David Warner English actor who played villainous supporting characters with aplomb in films such as “Titanic” , died over the weekend. He was 80 years old.
Warner died of a “cancer-related illness,” his family said in a statement shared by his talent agency with the CNN . He had been ill for 18 months, his family wrote, and “approached his diagnosis with characteristic grace and dignity.”
He had a prolific career that spanned more than 50 years, from horror classics to Oscar winners; from animated series to a musical by disney . There was hardly a genre of film that he didn’t leave a mark on.
“I’ve done war movies, I’ve done westerns, I’ve done science fiction… I mean, I wasn’t in ‘Harry Potter’ and I wasn’t in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and I wasn’t in ‘Game Of Thrones’,” he said in an interview with “Av Club.”
A career spanning Shakespeare, horror and a best picture winner
Warner began his career on stage after studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He starred in several productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing as the title roles in “Richard II” and “Hamlet”. He also appeared in the 1968 film adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” alongside Helen Mirren, Judi Dench and Diana Rigg.
Although he often played Shakespearean heroes on stage, in films he was often cast as the antagonist.
In Disney’s sci-fi movie “Tron,” Warner played a power-hungry executive who passed Jeff Bridges’ ideas as his own. On “Titanic,” he conspired with Billy Zane’s antagonist to keep the central lovebirds separate like the deliciously named Spicer Lovejoy. And in Terry Gilliam’s “Time Bandits,” Warner literally played the role of “Evil.”
Some of Warner’s most enduring roles were “The Omen,” in which he was not the villain but the victim, portraying a photographer threatened by the demonic child Damien. He also appeared in three of director Sam Peckinpah’s films, including the WWII film “Iron Cross”.
When he could, Warner played against the villain type, appearing as Ebenezer Scrooge’s friendly employee Bob Cratchit in a “A Christmas Carol” TV movie.
He acted in two “Star Trek” films, including an appearance as a Klingon. In his latest film role, he played eccentric military veteran Admiral Boom, who regularly fires cannons to mark time, in “Mary Poppins Returns.”
He has also lent his voice to animated productions such as “Batman: The Animated Series” (as Ra’s al Ghul) and “The Amazing World of Gumball”. In 2017, he stated that appearing in “photos of children” such as “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II – The Secret of the Ooze” was “a lot of fun”. He also mentioned his “maximum respect for actors in turtle costumes”.
Despite his productive career, Warner often took his legacy lightly. In the 2017 AV Club interview, Warner said that as a young man he was “hopeless” both academically and athletically, and so he “entered the weird school play”.
“I’m the type of actor who does his best and sees what happens,” he told AV Club.
Tributes
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who starred with Warner in “Mary Poppins Returns,” shared a photo of himself with the late actor.
“So happy to be able to express my admiration for David Warner’s incredible versatility and career in our time together on set,” Miranda wrote on Twitter. “My God, what a life and legacy.”
The Royal Shakespeare Company remembered Warner as he was in 1965, when he played Hamlet as a “tortured schoolboy in his long orange scarf”.
“David felt like the epitome of 1960s youth and captured the radical spirit of a turbulent time,” said the company’s artistic director emeritus Gregory Doran. “He was a generous spirit, a kind man and a huge talent.”
Warner is survived by his partner Lisa Bowerman, son Luke and their “many friends in gold dust,” among others, his family wrote in their statement.
“He will be greatly missed by us, his family and friends, and will be remembered as a kind-hearted, generous and compassionate man, partner and father whose legacy of extraordinary work has touched the lives of so many over the years.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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