John Wood

Capable of projecting sinister, snide or sympathetic qualities, Wood has been a continuously working "character" actor whose face was often more recognizable to American audiences than his name. Trained in the classics, he performed in numerous Shakespearean productions with the Old Vic Company as well as the Royal Shakespeare Company. Wood began his career in the early 1950s and appeared on stage through the 90s. His stage work was highlighted by his 1976 award-winning turn in "Travesties" in both London and New York, and his Broadway leads in "Deathrap" and "Amadeus." While Wood made his first screen appearance of note in "Nicholas and Alexandra" (1971), his film career became far more active in the 1980s, especially after his well-received turn as a computer wizard, presumed dead, who is the object of a frenzied search by Matthew Broderick and Alley Sheedy in "WarGames" (1982). He appeared as a villainous cleric who imprisons Matthew Broderick in "Ladyhawke," and appeared in Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo" (both 1985). Wood was the Duke of Northumberland who, in an attempt to save the British monarchy arranges a marriage between his son and "Lady Jane" (1986). He was memorable as a snide professor--and the object of Debra Winger's quick riposte--in "Shadowlands" (1993). Wood had major roles in two high profile 1995 releases: in Sydney Pollack's remake of "Sabrina," he was the chauffeur father of Julia Ormond, and in Richard Loncraine's adaptation of Shakespeare's "Richard III," he was King Edward, older brother to Ian McKellen's Richard.