Hywel Bennett

Hywel Thomas Bennett[1] (8 April 1944 – 25 July 2017) was a Welsh film and television actor. Bennett was best known for a series of films in the 60s starring opposite Hayley Mills, and later on television as James Shelley in the sitcom Shelley (1979–1992).

Hywel Bennett
Born
Hywel Thomas Bennett

(1944-04-08)8 April 1944
Garnant, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Died25 July 2017(2017-07-25) (aged 73)
Cardiff, Wales
Alma materRADA
OccupationActor
Years active1965–2007
Spouse(s)
​
(
m. 1970; div. 1988)

Sandra Layne Fulford
(
m. 1998)
Children1

After becoming known for his role in the comedy film The Virgin Soldiers (1969), Bennett made appearances in films such as Loot (1970) and Percy (1971). He was in EastEnders during 2003 as crime boss Jack Dalton.

Early life

Bennett was born in Garnant, Carmarthenshire, Wales, the son of Sarah Gwen (née Lewis) and Gorden Bennett.[2] He was the brother of actor Alun Lewis, who is best known for playing Vic Windsor in Emmerdale. Bennett was brought up in London from an early age, and attended Sunnyhill School, Streatham, Henry Thornton Grammar School, Clapham (1955–62) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[3]

Career

Bennett debuted on stage in the role of Ophelia in a Queen's Theatre production of Hamlet in 1959.[3]

His first film appearance was as Leonardo in the 1966 Italian Il marito è mio e l'ammazzo quando mi pare ("It's my husband and I'll decide when to kill him"), directed by Pasquale Festa Campanile, a comedy in which a young wife carefully plans to murder her husband, who is 40 years her senior, to marry a young beatnik.[4]

He starred opposite Hayley Mills in several films, including The Family Way (1966), Twisted Nerve (1968) and Endless Night (1972).

He starred in The Virgin Soldiers (1969), the film adaptation of Loot (1970) by Joe Orton, and Percy (1971).[5] In 1969, contemporary critic Roger Ebert called him "one of England's best young actors".[6]

On television Bennett appeared in Doctor Who (1965) and The Sweeney (1976).[7]

He played major parts in several Dennis Potter television plays, including Where the Buffalo Roam (1966), an episode of 1978's Pennies from Heaven, "Better Think Twice", in which he played Tom, a pimp; Karaoke (1996); and Cold Lazarus (also 1996). He took the lead role in Shelley (1979–84) and its sequel The Return of Shelley (1988–92).

He was also the villainous Mr Croup in Neil Gaiman's serial Neverwhere (1996).[8] Bennett also starred in the four-part BBC mini-series Malice Aforethought (1979) based on a novel written in the 1920s by Francis Iles.[9] Bennett's character, Ricki Tarr, was pivotal in the BBC serial based on John le Carré's novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979).[6] He also appeared in Lock, Stock... (2000) as Deep Throat.[10]

In 2003, Bennett joined the cast of the long-running soap opera EastEnders as Jack Dalton – the ruthless gangland kingpin of Walford.

Bennett also appeared as an occasional character, Peter Baxter, on The Bill and was in the first episode of Jam & Jerusalem.[11][12]

He appeared in the 1986 music video of "Loving You's a Dirty Job but Somebody's Gotta Do It" by Bonnie Tyler and Todd Rundgren in which he lip synced Rundgren's vocals.

Personal life and death

From 1970 to 1988, Bennett was married to Cathy McGowan, who was the presenter of the TV rock show Ready Steady Go! in the mid-1960s. They had a daughter, Emma. In 1998, he married Sandra Layne Fulford.

Bennett retired from acting in 2007 after being diagnosed with a congenital heart defect,[13] and later moved to Deal, Kent. He died on 25 July 2017, aged 73.[14][3]

Filmography

Films

Television
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References
  1. Hayward, Anthony (4 August 2017). "Hywel Bennett obituary" – via www.theguardian.com.
  2. "Hywel Bennett Biography (1944–)". www.filmreference.com.
  3. Williamson, Marcus (3 August 2017). "Hywel Bennett obituary: Beloved actor who rose to fame as a sitcom star". The Independent. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  4. "Il MARITO È MIO E L'AMMAZZO QUANDO MI PARE (1967)". BFI. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  5. "Hywel Bennett – Movies and Filmography – AllMovie". AllMovie.
  6. "Hywel Bennett obituary: fashionable young man who grew up fast – Sight & Sound".
  7. "Il MARITO È MIO E L'AMMAZZO QUANDO MI PARE (1967)". BFI. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  8. "EastEnders star Hywel Bennett passes away aged 73". 4 August 2017.
  9. "Malice Aforethought Part 3 (1979)".
  10. "Lock, Stock...And Spaghetti Sauce (2000)".
  11. "Hywel Bennett".
  12. TV.com. "Jam and Jerusalem". TV.com.
  13. "Hywel Bennett obituary". The Guardian. 4 August 2017.
  14. "Hywel Bennett, star of television and film, dies aged 73". BBC News. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
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