Bull-necked, muscular British actor Oliver Reed got his first big break terrifying children in the BBC's kids series "The Golden Spur", and though he has played plenty of ruthless, scheming villains, he has proved his versatility through the years in numerous comedic and swashbuckling parts. After landing his first starring role in "The Curse of the Werewolf" (1961), he attracted attention as a sadistic and lecherous motorcycle gang leader in Joseph Losey's "The Damned" (1963; released in the USA as "These Are the Damned" in 1965) and as an upper class cut up in Michael Winner's "The Jokers" (1966). Reed's memorable turns as the evil Bill Sykes in his uncle Carol Reed's Oscar-winning musical "Oliver!" (1968) and as arrogant, intransigent mine owner Gerald Crich in Ken Russell's adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love" (1969) brought him international recognition. (His naked, homoerotic wrestling scene with Alan Bates was the subject of much controversy at the time for its unabashed depiction of full-frontal male nudity.) Follow-up roles in two Russell films ("The Devils" 1971, the Who's "Tommy" 1975), together with his first appearance as the hot-blooded Athos in Richard Lester's "The Three Musketeers" (1973), kept him in the spotlight.
Reed would act in three more swashbucklers for Lester, two of them in 1975, reprising Athos for "The Four Musketeers" and traveling forward a few centuries to play Otto von Bismarck in "The Royal Flash". (The final installment of the "Musketeer" series, "The Return of the Musketeers" 1993, went straight to video.) Demonstrating his comic brilliance in the perverse horror spoof "Dr. Heckyl & Mr. Hype" (1980), Reed was touching as the gruesomely deformed podiatrist (and foot fetishist) and had a field day playing a parody of macho leading men as Mr. Hype. He delivered a show-stopping turn as Vulcan in Terry Gilliam's "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" (1988) and also portrayed Dolly Hopkins in Peter Chelsom's "Funny Bones" (1995). 1997 was a banner year for Reed who wrapped three films: "Marco Polo" with Jack Palance and Christopher Lee; his fifth film with Michael Winner, "Parting Shots" (alongside Diana Rigg, Ben Kingsley and Bob Hoskins); and Menahem Golan's "Louisa and the Jackpot". He died in May 1999 during the filming of what would be his last motion picture, Ridley Scott's spectacular "Gladiator" (2000).
- Also Credited As:
Robert Oliver Reed
- Born:
February 13, 1938 in Wimbledon, England
- Died:
May 2, 1999.
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Job Titles:
Actor, Club bouncer, Fairground boxer, Hospital orderly, Taxi driver
Family
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Brother: Simon Reed.
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Mother: Marcia Reed.
Significant Others
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Companion: Jacquie Daryl. ballerina; had 12-year relationship; mother of Sarah Reed
Milestones
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1961 First starring role, "The Curse of the Werewolf"
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1963 Played a sadistic and lecherous motorcycle gang leader in Joseph Losey's "The Damned" (released in the USA as "These Are the Damned" in 1965)
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1966 Starred with Michael Crawford as upper class brothers putting everyone on and pulling off the perfect caper in Michael Winner's "The Jokers"
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1967 Acted for director Ken Russell in "Dante's Inferno" episode of BBC series "Omnibus"
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1967 Reteamed with Winner for "I'll Never Forget What's 'Is Name"
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1968 Delivered a memorable turn as Bill Sykes in Carol Reed's Oscar-winning musical "Oliver!"
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1968 Played title role in third film with Winner, "Hannibal Brooks"
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1969 Portrayed Gerald Crich in Ken Russell's adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love"
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1971 Reteamed with Russell for "The Devils"
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1973 First of four movies with Richard Lester, "The Three Musketeers", playing Athos
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1975 Portrayed a comic swashbuckler in Lester's "The Royal Flash"
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1975 Reprised role of Athos for Lester's "The Four Musketeers"
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1975 Third feature with Russell, the Who's "Tommy", playing Frank Hobbs
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1978 Fourth film with Winner, the noir remake of "The Big Sleep"
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1979 Played Dr Hal Raglan in David Cronenberg's "The Brood"
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1980 Acted the title roles of perverse comedy "Dr Heckyl and Mr Hype"
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1985 Appeared as Martin Pinzon in CBS miniseries "Christopher Columbus"
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1989 Presided over underworld domain as Vulcan in "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen"
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1990 Acted the part of Captain Billy Bones in Fraser C Heston's directorial debut, "Treasure Island" (TNT); Heston's father Charlton starred as Long John Silver
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1991 Yet another turn for director Ken Russell, this time in the HBO movie "Prisoner of Honor"
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1993 Last intallment of Lester's "Musketeer" series, "The Return of the Musketeers", went straight to video
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1993 Played Gregor Dunnegan in CBS miniseries "Return to Lonesome Dove"
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1995 Portrayed Dolly Hopkins in "Funny Bones"
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1997 Wrapped three movies: "Marco Polo" with Jack Palance and Christopher Lee; his fifth feature with Michael Winner, "Parting Shots" (cast included Diana Rigg, Ben Kingsley and Bob Hoskins); and Menahem Golan's "Louisa and Jackpot"
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2000 Final film, "Gladiator"; had just about completed filming at time of death
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First big break, terrifying children, in the BBC's kids series "The Golden Spur"
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Served as Royal Army Medical Corpsman