Respected character player who specialized at portraying the hero's best mate in numerous British "angry young man" films of the 1960s. Blakely also played Dr. Watson in Billy Wilder's "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" (1970).
Milestones
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1959 London stage debut at Royal Court Theatre in "Cock-a-Doodle-Dandy"
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1960 Film acting debut as Loudmouth in Karel Reisz's "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning"
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1961 Joined Royal Shakespeare Company for one season (subsequently returned to Royal Court)
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1963 After featured role in "This Sporting Life" (1963), joined National Theatre, London; remained company member for five years
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First professional stage role with Group Theatre, Belfast
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Played rugby and soccer for Northern Ireland while a management trainee