‘Actor’s Actor,’ Nigel Terry, Dies At 69 — Intensely Private Actor Played Prince John And King Arthur
Nigel Terry, who didn’t grace the silver screen too often during his long acting career, has died of emphysema at age 69.
Most people will remember him as Prince John in The Lion in Winter and King Arthur in Excalibur. Terry had a scattering of other roles in an odd catalog of films over the years – more recently FearDotCom and Troy (his last film). Before that, Nigel appeared in Caravaggio, The Last of England, War Requiem, Edward II and Blue, Deadline and Variety reported.
Terry preferred the stage and kept himself outside the Hollywood spotlight between his most famous films, sticking to plays put forth by the National Theater and Royal Shakespeare Company, The Guardian reported.
As theater critic Michael Coveney put it, Nigel was a natural artist from the beginning of his life. Born just after World War II, he was the son of an Royal Air Force pilot and his wife; the family lived in Cornwall. After he worked odd jobs in forestry and as a gas attendant, Terry joined the National Youth Theater at his parent’s encouragement. Eventually, he ended up at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama. His stage debut came in north London – one of his early role was Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet.
From there, Nigel Terry mostly stuck to the stage in a long list of notable performances, all of which made him a beloved “actor’s actor,” rather than a widely recognized star. He did have a couple TV appearances under his belt, Variety added – he was on the British series Covington Cross, MI-5, Agatha Christie’s Marple and Doctor Who.
Little is known about Terry’s personal life, except that he was very private, a bit moody and a quiet, thoughtful man, Coveney wrote.
“I remember him rolling his own cigarettes, very slowly, while staring into a pint. As a student, he drove a flatmate crazy with his protracted silences at the breakfast table.”
After years away from Cornwall, Nigel returned in 1993 to be with his elderly parents, and lived in a cottage alone near St. Ives until his death.
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