Michael Gough

Francis Michael Gough (/ˈɡɒf/ GOF; 23 November 1916[1] – 17 March 2011) was an English character actor who made over 150 film and television appearances. He is known for his roles in the Hammer Horror Films from 1958, with his first role as Sir Arthur Holmwood in Dracula, and for his recurring role as Alfred Pennyworth in all four films of the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman quadrilogy. He would appear in three more Burton films: in Sleepy Hollow, voicing Elder Gutknecht in Corpse Bride and the Dodo in Alice in Wonderland.

For other people named Michael Gough, see Michael Gough (disambiguation).

Michael Gough
Born	Francis Michael Gough (1916-11-23)23 November 1916 Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States
Died	17 March 2011(2011-03-17) (aged 94) Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
Resting place	Cremated; ashes scattered in the English Channel
Nationality	British
Education	Durham School
Alma mater	Wye Agricultural College Old Vic
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1946–2011
Spouse(s)	Diana Graves ​ ( m. 1940; div. 1948) Anne Leon ​ ( m. 1950; div. 1964) Anneke Wills ​ ( m. 1962; div. 1979) Henrietta Lawrence ​ ( m. 1980; his death 2011)
Children	3

Gough also appeared in popular British television shows, including Doctor Who, as the titular villain in The Celestial Toymaker (1966) and as Councillor Hedin in Arc of Infinity (1983), and in a memorable episode of The Avengers as the automation-obsessed, wheelchair-bound Dr. Armstrong in "The Cybernauts" (1965). In 1956 he received a British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.[2]

At the National Theatre in London Gough excelled as a comedian, playing a resigned and rueful parent in Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce (1977). When the comedy transferred to Broadway in 1978 he won a Tony Award. One of Gough's funniest West End roles was as Baron von Epp in the 1983 revival of John Osborne's A Patriot for Me.[3]

Early life

Gough was born in Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States (now Malaysia) on 23 November 1916, the son of English parents Francis Berkeley Gough, a rubber planter, and Frances Atkins (née Bailie).[4][5][6] Gough was educated at Rose Hill School, Tunbridge Wells, and at Durham School. He moved on to Wye Agricultural College, which he left to go to the Old Vic.[7][8] 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,[9] a member of 6 Northern Company, in Liverpool.[10]

Career

In 1948, Gough made his film debut in Blanche Fury and thereafter 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 Princes in the Tower in Laurence Olivier's Richard III.

He became known for his appearances in horror films; following his performance as Arthur Holmwood in Hammer's original Dracula (1958), his horror roles mainly saw him feature as slimy villains, notably in Horrors of the Black Museum (1959), Konga (1961), The Phantom of the Opera (1962), Black Zoo (1963), Trog (1970), The Corpse (1971), Horror Hospital (1973) and Norman J. Warren's cheaply-made Satanism shocker Satan's Slave (1976). He also spoofed his horror persona in What a Carve Up! as a sinister butler. He also appeared in the comedy film Top Secret! (1984), alongside Val Kilmer (the latter's first feature film), with whom he would also work later in the film Batman Forever.

Gough guest-starred in Doctor Who, as the titular villain in The Celestial Toymaker (1966) and also as Councillor Hedin in Arc of Infinity (1983). He also played the automation-obsessed, wheelchair-bound Dr. Armstrong in "The Cybernauts", one of the best remembered episodes of The Avengers (1965), returning the following season as the Russian spymaster Nutski in "The Correct Way to Kill". He was introduced in the first-season episode "Maximum Security" of Colditz as Major "Willi" Schaeffer, the alcoholic second-in-command of the Kommandant (Bernard Hepton). In the Ian Curteis television play Suez 1956 (1979), he portrayed Prime Minister Anthony Eden. In 1981, he was reunited with Laurence Olivier in Granada Television's Brideshead Revisited, portraying the doctor to Olivier's dying Lord Marchmain. He played a Mikhel, a slippery assistant to a slain British spy opposite Alec Guinness in the television adaptation of John le Carré's Smiley's People the following year. Gough also appeared in The Citadel (1983) as Sir Jenner Halliday, in 1985's Out of Africa as Lord Delamere and as the fictional deposed KGB spymaster Andrei Zorin in Sleepers.

Later roles

His later roles included Alfred Pennyworth for 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 Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997) for Joel Schumacher. Gough was one of two actors to have appeared in the four Batman films in the Burton/Schumacher series, the other being Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon. Gough worked for Burton again in 1999's Sleepy Hollow and 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. Other commercial appearances included Gough as Alfred in a 1989 advertisement for Diet Coke.

Gough retired in 1999 after appearing in Burton's Sleepy Hollow. He would emerge from retirement twice more, both as a favour to Burton, to voice Elder Gutknecht in Corpse Bride and the Dodo in Alice in Wonderland.[11]

Personal life

Gough was married four times. He married his first wife Diana Graves in 1940; their son Simon Peter was born in 1942 and they divorced in 1948. His second wife was Anne Elizabeth Leon (born 1925). They married in 1950, their daughter Emma Frances was born in 1953 and they divorced in 1964.[6] His third wife was Doctor Who actress Anneke Wills, who portrayed the Doctor's companion Polly. Wills and Gough met 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' daughter Polly and in 1965 their son Jasper was born. Polly died in a motorcycle accident in 1982 at the age of 18, believing that Gough was her biological father. Gough married his fourth wife Henrietta Lawrence in 1980, and they remained together until his death.[3]

Awards and nominations

Gough 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.

In 1957 he won a BAFTA TV Award and in 1971, was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award 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.

Death

Gough died from pneumonia aged 94 on 17 March 2011 at his home in Salisbury, Wiltshire, having also been ill with prostate cancer for the previous year.[12] A memorial service was held, he was cremated, and his ashes were scattered in the English Channel.

He was survived by his fourth wife Henrietta, daughter Emma and sons Simon (an actor who is married to actress Sharon Gurney, the daughter of the Upstairs, Downstairs actress Rachel Gurney) and Jasper, a photographer.[13] Michael Keaton, who played the title character in the first two theatrical Batman films opposite Gough, paid tribute to him, describing him as sweet and charming, and wrote "To Mick – my butler, my confidant, my friend, my Alfred. I love you. God bless. Michael (Mr. Wayne) Keaton."[14]

Gough was added to In Memoriam at the 18th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Filmography

Film

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
1950	Ha'penny Breeze		Uncredited
1951	Blackmailed	Maurice Edwards
1951	No Resting Place	Alec Kyle
1951	The Man in the White Suit	Michael Corland
1951	Night Was Our Friend	Martin Raynor
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	Night Ambush	Andoni Zoidakis
1957	The House in the Woods	Geoffrey Carter
1958	Horror of Dracula	Arthur Holmwood
1958	The Horse's Mouth	Abel
1959	Model for Murder	Kingsley Beauchamp
1959	Horrors of the Black Museum	Edmond Bancroft
1961	Konga	Dr. Charles Decker
1961	Mr. Topaze	Tamise
1961	What a Carve Up!	Fisk, the butler
1962	Candidate for Murder	Donald Edwards
1962	The Phantom of the Opera	Ambrose D'Arcy
1963	Black Zoo	Michael Conrad
1963	Tamahine	Cartwright
1965	Game for Three Losers	Robert Hilary
1965	Dr. Terror's House of Horrors	Eric Landor	(segment "Disembodied Hand")
1965	The Skull	Auctioneer
1967	They Came from Beyond Space	Master of the Moon
1967	Berserk!	Albert Dorando
1968	One Night... A Train	Jeremiah
1968	Curse of the Crimson Altar	Elder	Also known as The Crimson Cult
1969	A Walk with Love and Death	Mad Monk
1969	Women in Love	Tom Brangwen
1970	Julius Caesar	Metellus Cimber
1970	Trog	Sam Murdock
1971	The Go-Between	Mr. Maudsley
1971	The Corpse	Walter Eastwood	Also known as Crucible of Horror
1972	Savage Messiah	M. Gaudier
1972	Henry VIII and His Six Wives	Norfolk
1973	Horror Hospital	Dr. Christian Storm
1973	The Legend of Hell House	Emeric Belasco	Uncredited
1975	Galileo	Sagredo
1975	The Man from Nowhere	Man	Voice, Uncredited
1976	Satan's Slave	Uncle Alexander Yorke
1978	The Boys from Brazil	Mr. Harrington
1978	L'Amour en question	Sir Baldwin	Credited as Michaël Gough
1981	Venom	David Ball
1983	The Dresser	Frank Carrington
1984	Memed My Hawk	Kerimoglu
1984	Top Secret!	Dr. Paul Flammond
1984	Oxford Blues	Doctor Ambrose
1985	Out of Africa	Baron Delamere
1986	Caravaggio	Cardinal Del Monte
1987	Maschenka	Vater
1987	The Fourth Protocol	Sir Bernard Hemmings
1988	The Serpent and the Rainbow	Schoonbacher
1988	Rarg	Professor	Short Film
1989	Strapless	Douglas Brodie
1989	Batman	Alfred Pennyworth
1989	Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome		Voice
1990	The Garden
1991	Let Him Have It	Lord Goddard
1991	The Wanderer	Veteran Wanderer	Short Film
1992	The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Russia 1910	Leo Tolstoy
1992	Batman Returns	Alfred Pennyworth
1993	Wittgenstein	Bertrand Russell
1993	The Age of Innocence	Henry van der Luyden
1993	The Advocate	Magistrate Boniface
1994	Uncovered	Don Manuel
1994	Nostradamus	Jean de Remy
1995	Batman Forever	Alfred Pennyworth
1997	Batman & Robin
1998	What Rats Won't Do	Justice Tomlin
1998	St. Ives	Comte de Saint-Yves
1998	The Whisper	Nikolay 1947	Short Film
1999	The Cherry Orchard	Feers
1999	Sleepy Hollow	Notary Hardenbrook
1999	The Strange Case of Delphina Potocka or The Mystery of Chopin	The Doctor
2005	Corpse Bride	Elder Gutknecht	Voice
2010	Alice in Wonderland	Uilleam the Dodo Bird	Voice; final film role

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1946	Androcles and the Lion	Spintho	Television film
1949	Crime Passionel	Hugo	Television film
1949	Whitehall Wonders	Stephen Blair	Television fFilm
1950	Master of Arts	Ronald Knight, MA	Television film
1951	Androcles and the Lion	Captain	Television film
1951–1956	BBC Saturday-Night Theatre	Michael / Francis Hubbard / Lt. Geoffrey Ainsworth	03 episodes
1953	Wednesday Theatre	Brama-Glinsky	Episode: "Curtain Down"
1954	The Lover	The Lover	Television short
1954	Rheingold Theatre	Charlie	Episode: "The Man Who Heard Everything"
1954	Stage by Stage	Loveless	Episode: "The Relapse or, Virtue in Danger"
1955	Sherlock Holmes	Mr. Russel Partridge	Episode: "The Case of the Perfect Husband"
1955–1958	ITV Television Playhouse	Sir David Lavering / David Ryerson / Hugo / Dawson	05 episodes
1955–1961	ITV Play of the Week	Rev. Claude Bell / Georges Renaud / Gregers Werle / Rakitin	04 episodes
1956	Theatre Royal	The Stranger	Episode: "Just Off Piccadilly"
1956	Assignment Foreign Legion	Andre La Palme	Episode: "The Outcast"
1956	Fanny	The Admiral	Television film
1956–1959	Armchair Theatre	George in 'Double Exit' / The Doctor	02 episodes
1957	The Two Mrs. Carrolls	Geoffrey Carroll	Television film
1957	The Peaceful Inn	Hatlock	Television film
1959	World Theatre	Cassius	Episode: "Julius Caesar"
1959	Dancers in Mourning	Squire Mercer	06 episodes
1960	DuPont Show of the Month	Dr. Livesey	Episode: "Treasure Island"
1960	The Adventures of Robin Hood	Boland	Episode: "The Edge and the Point"
1961	Thirty-Minute Theatre	Currently Unknown	Episode: "A Matter of Principle"
1961	Rendezvous	Scionneau	Episode: "The Executioner"
1962	Drama 61-67	Charles	Episode: "Drama '62: The Lonesome Road"
1962–1965	The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre	Robert Hilary / Donald Edwards	02 episodes
1964	The Great War	Various	Episode: "So Sleep Easy in Your Beds"
1964	The Saint	Colin Phillips	Episode: "The Imprudent Politician"
1964	The Count of Monte Cristo	Gérard de Villefort	07 episodes
1964–1967	Theatre 625	Harry / Geoffrey Melville / Clodius Pulcher	03 episodes
1965	Undermind	Rev. Austen Anderson	Episode: "Flowers of Havoc"
1965	The Man in Room 17	Andrei Konev	Episode: "The Seat of Power"
1965	Sunday Night	Pausanias	Episode: "The Drinking Party"
1965–1967	The Avengers	Nutski / Dr. Armstrong	02 episodes
1966	BBC Play of the Month	Eliut	Episode: "Days to Come"
1966	Alice in Wonderland	March Hare	Television play
1966–1967	Orlando	Harry Prentice	05 episodes
1967	Pride and Prejudice	Mr. Bennet	06 Episodes
1966	Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker	Celestial Toymaker	4 episodes
1968	Thirty-Minute Theatre	Ted Warner	Episode: "Standing by for Santa Claus"
1968	Detective	Holroyd	Episode: "Lesson in Anatomy"
1968	For Amusement Only	Henry	Episode: "Henry the Incredible Bore"
1968	Journey to the Unknown	Royal	Episode: "Eve"
1968	The Champions	Major Joss	Episode: "Happening"
1968	Treasure Island	Squire Trelawney	07 Episodes
1969–1972	Omnibus	Vincent van Gogh / Astronaut	02 episodes
1971	Seeing and Believing	Job	Episode: "The Trial of Job"
1971	Kate	Alan Tatley	Episode: "Good and Proper"
1971	Search for the Nile	David Livingstone	03 episodes
1972	Spy Trap	Cooper	Episode: "Who Among Us?: Part 6"
1972	The Main Chance	Sir George Andrews	Episode: "One for the House"
1972	Colditz	Major Schaeffer	Episode: "Maximum Security"
1972	The Man Who Came to Dinner	Beverly Carlton	Television film
1973	The Protectors	Shkodër	Episode: "One and One Makes One"
1973	The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes	Governor	Episode: "Cell 13"
1973	Moonbase 3	Sir Benjamin Dyce	Episode: "View of a Dead Planet"
1973–1983	Crown Court	Mr. Justice Galbraith / Justice Galbraith / Dr. De Quincey	03 Episodes
1974	QB VII	Dr. Fletcher	Episode: "Part Three"
1974	Shoulder to Shoulder	Dr. Richard Pankhurst	02 episodes
1974	Fall of Eagles	Helphand	Episode: "The Secret War"
1974	Late Night Drama	Potter	Episode: "A Brisk Dip Sagaciously Considered"
1974	ITV Playhouse	Bill Wakely	Episode: "The Gift of Friendship"
1974	Microbes and Men	Sir Almroth Wright	Episode: "The Search for the Magic Bullet"
1974	Notorious Woman	Henri de Latouche	Episode: "Success"
1974	Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill	Mr. Yule	Episode: "Lady Randolph"
1975	Sutherland's Law	James Shaw	Episode: "In at The Deep End"
1975	Ten from the Twenties	Peter	Episode: "The Fifty Pound Note"
1975–1976	Centre Play	Father / Matt	02 episodes
1976	Shades of Greene	Ransom	Episode: "The Case for the Defence"
1976	Life and Death of Penelope	Winthrop	Episode: "The Reaper"
1979	Suez 1956	Sir Anthony Eden	Television film
1980	Blake's 7	Hower	Episode: "Volcano"
1981	Brideshead Revisited	Doctor Grant	Episode: "Brideshead Revisited"
1982	Barriers	Old man	Episode: "#2.6"
1982	Inside the Third Reich	Dr. Rust	Television film
1982	Smiley's People	Mikhel	Television Miniseries
1982	The Agatha Christie Hour	Sir George Durand	Episode: "The Fourth Man"
1982	Strangers	Professor Whittingham	Episode: "The Lost Chord"
1982	Witness for the Prosecution	Judge	Television film
1982	Play for Today	Professor Burrows	Episode: "Another Flip for Dominick"
1982	Cymbeline	Belarius	Television Film
1983	Doctor Who: Arc of Infinity	Councillor Hedin	3 episodes
1983	To the Lighthouse	Mr. Ramsay	Television film
1983	The Citadel	Sir Jenner Halliday	Episode: "Part 10"
1983	Andy Robson	Arthur	02 Episodes
1983	Heartattack Hotel	Mr. Todd	Television film
1984	Mistral's Daughter	Cardinal	03 episodes
1984	The Biko Inquest	Professor Loubser / State Pathologist	Television film
1984	A Christmas Carol	Mr. Poole	Television film
1985	Arthur the King	Archbishop	Television film
1985	Hilary	Hilary's Dad	Episode: "#1.4"
1985	Lace II	Unnamed Character	Television film
1986	Screen Two	Peter	Episode: "Hard Travelling"
1986	Ladies in Charge	Arthur James	Episode: "Dangerous Prelude"
1986–1987	The Little Vampire	Uncle Theodor / Uncle Ludwig	07 episodes
1987	Inspector Morse	Philip Ogleby	Episode: "The Silent World of Nichlas Quinn"
1987	A Killing on the Exchange	Charles Makepeace	02 episodes
1987	Screenplay	Albani	Episode: "Cariani and the Courtesans"
1988	Ten Great Writer of the Modern World	Reader	Episode: "T.S. Elliot's The Waste Land"
1989	Mystery!: Campion	Mr. Hayhoe	02 episodes
1989	After the War	Professor Charlie Rampling	Episode: "Rise and Fall"
1989	Screen One	Mr. Maggs	Episode: "The Mountain and the Molehill"
1989	The Shell Seekers	Roy Brookner	Television film
1989	Blackeyes	Maurice James Kingsley	04 episodes
1990	Boon	Donald Bannerman	Episode: "Best Left Buried"
1991	The Diamond Brothers	Mr. Waverly	06 episodes
1991	Sleepers	Andrei Zorin	04 episodes
1991	Children of the North	Arthur Apple	04 episodes
1992	The Good Guys	Hector	Episode: "The MacQuarrie Treasure"
1995	A Village Affair	Sir Ralph Unwin	Television film
1995	The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat	Voices	04 episodes
1995	The Haunting of Helen Walker	Barnaby	Television film
1996	The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father	Leo Tolstoy	Television film

References

1. 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).
2. "BAFTA Award: Actor in 1956". BAFTA. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
3. "Michael Gough obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
4. "Michael Gough profile". filmreference.com. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
5. Michael Gough profile, Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
6. "- Person Page 18350". thepeerage.com.
7. "Michael Gough". The New York Times. 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
8. Eric Shorter (17 March 2011). "Michael Gough obituary". The Guardian. London. 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.
9. Read, Piers Paul (2005). Alec Guinness: the authorised biography. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-4498-5.
10. 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 978-0-85323-467-8.
11. "Michael Gough, 94, was butler Alfred in "Batman" ". bcdb.com, 17 March 2011
12. Eric Shorter Obituary: Michael Gough, The Guardian, 17 March 2011
13. "Michael Gough, Batman's Alfred, dies aged 94". BBC News. 17 March 2011.
14. Mike Moody. "Michael Keaton praises Michael Gough". Digital Spy.

External links

• Michael Gough on IMDb
• Michael Gough at the Internet Broadway Database
• Michael Gough at the TCM Movie Database
• Michael Gough at AllMovie
• Michael Gough at Find a Grave
• Gough's obituary in The Telegraph newspaper

Preceded by Alan Napier	Alfred Pennyworth Actor 1989–1997	Succeeded by Michael Caine