Oliver Reed


Actor
Oliver Reed

About

Also Known As
Robert Oliver Reed
Birth Place
Wimbledon, England, GB
Born
February 13, 1938
Died
May 02, 1999
Cause of Death
Heart Attack

Biography

A versatile performer who made his living playing ruthless villains, actor Oliver Reed also developed a reputation as one of the bad boys of British cinema. In the 1960s and 1970s, he - along with pals Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Peter O'Toole - notoriously raised hell while drinking themselves into oblivion, leaving behind a long line of battered hotel rooms and broken bones, cou...

Photos & Videos

The Curse of the Werewolf - Lobby Card
Oliver! - Movie Posters
Women in Love - Movie Posters

Family & Companions

Katherine Byrne
Wife
Model. Married in 1960; divorced in 1970; mother of Mark Reed.
Jacquie Daryl
Companion
Dancer. Ballerina; had 12-year relationship; mother of Sarah Reed.
Josephine Burge
Wife
Married in 1985; born c. 1964; had been together since she was 16 years old.

Notes

Reed was an honorary Musketeer of France.

"I'm not a villain, I've never hurt anyone. I'm just a tawdry character who explodes now and again." --Oliver Reed

Biography

A versatile performer who made his living playing ruthless villains, actor Oliver Reed also developed a reputation as one of the bad boys of British cinema. In the 1960s and 1970s, he - along with pals Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Peter O'Toole - notoriously raised hell while drinking themselves into oblivion, leaving behind a long line of battered hotel rooms and broken bones, courtesy of numerous bar fights. With no formal training to speak of, Reed burst onto the scene with "The Curse of the Werewolf" (1961) and delivered a memorable performance as the evil Bill Sykes in the Oscar-winning musical "Oliver!" (1968). He was delightful as the amoral head of "The Assassination Bureau" (1969), and was at his swashbuckling best as Athos in "The Three Musketeers" (1973) and its sequel "The Four Musketeers" (1974). From there, Reed embarked on a series of misbegotten films like "The Big Sleep" (1978), "The Sting II" (1983) and "Castaway" (1986), none of which added any value to his career. Reed had a bit of fun as the evil Vulcan in "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" (1988) and Billy Bones in "Treasure Island" (TNT, 1990), only to once again make several rather forgettable pictures. But Reed began reviving himself once more late in his career, only to suffer a fatal heart attack in the midst of production on the Oscar-winning "Gladiator" (2000), leaving behind a long career that to critics and fans seemed unworthy of the actor's considerable gifts.

Born on Feb. 13, 1938 in Wimbledon, London, England, Reed was raised by his father, Peter, a sports journalist, and his mother, Marcia. He attended Ewell Castle School in Surrey and later served in the Royal Army Medical Corps before commencing on an acting career as an extra in the late 1950s without any formal training. Reed had his first big break scaring children on the British kids series "The Golden Spur" (BBC, 1959) and landed his first starring role in "The Curse of the Werewolf" (1961), playing a young man whose murderous impulses transmogrify into a hairy beast during the full moon. After appearing with Christopher Lee in "Pirates of Blood River" (1962) and Peter Cushing in "Captain Clegg" (1962), Reed attracted attention as a sadistic and lecherous motorcycle gang leader in Joseph Losey's "The Damned" (1963), which was released in the United States two years later as "These Are the Damned." Following support turns in the British action flick "The Brigand of Kandahar" (1965) and the action adventure "The Trap" (1966), he was as an upper-class cut-up in Michael Winner's "The Jokers" (1967) before turning in a memorable performance as the evil Bill Sykes in Uncle Carol Reed's Oscar-winning musical "Oliver!" (1968).

Having spent the decade as a dependable supporting actor, Reed began taking on more leading roles, playing the target of an assassination who challenges his would-be killers in the black comedy "The Assassination Bureau" (1969). He next was the arrogant, intransigent mine owner Gerald Crich in Ken Russell's adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love" (1969), which brought him international recognition thanks to his naked, homoerotic wrestling scene with Alan Bates that was the subject of much controversy for its unabashed depiction of full-frontal male nudity. He followed up with a starring turn in the historical drama "The Devils" (1971), playing real-live Urbain Grandier, a 17th century French priest whose promiscuity with the local women leads to accusations of possession that ends with him burned at the stake. After playing an outlaw rustler who kidnaps the wife (Candice Bergen) of a cattle baron (Gene Hackman) in the American-made Western "The Hunting Party" (1971), Reed portrayed the hot-blooded Athos in "The Three Musketeers" (1973). By this time, Reed was probably more famous for his heroic bouts of drinking off the set than he was for the characters he portrayed on the big screen. He became a founding member of a famed quartet of British actors that included Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Peter O'Toole, who notoriously raised hell throughout the 1960s and 1970s while drinking themselves into oblivion, damaging their health, careers hotel rooms and a few innocent bystanders in the process.

Following a reprisal of Athos in "The Four Musketeers" (1974), Reed had a supporting role in the Agatha Christie adaptation "And Then There Were None" (1974) and joined an all-star cast that included Ann-Margret, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and Jack Nicholson for Ken Russell's musical adaptation of The Who's rock opera "Tommy" (1975). He next played Otto von Bismark opposite Malcolm McDowell in Richard Lester's "Royal Flash" (1975) and joined Lee Marvin for the rather forgettable Western comedy "The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday" (1976). After a misguided remake of "The Big Sleep" (1978) that cast him as gambler Eddie Mars, Reed starred as an unconventional psychotherapist in David Cronenberg's disturbing horror film, "The Brood" (1979). He embarked on a string of bad horror flicks like "Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype" (1980), "Spasms" (1982) and "Venom" (1982) before playing Doyle Lonnegan in the vastly inferior sequel "The Sting II" (1983). Reed continued his string of poor movies with the erotic drama "Fanny Hill" (1983) and the failed John Travolta-Olivia Newton John screwball comedy "Two of a Kind" (1983). Following the straight-to-video Disney release "Black Arrow" (1985), he appeared as Martin Pinzon in the two-part miniseries "Christopher Columbus" (CBS, 1985).

Reed went on to star in the erotic romp "Castaway" (1986), in which he played a middle-aged man who puts out an ad requesting companionship on a deserted island for a year and receives a response from a bored desk clerk (Amanda Donohoe). While out promoting "Castaway," he made an infamous appearance in 1987 on "Late Night with David Letterman" (NBC, 1982-1993), where a visibly angry and somewhat inebriated Reed seemed on the verge of hitting the host, who continually prodded him over his reputation for heavy drinking. He went on play the evil Sarm in the poorly received sword and sorcery adventure "Gor" (1987) and later presided over the underworld domain as Vulcan in "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" (1988). Reed next portrayed Captain Billy Bones to Charlton Heston's Long John Silver in "Treasure Island" (TNT, 1990) and joined Ken Russell once again for the historical drama "Prisoner of Honor" (HBO, 1991). Meanwhile, he reprised Athos a second time for "The Return of the Musketeers" (USA Network, 1991), which was shot in 1989, but aired two years later.

In the 1990s, Reed finally began rising above the dreck that had plagued his career throughout the previous decade, appearing in the miniseries "Return to Lonesome Dove" (CBS, 1993) while supporting Oliver Platt and Jerry Lewis in the well-received comedy "Funny Bones" (1995). He next joined John Cleese and Bob Hoskins for the comedic thriller "Parting Shots" (1999), and followed that with a supporting turn alongside pals Jack Palance and Christopher Lee in the little scene historical adventure "Marco Polo" (2000). After a supporting turn in the biblical television movie, "Jeremiah" (ION, 2000), Reed appeared in what turned out to be his final film, "Gladiator" (2000), in which he played a gruff former gladiator who buys an outcast Roman general (Russell Crowe)-turned-slave and helps transform him into a champion gladiator. But on May 2, 1999, while on break during filming, Reed suffered a heart attack after a night of heavy drinking and died at 61 years old. Director Ridley Scott was forced to use CGI and even a mannequin to complete Reed's scenes in the movie. Thankfully he had only one major scene - his own execution - left to shoot at the time. The film, which went on to win an Academy Award for Best Picture, was dedicated to the actor.

By Shawn Dwyer

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Gladiator (2000)
Proximo
Jeremiah (2000)
Marco Polo (2000)
Parting Shots (1998)
The Bruce (1996)
Louisa and the Jackpot (1995)
Funny Bones (1995)
Severed Ties (1992)
Dr Hans Vaughan
Prisoner of Honor (1991)
The Pit And The Pendulum (1991)
Cardinal
The Revenger (1990)
Treasure Island (1990)
Captain Billy Bones
Hired to Kill (1990)
A Ghost In Monte Carlo (1990)
Rajah
Panama Sugar (1990)
General
The Lady And The Highwayman (1989)
Hold My Hand, I'm Dying (1989)
Ballinger
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989)
Vulcan
The Return of the Musketeers (1989)
The Misfit Brigade (1988)
Captive Rage (1988)
Rage to Kill (1988)
General Turner
Skeleton Coast (1988)
Dragonard (1987)
Gor (1987)
Captive (1987)
Gregory Levay
Spasms (1986)
Jason Kincaid
Castaway (1986)
The House of Usher (1983)
Two of a Kind (1983)
Fanny Hill (1983)
The Sting II (1982)
Venom (1981)
Dave
Condorman (1981)
Krokov
Lion of the Desert (1981)
Dr. Heckyl & Mr. Hype (1980)
The Brood (1979)
Hal Raglan
Crossed Swords (1978)
Miles Hendon
The Big Sleep (1978)
The Class of Miss MacMichael (1978)
Terence Sutton
Tomorrow Never Comes (1978)
Maniac (1977)
The Great Scout And Cathouse Thursday (1976)
Joe Knox
Royal Flash (1976)
Burnt Offerings (1976)
The Sell Out (1976)
Gabriel Lee
Blood in the Streets (1975)
Vito Cipriani
Tommy (1975)
Ten Little Indians (1975)
The Three Musketeers (1973)
Dirty Weekend (1973)
Fabrizio
Blue Blood (1973)
Tom
The Triple Echo (1973)
Sergeant
Z.P.G. (1972)
Russ [McNeil]
Sitting Target (1972)
Harry Lomart
The Hunting Party (1971)
Frank Calder
The Devils (1971)
Father [Urbain] Grandier
Take a Girl Like You (1970)
Patrick
The Lady in the Car With Glasses and a Gun (1970)
Michael Caldwell
Women in Love (1970)
Gerald Crich
The Assassination Bureau (1969)
Ivan Dragomiloff
Hannibal Brooks (1969)
Hannibal Brooks
I'll Never Forget What's 'Is Name (1968)
Andrew Quint
The Shuttered Room (1968)
Ethan
Oliver! (1968)
Bill Sikes
The Trap (1967)
Jean La Bête
The Jokers (1967)
David Tremayne
The Girl Getters (1966)
Tinker
The Party's Over (1966)
Moise
The Brigand of Kandahar (1965)
Eli Khan
These Are the Damned (1965)
King
The Crimson Blade (1964)
Sylvester
Paranoiac (1963)
Simon Ashby
The Pirates of Blood River (1962)
Brocaire
Night Creatures (1962)
Harry Crabtree
Wild for Kicks (1961)
Plaid Shirt
The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
León
Sword of Sherwood Forest (1961)
Melton
Call Me Genius (1961)
The Angry Silence (1960)
The Square Peg (1958)

Cast (Short)

The Moviemakers (1968)
Himself

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Return to Lonesome Dove (1993)
Black Arrow (1985)
Christopher Columbus (1985)

Life Events

1961

First starring role, "The Curse of the Werewolf"

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)

1966

Starred with Michael Crawford as upper class brothers putting everyone on and pulling off the perfect caper in Michael Winner's "The Jokers"

1967

Acted for director Ken Russell in "Dante's Inferno" episode of BBC series "Omnibus"

1967

Reteamed with Winner for "I'll Never Forget What's 'Is Name"

1968

Played title role in third film with Winner, "Hannibal Brooks"

1968

Delivered a memorable turn as Bill Sykes in Carol Reed's Oscar-winning musical "Oliver!"

1969

Portrayed Gerald Crich in Ken Russell's adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love"

1971

Reteamed with Russell for "The Devils"

1973

First of four movies with Richard Lester, "The Three Musketeers", playing Athos

1975

Third feature with Russell, the Who's "Tommy", playing Frank Hobbs

1975

Portrayed a comic swashbuckler in Lester's "The Royal Flash"

1975

Reprised role of Athos for Lester's "The Four Musketeers"

1978

Fourth film with Winner, the noir remake of "The Big Sleep"

1979

Played Dr Hal Raglan in David Cronenberg's "The Brood"

1980

Acted the title roles of perverse comedy "Dr Heckyl and Mr Hype"

1985

Appeared as Martin Pinzon in CBS miniseries "Christopher Columbus"

1989

Presided over underworld domain as Vulcan in "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen"

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

1991

Yet another turn for director Ken Russell, this time in the HBO movie "Prisoner of Honor"

1993

Last intallment of Lester's "Musketeer" series, "The Return of the Musketeers", went straight to video

1993

Played Gregor Dunnegan in CBS miniseries "Return to Lonesome Dove"

1995

Portrayed Dolly Hopkins in "Funny Bones"

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"

2000

Final film, "Gladiator"; had just about completed filming at time of death

Photo Collections

The Curse of the Werewolf - Lobby Card
The Curse of the Werewolf - Lobby Card
Oliver! - Movie Posters
Oliver! - Movie Posters
Women in Love - Movie Posters
Women in Love - Movie Posters
These Are the Damned - Movie Poster
Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for These Are the Damned (1963, released in the U.S. in 1965), directed by Joseph Losey. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.
Tommy - Movie Poster
Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Tommy (1975), directed by Ken Russell and based on the rock opera by The Who. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

Videos

Movie Clip

Tommy (1975) -- (Movie Clip) A Film By Ken Russell Diretor Ken Russell’s prologue, one of the least remarked-upon scenes, shot partly in Borrowdale Valley, England’s far northwest Lake District, seen in other Russell films, with Robert Powell as doomed Captain Walker and Ann-Margret his wife, before the birth of the hero, in the famous adaptation of the rock opera by Pete Townshend and The Who, Tommy, 1975.
Tommy (1975) -- (Movie Clip) Amazing Journey In a song substantially expanded by composer Pete Townshend from the original 1969 recording by The Who, leading man Roger Daltrey’s vocal describes the now-traumatized hero (Barry Winch), with his mother (Ann-Margret) and Oliver Reed as her lover Frank, now a murderer, in director Ken Russell’s Tommy, 1975.
Tommy (1975) -- (Movie Clip) Bernie's Holiday Camp In a new song composed by Pete Townshend for the Ken Russell film, Oliver Reed introduced as Frank, Barry Winch as the young hero and Ann-Margret his mother, shot near Portsmouth and inside the South Parade Pier ballroom, in Robert Stigwood’s production of the rock opera by The Who, Tommy, 1975.
Tommy (1975) -- (Movie Clip) Christmas Another song modified by Pete Townshend for narrative reasons from the original recording by The Who, Ann-Margret as mother Nora, Oliver Reed as her lover Frank, vocals by the principals though the voice of the hero (Barry Winch) is not credited, in Ken Russell’s film from the rock opera, Tommy, 1975.
Tommy (1975) -- (Movie Clip) Pinball Wizard Elton John’s hit single recording, appearing as the pinball champ, actually not the character from the song title, who is really Roger Daltrey, the title character, with composer Pete Townshend and the rest of The Who (John Entwistle, Keith Moon) as the backing band, in director Ken Russell’s Tommy, 1975.
Curse Of The Werewolf (1961) -- (Movie Clip) Does It Make Her Happy? We’ve finally met Oliver Reed, introduced after 50 minutes, in 18th century Spain, as now-grown Leon, whom we know has wolfy tendencies, taking a job with Fernando (Ewen Solon), meeting colleague Jose (Martin Matthews) and the owner’s daughter Cristina (Catherine Feller), in Curse Of The Werewolf, 1961.
Four Musketeers, The (1975) -- (Movie Clip) To Cure You Of Love As artful and mysterious as any scene in The Three Musketeers (1973) or this sequel, Athos (Oliver Reed) recalls for D’Artagnan (Michael York) a love of perhaps his own, who seems to be the generally evil Milady (Faye Dunaway), Richard Lester directing, in The Four Musketeers, 1975.
Four Musketeers, The (1975) -- (Movie Clip) Let Us Rescue Your Mistress! Rochefort (Christopher Lee) speaks of his imprisonment of Constance (Raquel Welch), while D’Artagnan (Michael York) plots with his fellows (Richard Chamberlain, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay) of how to break her out, comedy ensuing, in Richard Lester’s hit sequel The Four Musketeers, 1975.
Three Musketeers, The (1973) -- (Movie Clip) I Have A Code Having bumbled his way to Paris, wannabe musketeer D'Artagnan (Michael York) gets a quick look at Porthos (Frank Finlay), Aramis (Richard Chamberlain) and Athos, (Oliver Reed), on the way to meet their boss (Georges Wilson), early in Richard Lester's hit version of The Three Musketeers, 1973.
Three Musketeers, The (1973) -- (Movie Clip) We Are Only Three Director Richard Lester's rendering of the triple-duel scene, D'Artagnan (Michael York) meets first Athos (Oliver Reed), then Aramis (Richard Chamberlain) and Porthos (Frank Finlay), then the cardinal's guards led by Jussac (Angel del Pozo), in The Three Musketeers, 1973.
System, The (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Going Down On Holiday? English lads Andrew Ray and Jeremy Burnham hop a train to the coast, from which they’ve just come, to snag travelers for their schemes, notably Jane Merrow, ringleader Oliver Reed at the station, song by The Searchers, in Michael Winner’s The System, a.k.a. The Girl Getters, 1964.
System, The (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Most Holiday-Makers Are Grockles New man David (Hemmings) briefed by Oliver Reed (as Tinker) and mates, Andrew Ray, Jeremy Turnham, et al, about their beachfront schemes, shooting on location in Torquay, England, in the movie credited with popularizing the term “Grockle,” The System, a.k.a. The Girl Getters, 1964.

Trailer

Family

Peter Reed
Father
Journalist.
Marcia Reed
Mother
Carol Reed
Uncle
Director. Perhaps best remembered for "The Third Man" (1949); cast Reed in the Oscar-winning film "Oliver!".
Simon Reed
Brother
Mark Thurloe Reed
Son
Mother, Katherine Byrne.
Sarah Reed
Daughter
Mother, Jacquie Daryl.

Companions

Katherine Byrne
Wife
Model. Married in 1960; divorced in 1970; mother of Mark Reed.
Jacquie Daryl
Companion
Dancer. Ballerina; had 12-year relationship; mother of Sarah Reed.
Josephine Burge
Wife
Married in 1985; born c. 1964; had been together since she was 16 years old.

Bibliography

Notes

Reed was an honorary Musketeer of France.

"I'm not a villain, I've never hurt anyone. I'm just a tawdry character who explodes now and again." --Oliver Reed