Actor - John Thaw in Arthur Miller's All My Sons, 1988 Royal Exchange postcard

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• Picture / Image:  John Thaw as Joe Keller in Arthur Miller's 'All My Sons' directed by Gregory Hersov, 1988 / photo by John Peters
• Publisher: The Royal Exchange Theatre Company 
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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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John Edward Thaw, CBE (3 January 1942 – 21 February 2002) was an English actor who appeared in a range of television, stage, and cinema roles. He starred in the television series Inspector Morse as title character Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse, Redcap as Sergeant John Mann, The Sweeney as Detective Inspector Jack Regan, Home to Roost as Henry Willows, and Kavanagh QC as title character James Kavanagh.

Thaw was born in Gorton, Manchester, to working-class parents John Edward ("Jack") Thaw (died 1997), a tool-setter at the Fairey Aviation Company aircraft factory, later a long-distance lorry driver, and Dorothy (née Ablott).[1][2] Thaw had a difficult childhood as his mother left when he was seven years old.[3] His younger brother, Raymond Stuart "Ray" emigrated to Australia in the mid-1960s.[4] Thaw grew up in Gorton and Burnage, attending the Ducie Technical High School for Boys.[5] He entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) at the age of 16.[6]

Career

Soon after leaving RADA, Thaw made his formal stage début in A Shred of Evidence at the Liverpool Playhouse and was awarded a contract with the theatre. His first film role was a bit part in the adaptation of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) starring Tom Courtenay and he also acted on-stage opposite Sir Laurence Olivier in Semi-Detached (1962) by David Turner. He appeared in several episodes of the BBC police series Z-Cars in 1963–64 as a detective constable. Between 1964 and 1966, he starred in two series of the ABC Weekend Television/ITV production Redcap, playing the hard-nosed military policeman Sergeant John Mann. He was also a guest star in an early episode of The Avengers. In 1967 he appeared in Bat Out of Hell. In 1967 he appeared in the Granada TV/ITV series, Inheritance, alongside James Bolam and Michael Goodliffe, as well as appearing in TV plays such as The Talking Head and episodes of series such as Budgie, where he played against type (opposite Adam Faith) as the son of an elderly prostitute Budgie is "noncing" for: an effeminate failed playwright with a full beard and a Welsh accent.

Thaw will perhaps be best remembered for two television roles: the hard-bitten, tough-talking Flying Squad detective Jack Regan in The Sweeney (1975–1978), and the quietly spoken, introspective, well-educated and bitter Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse in Inspector Morse (1987–93, with later specials until 2000). His role as Regan in the Thames Television/ITV series, along with two film spin-offs, established him as a major star in the United Kingdom. Thaw was only 32 when he was cast in The Sweeney, although many viewers thought he was older.

Alongside his put-upon Detective Sergeant Robert "Robbie" Lewis (Kevin Whately), Morse became a high-profile character—"a cognitive curmudgeon with his love of classical music, his drinking, his classic Jaguar and spates of melancholy".[7] According to The Guardian, "Thaw was the definitive Morse, grumpy, crossword-fixated, drunk, slightly anti-feminist, and pedantic about grammar."[8] Inspector Morse became one of the UK's most loved TV series; the final three episodes, shown in 2000, were seen by 18 million people, about one third of the British population.[citation needed] He won "Most Popular Actor" at the 1999 National Television Awards and won two BAFTA awards for his role as Morse.

He subsequently played liberal working-class Lancastrian barrister James Kavanagh in Kavanagh QC (1995–99, and a special in 2001). Thaw also appeared in two sitcoms—Thick as Thieves (London Weekend/ITV, 1974) with Bob Hoskins and Home to Roost (Yorkshire/ITV, 1985–90). Thaw is mainly known in America for the Morse series, as well as the BBC series A Year in Provence (1993) with Lindsay Duncan.

He appeared in a number of films for director Richard Attenborough, including Cry Freedom, where he portrayed the conservative South African justice minister Jimmy Kruger (for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor), and Chaplin alongside Robert Downey Jr.

Thaw also appeared in the TV adaptation of the Michelle Magorian book Goodnight Mister Tom (Carlton Television/ITV). It won "Most Popular Drama" at the National Television Awards, 1999.[9]

During the 1970s and '80s, Thaw appeared in productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1981 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the foyer of the National Theatre in London.[citation needed]

Personal life

In the summer of 1964, Thaw married Sally Alexander,[10] a feminist activist and theatre stage manager, and now professor of history at Goldsmiths, University of London. They divorced four years later.[11] He met actress Sheila Hancock in 1969 on the set of a London comedy So What About Love?[12] She was married to fellow actor Alexander "Alec" Ross, and after Thaw professed his love to Hancock, she told him that she would not have an affair.[12] Following the death of her husband (from oesophageal cancer) in 1971, Thaw and Hancock married on 24 December 1973 in Cirencester,[12][13] and he remained with her until his death in 2002 (also from oesophageal cancer).[14]

He had three daughters (all of whom are actresses): Abigail from his first marriage to Sally Alexander, Joanna from his second marriage to Sheila Hancock, and he also adopted Sheila Hancock's daughter Melanie Jane, from Hancock's first marriage to Alec Ross.[11][15] Melanie Jane legally changed her surname from Ross to Thaw.[12] His granddaughter Molly Whitmey made a cameo in the Endeavour episode Oracle (series 7, episode 1, broadcast 1 February 2020) as the younger version of her grandmother Sally Alexander.[16]

Thaw was a committed socialist[17] and lifelong supporter of the Labour Party.[18] He was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in March 1993 by Queen Elizabeth II.[19] In September 2006, Thaw was voted by the general public as number 3, after David Jason and Morecambe and Wise, in a poll of TV's 50 Greatest Stars for the past 50 years.[20]

Illness and death

A heavy drinker until going teetotal in 1995,[12] and a heavy smoker from the age of 12,[15] Thaw was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in June 2001.[21][22] He underwent chemotherapy in hope of overcoming the illness, and at first had appeared to respond well to the treatment. However, just before Christmas 2001 he was informed that the cancer had spread and the prognosis was terminal.[23]

He died on 21 February 2002,[15] seven weeks after his 60th birthday, the day after he signed a new contract with ITV,[24][25] and the day before his wife's birthday. At the time of his death he was living at his country home, near the villages of Luckington and Sherston in Wiltshire,[26] and was cremated in Westerleigh, near Yate in South Gloucestershire, in a private service.[27] A memorial service was held on 4 September 2002 at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square, attended by 800 people including the Prince of Wales, Richard Attenborough, Tom Courtenay and Cherie Blair.[28]

Television, film and stage performances

Television series

1961: The Younger Generation – Customer / Max / Edward / Charlie / Peter / Denny / Martin

1963: Edgar Wallace Mysteries (Episode: 'Five to One (film)' ) (Alan Roper)

1964 to 1966: Redcap (Two Series) – Sergeant John Mann

1963 Z Cars: Detective Constable Elliot

1966: Bat Out of Hell – Mark Paxton

1967: Inheritance - Will Oldroyd

1972. ‘’The Frighteners’’ ep.5 (old comrades).

1974: Thick As Thieves – Stan

1974: The Capone Investment – Tom

1975 to 1978: The Sweeney (Four Series & 2 movies) – Det. Insp. Jack Regan

1984: Mitch – Mitch

1985 to 1990: Home to Roost (Four Series) – Henry Willows

1987 to 2000: Inspector Morse (Thirty-three films) – Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse

1991: Stanley and the Women – Stanley Duke

1992: A Year in Provence – Peter Mayle

1995 to 2001: Kavanagh QC (Six Series) – James Kavanagh QC

1999: Plastic Man – Joe McConnell

2000: Monsignor v – Monsignor Augustine Renard

2001: The Glassh – Jim Proctor

Television films

1961: Serjeant Musgrave's Dance

1963: The Lads

1964: I Can Walk Where I Like, Can't I?

1964: The Other Man

1966: The Making of Jericho

1974: Regan

1977: Sweeney!

1978: Dinner at the Sporting Club

1980: Drake's Venture – Francis Drake

1984: Killer Waiting – Major Peter Hastings

1984: The Life and Death of King John – Hubert de Burgh

1985: We'll Support You Ever More – Geoff Hollins

1986: Stainheads

1987: "The Sign of Four" (full-length episode of The Return of Sherlock Holmes) – Jonathan Small

1989: Bomber Harris – Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris

1993: The Mystery of Morse

1994: The Absence of War

1996: Into the Blue – Harry Barnett

1998: Goodnight Mister Tom – Tom Oakley

1999: The Waiting Time – Joshua Mantle

2000: The Last Morse

2000: Inspector Morse: Rest in Peace – Inspector Morse

2001: Hidden Treasure / Buried Treasure – Harry (final film role)

Guest appearances

1962 Probation Officer: Episode No. 4.4 (28 May 1962)

1963 ITV Television Playhouse: The Lads (15 August 1963)

1963 Z-Cars: A La Carte (18 September 1963)

1963 Z-Cars: Light the Blue Paper (25 September 1963)

1963 Z-Cars: A Quiet Night (2 October 1963)

1963 Z-Cars: Hide – And Go Seek (16 October 1963)

1964 The Avengers: Esprit De Corps (14 March 1964)

1965 A Poor Gentleman: Episode No. 1.1 (12 October 1965)

1965 A Poor Gentleman: Episode No. 1.2 (19 October 1965)

1965 The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre: Dead Man's Chest (31 October 1965)

1967 Inheritance: Murder (29 September 1967)

1967 Inheritance: A Man of His Time (1 December 1967)

1969 The Borderers: Dispossessed (25 March 1969)

1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre: The Haunting (28 June 1969)

1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre: The Talking Head (30 August 1969)

1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre: In Another Country (11 October 1969)

1969 Strange Report: Report 2475: Revenge – When a Man Hates (9 November 1969)

1970 Play of the Month: Macbeth (BBC, 20 September 1970)

1970 Happy Ever After: Don't Walk Away (12 December 1970)

1971 Budgie: Sunset Mansions or Whatever Happened to Janey Baib? (25 June 1971)

1971 Armchair Theatre: Competition (5 October 1971)

1971 Suspicion: I'll Go Along with That (14 December 1971)

1971 The Onedin Line: Mutiny (24 December 1971)

1972 Pretenders: The Paymaster (9 April 1972)

1972 The Frighteners: Old Comrades (21 July 1972)

1972 Armchair Theatre: What Became of Me? (29 August 1972)

1972 ITV Playhouse: Refuge for a Hero (6 September 1972)

1972 The Adventures of Black Beauty: The Hostage (30 September 1972)

1973 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes: The Sensible Action of Lieutenant Horst (4 March 1973)

1973 Menace: Tom (26 April 1973)

1973 BBC Play of the Month: Caucasian Chalk Circle (16 May 1973)

1973 ITV Saturday Night Theatre: Passengers (20 May 1973)

1973 The Protectors: Mauro Carpiano (28 December 1973)

1976 The Morecambe & Wise Show: 1976 Christmas Show (25 December 1976)

1977 This Is Your Life: Sheila Hancock (5 January 1977)

1978 The South Bank Show (26 November 1978)

1981 This Is Your Life: John Thaw (18 March 1981)

1982 Saturday Night Thriller: Where is Betty Buchus? (4 December 1982)

1987 Sherlock Holmes episode: The Sign of Four (portrayed Jonathan Small)

Theatrical films

1962: Smashing Day – Stan

1962: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner – Bosworth (uncredited)

1962: Nil Carborundum – ACI Neville Harrison

1963: Five To One – Alan Roper

1965: Dead Man's Chest

1968: The Bofors Gun – Featherstone

1970: Praise Marx and Pass the Ammunition – Dom

1970: The Last Grenade – Terry Mitchell

1972: Dr. Phibes Rises Again – Shavers

1977: Sweeney! – Det. Insp. Jack Regan

1978: Sweeney 2 – Det. Insp. Jack Regan

1981: Killing Heat – Dick Turner

1987: Cry Freedom (aka Biko – Biko Asking for Trouble) – Jimmy Kruger

1988: Business As Usual – Kieran Flynn

1992: Chaplin – Fred Karno

1996: Masculine Mescaline (short) – The Man

1998: Goodnight Mister Tom - Tom

Stage

1958 Cymbeline

1958 As You Like It

1958 The Cherry Orchard

1958 Pillars of Society

1958 The Taming of the Shrew

1958 A Winter's Tale

1958 The Lady's Not For Burning

1958 Twelfth Night

1958 MacBeth

1959 Hobson's Choice

1959 Paradise Lost

1959 Antigone

1959 Alcestis

1959 Faust

1959 The Knight of the Burning Pestle

1960 A Shred of Evidence

1960 The Wind and the Rain

1960 Staircase

1961 The Fire Raisers

1961 Chips With Everything

1961 Two into One

1962 Women Beware Women

1962 Semi-Detached (with Laurence Olivier)

1964 The Father

1967 Around The World in 80 Days

1967 Little Malcom And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs

1969 So What About Love?

1970 Random Happenings in the Hebrides by John McGrath

1971 The Lady from the Sea

1972 Chinamen

1972 The New Quixote

1972 Black And Silver

1972 The Two of Us

1973 Collaborators

1976 Absurd Person Singular

1977 The Two of Us (Revival)

1978 Night and Day

1982 Serjeant Musgrave's Dance

1983 Twelfth Night

1983 The Time of Your Life

1983 Henry VIII

1984 Pygmalion

1986 Two into One (Revival)

1988 All My Sons

1993 The Absence of War by David Hare

2001 Peter Pan as Captain Hook