough · Andrew Keir · Duncan Lamont · Christopher Lee · Miles Malleson · Francis Matthews · André Morell · Richard Pasco · Jacqueline Pearce · Ingrid Pitt · Oliver Reed · Michael Ripper · Yvonne Romain · Barbara Shelley · Patrick Troughton · Thorley Walters · Barry Warren · Noel Willman
Categories:- 1916 births
- 2011 deaths
- BAFTA winners (people)
- British conscientious objectors
- Drama Desk Award winners
- English film actors
- English television actors
- English stage actors
- English voice actors
- Old Dunelmians
- People from Kuala Lumpur
- Tony Award winners
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