A Tribute To Edward Woodward – Star Of Theatre, Television & Film
Veteran actor Edward Woodward, most famous for his roles in the cult 1973 horror film The Wicker Man, alongside Christopher Lee, and US TV series The Equalizer, has died aged 79.
Although Edward Woodward's repertoire included both musicals and Shakespeare, it was the UK television series Callan which initially made him a household name in Britain.
From an early age he acquired an early love of theatre from the exuberant performances of the traders at the street market in his home town of Croydon, south of London, and his visits to the Croydon Empire, before a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art beckoned.
At 16, he became Rada's youngest student and made his professional debut in repertory in 1946. Nine years later, he graduated to the London stage in Where There's a Will. Woodward improved his credentials with a season at Stratford-on-Avon and made his first breakthrough in Rattle of a Simple Man in London. Its success took it to Broadway, and led to Woodward's appearance in a New York production of a musical, High Spirits, based on Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit.
Before long a call from Laurence Olivier saw Woodward perform at the National Theatre alongside performances for BBC Radio and on numerous records.
His big television break was with Thames Television and the series Callan which ran from 1969 to 1973, spawning a film of the same name. Woodward also starred in The Wicker Man, a film which attracted a huge cult following on both sides of the Atlantic, and in Breaker Morant, set during the Boer War.
The success of Callan earned him an award for TV Actor of the Year and led to Woodward starring in a long-running American television series, The Equaliser. The role was to take a heavy toll on his health with long hours and the pressures of creating the series – a decision he was soon to regret.
Edward Woodward’s career saw him star in Hollywood blockbusters as well as treading the boards in theatre performing the classics alongside numerous acting greats. His last on-screen appearance was in the BBC’s EastEnders.
ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment is proud to present a collection of programming featuring Edward Woodward in a diverse and impressive array of character roles:
Hands Of A Murderer
Drama – 102 minutes
In Suspicious Circumstances
Drama – 19 x 60 minutes
The Saint
Drama – 71 x 60 + 43 x 60 minutes
Killer Trilogy
Drama – 3 x 60 minutes
Blunt Instrument
Drama – 60 minutes
Saturday, Sunday, Monday
Drama – 91 minutes