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Brian Bedford Biography (1935-)

Born February 16, 1935, in Morley, Yorkshire, England; son of Arthur (a postman) and Ellen (maiden name, O'Donnell) Bedford. Avocational interests: Traveling, reading, going to the movies and theater. Career: Actor and director. Awards, Honors: Obie Award, for acting, Village Voice, 1964, for The Knack; Drama Desk Award, outstanding performance, 1969, for The Misanthrope; Drama Desk Award, outstanding performance, 1970, for Private Lives; Antoinette Perry Award, best dramatic actor, and Drama Desk award, outstanding performance, 1971, both for The Schoolfor Wives; Drama Desk Award, outstanding performance, 1974, for Jumpers; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best performance by a leading actor in a play, and Drama Desk Award, outstanding performance, 1992, both for Two Shakespearean Actors; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best performance by a leading actor in a dramatic play, 1994, for Timon of Athens; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best performance by a leading actor in aplay, and Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, outstanding performance byan actor, 1995, both for The Moliere Comedies; inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame, 1997; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best performance bya leading actor in a play, 1997, for London Assurance. Addresses: Office: P.O. Box 298, Hurley, NY 12443-0298.

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor, director

Birth Details

February 16, 1935

Morley, Yorkshire, England

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Stage Appearances
• (Stage debut) Decius Brutus, Julius Caesar, Bradford Civic Theatre, 1951
• (London debut) Travis de Coppet, The Young and the Beautiful, ArtsTheatre Club, London, 1956
• Rodolpho, A View from the Bridge, Comedy Theatre, London, 1956
• Arviragus, Cymbeline, Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1957
• Ariel, The Tempest, Memorial Theatre, then Drury Lane Theatre, London, 1957
• Clive Harrington, Five Finger Exercise, Comedy Theatre, 1958
• (New York debut) Clive Harrington, Five Finger Exercise, Music BoxTheatre, 1959
• David Roddingham, Write Me a Murder, Lyric Theatre, London, 1962
• Derek Pengo, Lord Pengo, Royale Theatre, New York City, 1962
• Louis Dubedat, The Doctor's Dilemma, Haymarket Theatre, London, 1963
• Tchaik, The Private Ear, Morosco Theatre, New York City, then Wimbledon, England, 1963
• Tom, The Knack, New Theatre, New York City, 1964
• Tom, The Knack, The Establishment Theatre Company, Huntington Hartford Theatre, Hollywood, CA, 1966
• James, The Astrakhan Coat, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, 1967
• General, The Unknown Soldier and His Wife, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, then George Abbott Theatre, 1967
• Edward Chamberlayne, The Cocktail Party, Lyceum Theatre, New YorkCity, 1968
• Alceste, The Misanthrope, Lyceum Theatre, 1968
• Lot, The Seven Descents of Myrtle, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1968
• Title role, Hamlet, American Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT,1969
• Tusenback, Three Sisters, American Shakespeare Festival, 1969
• Elyot Chase, Private Lives, Billy Rose Theatre, New York City, 1969
• Arnolphe, The School for Wives, Lyceum Theatre, 1971
• General, The Unknown Soldier and His Wife, New Theatre, London, 1973
• George Moore, Jumpers, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC, then BillyRose Theatre, 1974
• Angelo, Measure for Measure, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, 1975
• Malvolio, Twelfth Night, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1975
• Actor, The Guardsman, Center Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre, LosAngeles, 1976 then Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1977
• Title role, Richard III, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1977
• Jacques, As You Like It, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1977-78
• Leontes, The Winter's Tale, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1978
• Astrov, Uncle Vanya, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1978
• Elyot Chase, Private Lives, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1978
• Benedick, Much Ado about Nothing, Stratford Shakespeare Festival,1980
• Trigorin, The Seagull, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1980
• Malvolio, Twelfth Night, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1980
• Charles, Blithe Spirit, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, then RoyalAlexandra Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1981
• Alceste, The Misanthrope, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1981
• Isaac Newton, The Physicists, Kennedy Center, 1982
• Title role, Tartuffe, Kennedy Center, 1982
• Bluntschli, Arms and the Man, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1982
• Alceste, The Misanthrope, Circle in the Square, New York City, 1983
• Title role, Richard II, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1983
• Title role, Tartuffe, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1983-84
• Bottom, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1984
• Vladimir, Waiting for Godot, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1984
• Henry, The Real Thing, Citadel Theatre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,1984
• Prospero, The Tempest, Citadel Theatre, 1985
• Elyot Chase, Private Lives, Citadel Theatre, 1986
• Title role, Richard II, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, 1986
• Charles Gounod, Opera Comique, Kennedy Center, 1987
• Gay Easterbrook, No Time for Comedy, Berkshire Festival, Stockbridge, MS, 1987
• Shylock, The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger, Washington, DC, 1988
• Shylock, The Merchant of Venice, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1989
• Lord Foppington, The Relapse, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1989
• Title role, Macbeth, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1990
• Brutus, Julius Caesar, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1990
• Arnolphe, The School for Wives, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1991
• Dogberry, Much Ado about Nothing, Stratford Shakespeare Festival,1991
• Title role, Timon of Athens, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1991
• William Charles Mac Ready, Two Shakespearean Actors, Cord Theatre,New York City, 1991-92
• The Duke, Measure for Measure, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1992
• Title role, Timon of Athens, Lyceum Theatre, 1993
• Twelfth Night,1994
• Sganarelle, The School for Husbands, and Sganarelle, The Imaginary Cuckold, billed together as The Moliere Comedies, Roundabout Theatre Company, Criterion Center Stage Right, New York City, 1995
• Antonio Salieri, Amadeus, Festival Stage, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1996
• The Little Foxes, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1996
• Dr. Martin Dysart, Equus, Avon Theatre, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1997
• Sir Harcourt Courtly, London Assurance, Roundabout Theatre Company, Criterion Center, 1997
• Benedick, Much Ado About Nothing, Stratford Shakespeare Festival,Stratford, Ontario, 1998
• Also appeared in The Tavern, Academy Festival Theatre.
• Major Tours
• Title role, Butley, U.S. cities, 1973
• Martin Dysart, Equus, U.S. cities, 1975
• Sidney Bruhl, Deathtrap, North American cities, 1979-80
• Ken Harrison, Whose Life Is It, Anyway?, North American cities, 1980
• Henry, The Real Thing, U.S. cities, 1985
• One-man Shakespeare show, The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet, North American cities, 1989-93
• Stage Work
• Stager, The Knack, Hartford Theatre, Hollywood, CA, 1966
• Director, Titus Andronicus, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1978
• Director, Titus Andronicus, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1980
• Director, Coriolanus, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1981
• Director, Blithe Spirit, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1981
• Director, Tartuffe, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1982
• Director, The Rivals, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1982
• Director, Much Ado about Nothing, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, 1986
• Director, Phaedra, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1990
• Director, Othello, Avon Theatre, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1994
• Director, Waiting for Godot, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1996
• Director, Equus, Avon Theatre, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, 1997
• Director, The Winter's Tale, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Ontario, 1998
• Film Appearances
• Man of the Moment, Group, 1955
• Johnny, Miracle in Soho, Rank, 1957
• Eddie Barrett, The Angry Silence, British Lion, 1960
• Jimmy Gale, Number Six(also known as Edgar Wallace Mysteries: Number Six), Anglo-Amalgamated, 1962
• Escort, The Punch and Judy Man, Warner Pathe, 1963
• Bob Handman, The Pad and How to Use It, Universal, 1966
• Scott Stoddard, Grand Prix, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1966
• Voice of Robin Hood, Walt Disney's Robin Hood(animated), BuenaVista, 1973
• Robin Hood, The Walt Disney Comedy and Magic Revue,1985
• Clyde Tolson, Nixon, Buena Vista, 1995
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Anthony, Coronet Blue, CBS, 1967
• Miniseries
• Sir John Morland, Scarlett, CBS, 1994
• Movies
• Lentulus, Androcles and the Lion, NBC, 1967
• Dr. Castle, The Last Best Year, ABC, 1990
• Henry Callaway Kent, Armistead Maupin's More Tales of the City, Showtime, 1998
• Episodic
• Sgt. Oliver Grant, "Bump and Run," The Equalizer, CBS, 1985
• Greg Stone, "How to Recede in Business," Cheers, NBC, 1988
• Alastair Andrews, "Benedict Arnold Slipped Here," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1988
• Sherlock Holmes, "My Dear Watson," Alfred Hitchcock Presents, NBC,1989
• "Time Present, Time Past," The Equalizer, CBS, 1989
• Edward, "Out with Dad," Frasier, NBC, 2000
• Also appeared in Bob, CBS.
• Specials
• Voice of Adolf Eichmann, The Trial of Adolf Eichmann, PBS, 1997

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

• Maclean's, June 22, 1998, p. 56.