Nigel Green

Nigel McGown Green (15 October 192415 May 1972) was an English character actor. Because of his strapping build, commanding height and regimental demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action in such classic 1960s films as Jason and the Argonauts, Zulu, Tobruk and The Ipcress File. Early life and stage career The son of a professor, Green was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and was raised in London, attending King's College School, Wimbledon and the University of London, followed by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. During the Second World War he trained as an Observer in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Among early stage appearances, he was at London's New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) in October 1948, playing multiple roles in John Burrell's Old Vic company revival of The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. At the Stratford Memorial Theatre in 1950, he was cast as Sir Thomas Lovell in Henry VIII (directed by Tyrone Guthrie), Abhorson in Peter Brook's production of Measure for Measure (which also went on tour in Germany), Decius Brutus in Julius Caesar (directed by Anthony Quayle), and - most notably - Edmund in King Lear, starring and co-directed by John Gielgud. Subsequent West End appearances included Come Live With Me (directed by Roy Rich: Vaudeville Theatre, June 1951), Heloise (directed by Michael Powell: Duke of York's Theatre, November 1951), Vernon Sylvaine's As Long as They're Happy, opposite Jack Buchanan (directed by Roy Rich: Garrick Theatre, July 1953), Félicien Marceau's The Egg (directed by Charles Frank: Saville Theatre, October 1957)) and Agatha Christie's Go Back for Murder (directed by Hubert Gregg: Duchess Theatre, March 1960).