Richard Todd

Richard Todd (born June 11, 1919) is a British actor.

Related Topics:
June 11 - 1919 - British - Actor

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Born Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd in Dublin, Ireland, Todd was the son of a British officer who played international rugby for Ireland. He moved to Devon, England when very young and attended Shrewsbury School. During his early career he acted in regional theatres, before co-founding the Dundee Repertory Theatre in 1939.

Related Topics:
Dublin - Ireland - British - Devon - England

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When World War II began, he served as an officer and paratrooper. After landing in Normandy on D-Day he met up with Major John Howard on Pegasus Bridge — he would later appear in two films in which this scene was recreated: in D-Day the Sixth of June (1956) he played the commanding officer of the unit in which both of them served, and in The Longest Day (1962) he played Major Howard himself.

Related Topics:
World War II - Paratrooper - Normandy - D-Day - Pegasus Bridge - The Longest Day

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the war he gained fame in the London stage version of The Hasty Heart (as Lachlan MacLachlan), which took him to Broadway. He returned to England to appear in the film version and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role in 1949. He later appeared in the film The Dambusters as Wing Commander Guy Gibson, probably the role for which he is best remembered.

Related Topics:
London - The Hasty Heart - Broadway - Academy Award for Best Actor - 1949 - The Dambusters - Wing Commander - Guy Gibson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He has continued to act on television, including roles in Virtual Murder, Silent Witness, and in the Doctor Who story Kinda in 1982.

Related Topics:
Virtual Murder - Silent Witness - Doctor Who - Kinda - 1982

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He has continued an active acting career into his eighties. He was married to the actresses Catherine Grant-Bogle, whom he met in Dundee Repertory (1949-1970, two children) and Virginia Mailer (1970-1992, two children).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~