Michael York

Template:Short description Template:Other people Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox person Michael York, OBE (born Michael Hugh Johnson;<ref name="yahoo"/> 27 March 1942<ref name="film"/>) is an English film, television, and stage actor. After performing on stage with the Royal National Theatre, he had a breakthrough in films by playing Tybalt in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968). His blond, blue-eyed boyish looks and English upper-class demeanour saw him play leading roles in several major British and Hollywood films of the 1970s.

His best known roles include Konrad Ludwig in Something for Everyone (1970), Geoffrey Richter-Douglas in Zeppelin (1971), Brian Roberts in Cabaret (1972), George Conway in Lost Horizon (1973), D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers (also 1973) and its two sequels, Count Andrenyi in Murder on the Orient Express (1974), and Logan 5 in Logan's Run (1976). In his later career, York found success as Basil Exposition in the Austin Powers film series (1997–2002).

York is a two-time Emmy Award nominee, for the ABC Afterschool Special: Are You My Mother? (1986) and the AMC series The Lot (2001). In 2002, York received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to motion pictures. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) at the 1996 Birthday Honours.

Early life

York was born in Fulmer, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire,<ref name="film"/> son of Florence Edith May Chown,<ref name="film"/> a musician, and Joseph Gwynne Johnson,<ref name="film"/> a Llandovery-born Welsh ex-Royal Artillery British Army officer <ref name="yahoo">Template:Cite web</ref> and businessman.<ref name="film">Template:Cite web</ref> York has an elder sister, Penelope Anne (born 1940) and younger twin sisters, Caroline and Bridget (born 1947); Bridget died a few hours after birth, according to York's autobiography. He was brought up in Burgess Hill, West Sussex.<ref name="bfi">Template:Cite web</ref>

During his teenage years, York was educated at Bromley Grammar School for Boys,<ref name="shopper">Template:Cite news</ref> Hurstpierpoint College and University College, Oxford. He did some early acting at the community theatre Bromley Little Theatre, and was its president in 2014.<ref name="shopper" /> This then led to his joining the National Youth Theatre,<ref name="shopper"/> also performing with the Oxford University Dramatic Society<ref name="bfi"/> and the University College Players.<ref name="bfi"/> He began his career in a 1956 production of The Yellow Jacket.<ref name="yahoo"/> In 1959, he made his West End début with a small part in a production of Hamlet.<ref name="yahoo"/>

Career

Prior to graduating with a degree in English from the University of Oxford in 1964,<ref name="yahoo"/> York had toured with the National Youth Theatre,<ref name="yahoo"/> After some time with the Dundee Repertory Theatre,<ref name="yahoo"/> where he played in Brendan Behan's The Hostage, York joined National Theatre<ref name="yahoo"/> under Laurence Olivier where he worked with Franco Zeffirelli<ref name="yahoo"/> during the 1965 staging of Much Ado About Nothing.<ref name="yahoo"/> Following his role on British TV as Jolyon (Jolly) in The Forsyte Saga (1967), York made his film debut as Lucentio in Zeffirelli's The Taming of the Shrew (1967).<ref name="yahoo"/> He then was cast as Tybalt in Zeffirelli's 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. He starred in The Guru (1969),<ref name="film"/> then played an amoral bisexual drifter in Something for Everyone (1970). In the 1971 film Zeppelin,<ref name="film"/> he portrayed a World War I soldier with conflicted family loyalties who pretends to side with the Germans. He portrayed the bisexual Brian Roberts in Bob Fosse's film version of Cabaret (1972).<ref name="film"/> In 1975, he portrayed a British soldier in 19th century colonial India in Conduct Unbecoming,<ref name="film"/> the first of three films he did with director Michael Anderson. In 1977, he reunited with Franco Zeffirelli as John the Baptist in Jesus of Nazareth.<ref name="film"/>

York starred as D'Artagnan in the 1973 adaptation of The Three Musketeers<ref name="film"/> and he made his Broadway début in the original production of Tennessee Williams's Out Cry.<ref name="film"/> One year later the sequel to The Three Musketeers was released (roughly covering events in the second half of the book) titled The Four Musketeers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Fifteen years later, most of the cast (and crew) joined together in a third film titled The Return of the Musketeers based on the Dumas novel Twenty Years After.<ref name="film"/> He played the title character in the film adaptation of Logan's Run (1976), a fugitive who tries to escape a computer-controlled society.<ref name="film"/> The following year, he starred in The Island of Dr. Moreau opposite Burt Lancaster.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Michael York Allan Warren.jpg

York in 1986

Since his early work, York has enjoyed a busy and varied career in film, television and on the stage. He appeared in two episodes in the second season of the Road to Avonlea series as Ezekiel Crane, the lighthouse keeper of Avonlea and foster father of Gus Pike.<ref name="film"/> His Broadway theatre credits include Bent (1980),<ref name="film"/> The Crucible (1992), Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (1993) and the ill-fated musical The Little Prince and the Aviator (1982), which closed during previews. He also has made many sound recordings as a reader, including Harper Audio's production of C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.<ref name="lion">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

York appeared in the 1996 Babylon 5 episode "A Late Delivery from Avalon" as a delusional man who believed himself to be King Arthur.<ref name="film"/> Two years later he would play King Arthur in A Knight in Camelot. He also appeared as Professor Asher Fleming, a 60-year-old Yale professor and boyfriend of Yale student Paris Geller (Liza Weil) during the fourth season of Gilmore Girls.<ref name="film"/> Additionally, York voiced numerous characters in the DC Animated Universe: Count Vertigo and Montague Kane in Batman: The Animated Series, Kanto in Superman: The Animated Series, and Ares in Justice League Unlimited. York starred in both The Omega Code and its sequel, Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, as Stone Alexander, the Antichrist from Christian eschatology.<ref name="film"/>

In 2002, York received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to motion pictures.<ref name="walk">Template:Cite web</ref> He played President Alexander Bourne of Macaronesia on seaQuest 2032. He played Basil Exposition in all three of the Austin Powers films.<ref name="bfi"/> He has made an appearance on The Simpsons as Mason Fairbanks, Homer Simpson's possible father, in "Homer's Paternity Coot". In 2006, York played the character Bernard Fremont (inspired by real life serial killer Charles Sobhraj) in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Slither". He also appeared as a fictionalised version of himself in several episodes of the third season of Curb Your Enthusiasm as an investor in Larry's new restaurant 'BoBo's. In 2009, he lent his voice to Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

York voiced Petrie's uncle Pterano in The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire. In 2009, he narrated the entire Bible for The Word of Promise Audio Bible, a performance of the New King James Version.<ref>Groves, Martha (16 November 2009). "Stars lined up for elaborate audio Bible: Michael York, Jason Alexander and many others gave voice to a 79-CD reading of Old and New Testaments". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 July 2016.</ref> York again played King Arthur in a revival of Lerner and Loewe's Camelot, which began its run at the La Mirada Theatre in Southern California, and toured nationally in 2006 and 2007.

York portrays Luke in The Truth & Life Dramatised Audio New Testament Bible, a 22-hour audio dramatisation of the New Testament, which uses the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition translation. In 2008, York took part in the BBC Wales programme Coming Home about his Welsh family history. In September 2013, York played Albany in the Gala Performance of William Shakespeare's King Lear at the Old Vic in London.<ref>King Lear. Template:Webarchive. The Old Vic. Accessed 4 November 2014.</ref>

Personal life

York met photographer Patricia McCallum in 1967 when she was assigned to photograph him, and they married on 27 March 1968, York's 26th birthday. His stepson is Star Wars and Young Indiana Jones producer Rick McCallum. York was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1977.<ref name="best">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:External media

Health problems

York announced he was suffering from the rare disease called amyloidosis in 2013.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Doctors initially thought he had bone cancer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He underwent a stem cell transplant, which can alleviate symptoms, in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2022, in order to be closer to the Mayo Clinic for treatment, York and his wife moved to Rochester, Minnesota.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1967	The Taming of the Shrew	Lucentio
	Confessions of Loving Couples	Peter
	Accident	William
	Red and Blue	Acrobat	Short film
	Smashing Time	Tom Wabe
1968	Separation	Himself	Uncredited
	Romeo and Juliet	Tybalt
	The Strange Affair	Peter Strange
1969	The Guru	Tom Pickle
	Alfred the Great	Guthrum
	Justine	Darley
1970	Something for Everyone	Konrad Ludwig
1971	Zeppelin	Geoffrey Richter-Douglas
	Template:Ill	Basil
1972	Cabaret	Brian Roberts
1973	Lost Horizon	George Conway
	England Made Me	Anthony Farrant
	The Three Musketeers	D'Artagnan
1974	The Four Musketeers
	Great Expectations	Pip
	Murder on the Orient Express	Count Rudolf Andrenyi
1975	Conduct Unbecoming	Lieutenant Arthur Drake
1976	Logan's Run	Logan 5
	Seven Nights in Japan	Prince George
1977	Jesus of Nazareth	John the Baptist
	The Island of Dr. Moreau	Andrew Braddock
	The Last Remake of Beau Geste	Beau Geste
1978	Fedora	Himself
1979	The Riddle of the Sands<ref name="timing">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	Charles Carruthers
1980	Final Assignment	Lyosha Petrov
1981	The White Lions	Chris McBride
1983	For Those I Loved	Martin Gray
1984	Success Is the Best Revenge	Alex Rodak
1986	Dawn	John Dawson
1987	Lethal Obsession	Dr. Proper
1988	Phantom of Death	Robert Dominici
	Midnight Cop	Karstens
1989	The Return of the Musketeers	D'Artagnan
1990	Come See the Paradise	Dance Hall Band
1991	Eline Vere	Lawrence St. Clare
1992	The Long Shadow	Gabor Romandy
1993	Wide Sargasso Sea	Paul Mason
1994	Discretion Assured	Trevor McCabe
1995	Gospa	Milan Vukovic
	A Young Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court	Merlin	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Not of This Earth	Paul Johnson
1997	Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery	Basil Exposition
	Goodbye America	Senator Bladon
	Dark Planet	Capt. Winter
	The Long Way Home	Narrator	Voice, documentary
	A Christmas Carol	Bob Cratchit	Voice
1998	Merchants of Venus	Alex Jakoff
	Wrongfully Accused	Hibbing Goodhue
	54	Ambassador
	The Treat	Simon
	Lovers & Liars	Dick Bunche
	One Hell of a Guy	Devil
1999	Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me	Basil Exposition
	Puss in Boots	Puss in Boots	Voice<ref name="btva">Template:Cite web A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref>
	The Omega Code	Stone Alexander
	The Haunting of Hell House	Professor Ambrose
2000	The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire	Pterano	Voice<ref name="btva" />
	Borstal Boy	Joyce
	A Monkey's Tale	Lankoo King	Voice<ref name="btva" />
2001	Megiddo: The Omega Code 2	Stone Alexander, Satan
2002	Austin Powers in Goldmember	Basil Exposition
	A Very Merry Pooh Year	Narrator	Voice
2004	Moscow Heat	Roger Chambers
2007	Flatland: The Movie	Spherius	Voice
2008	Testimony: The Untold Story of Pope John Paul II	Narrator	Voice, documentary film
2009	Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	Prime #1	Voice<ref name="btva" />
2010	Pravosudiye Volkov	Mikhail Polyakov
	Quixote	Don Quixote	Voice, short film
	Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes	Sherlock Holmes	Voice<ref name="btva" />
	The Justice of Wolves	Mika
	Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey	Core	Voice
2011	The Mill and the Cross	Nicolaes Jonghelinck
	Glad Christmas Tidings	Narrator	Voice
2012	Flatland 2: Sphereland	Spherius
2014	Sleeping Beauty	Narrator
2025	Dreams	Private Agent
TBD	The Crystal Palace	The Patriarch	Voice In production<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1964	Arrest and Trial	Pete Bakalyan	Episode: "A Circle of Strangers"
1966	The Wild Wild West	Gupta	Episode: “The Night of the Golden Cobra”
1967	Death Valley Days	Haynie	Episode: "The Man Who Wouldn't Die"
	The Forsyte Saga	Jolyon "Jolly" Forsyte
1968	The Wednesday Play	Roger Porlock	Episode: "Rebel in the Grave"
1974	Great Expectations	Pip	TV film
1977	Jesus of Nazareth	John the Baptist	Miniseries
	BBC2 Play of the Week: True Patriot	Dietrich Bonhoeffer	TV film
1978	Much Ado About Nothing	Benedick
1979	A Man Called Intrepid	Evan Michaelian	Miniseries
1981	Vendredi ou la Vie Sauvage	Robinson Crusoe	TV film
1982	Twilight Theater
1983	The Phantom of the Opera	Michael Hartnell
	The Weather in the Streets	Rollo Spencer
1984	The Master of Ballantrae	James Durie
1985	Space	Dieter Kolff	Miniseries
1986	ABC Afterschool Special	Chet Gordon	Episode: "Are You My Mother?"
	The Storybook Series with Hayley Mills	Beast	Voice
	Tall Tales & Legends	Ponce de Leon	Episode: "Ponde de Leon"
	Sword of Gideon	Robert	TV film
	Dark Mansions	Jason Drake
	Nevil Shute's The Far Country	Carl Zlinter
1987	The Far Country	George Miller	2 episodes
1987–1988	Knots Landing	Charles Scott	8 episodes
1988	The Secret of the Sahara	Desmond Jordan	Miniseries
	The Four Minute Mile	Franz Stampfl
1989	The Lady and the Highwayman	King Charles II	TV film
	Judith Krantz's Till We Meet Again	Paul de Lancel	Miniseries
1990	The Heat of the Day	Robert Kelway	TV film
	Night of the Fox	Field Marshal Rommel
1991	Road to Avonlea	Ezekiel Crane	2 episodes
	Duel of Hearts	Gervaise Warlingham	TV film
1992	The Legend of Prince Valiant	Owen	Voice, 3 episodes
	Rochade	Paul Grumbach	TV film
1992–1993	Batman: The Animated Series	Count Vertigo, Montague Kane	Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva" />
1993	Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn	Narrator	Voice, TV documentary film
	Tracey Ullman Takes on New York	Central Park Acquaintance	Comedy Special
1994	TekWar	Prince Richard	1 episode
	ABC Weekend Special	King Sarastro	Episode: "The Magic Flute"
	Fall from Grace	Hans-Dieter Stromelburg	TV film
1995	Shadow of a Kiss	Albert
1995–1996	seaQuest DSV	President Alexander Bourne	3 episodes
1995	The Naked Truth	Leland Banks	Episode: "Woman Jokes While Husband Cooks!"
	The Magic School Bus	Harry Herp	Voice, episode: "Cold Feet"<ref name="btva" />
1996	La Nouvelle tribu	Ilya	Miniseries
	September	Edmund	TV film
	The Ring	Walmar von Gotthard
	Babylon 5	David "King Arthur" McIntyre	Episode: "A Late Delivery from Avalon"
	Adventures from the Book of Virtues	Androcles	Voice, episode: "Compassion"<ref name="btva" />
	Un coup de baguette magique	Ilya	TV film
1997	Superman: The Animated Series	Kanto	Voice, episode: "Tools of the Trade"<ref name="btva" />
	Sliders	Dr. Vargas	Episode: "This Slide of Paradise"
	True Women	Lewis Lawshe	Miniseries
	The Ripper	Charles Warren	TV film
1998	Dead Man's Gun	Herr Friederich Von Huber	Episode: "The Collector"
	Glory, Glory	Rev. Hopewell	Pilot
	A Knight in Camelot	King Arthur	TV film
	Perfect Little Angels	Dr. Calvin Lawrence
	Search for Nazi Gold	Narrator	TV documentary
2000	Founding Fathers	Alexander Hamilton	TV documentary film
2001	The Lot	Colin Rhome	2 episodes
2002	Liberty's Kids	Admiral Lord Howe	Voice, 2 episodes
	Presidio Med	George Slingerland	Episode: "Secrets"
	Founding Brothers	Alexander Hamilton	TV documentary film
	Curb Your Enthusiasm	Himself	4 episodes
2003	La Femme Musketeer	Jacques D'Artagnan	TV film
2003–2004	Gilmore Girls	Professor Asher Fleming	4 episodes
2004	Crusader	McGovern	TV film
	Justice League Unlimited	Ares	Voice, episode: "Hawk and Dove"<ref name="btva" />
	Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!	Master Zan	Voice, episode: "Antauri's Masters"<ref name="btva" />
2005	Icon	Nigel Irvine	TV film
2006, 2016–2020	The Simpsons	Mason Fairbanks, Dr. Lionel Budgie, Nigel, Clay	Voice, 4 episodes
2006	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Bernard Fremont	Episode: "Slither"
2007	The Replacements	Agent G	Voice, episode: "London Calling"
2008	Four Seasons	Stephen Combe	Miniseries
	Ben 10: Alien Force	Patrick	Voice, episode: "Be-Knighted"<ref name="btva" />
2009	Star Wars: The Clone Wars	Dr. Nuvo Vindi	Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva" />
2010	How I Met Your Mother	Jefferson Van Smoot	Episode: "Robots Versus Wrestlers"
	Family Guy	Documentary Speaker	Voice, episode: "Partial Terms of Endearment"

Video games

Year	Title	Voice role	Notes
1998	Die by the Sword	Instructor
1998	Tex Murphy: Overseer	J. Saint Gideon

Theatre credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1964-5	The Royal Hunt of the Sun	T/O Indian	The Old Vic and Chichester Festival Theatre
1964	An Evening of Original and Macabre Theatre	The Interview: Bull	Dundee Repertory Theatre
1965	Much Ado About Nothing		Bristol Hippodrome
		Watchman	The Old Vic
1965-6	Armstrong’s Last Goodnight	Archie Armstrong	The Old Vic and Chichester Festival Theatre
	Trelawny of the Wells	Arthur Glower
1970	Hamlet	Prince Hamlet	Thorndike Theatre
1973	Out Cry		Broadway
1975	Ring Round the Moon		Ahmanson Theatre
1980	Bent		Broadway
1981	Cyrano de Bergerac	Cyrano de Bergerac	Santa Fe Festival Theatre
1982	The Little Prince		Broadway
1983	Paying the Palace
1990	Whisper in the Mind
1991	The Crucible		National Actors Theatre
1993	Someone Who'll Watch Over Me		Broadway
	Norma		Williamstown Theatre Festival
	Under Milk Wood
1996	Irwa Gershwin at 100	Host	Carnegie Hall
1997	Magda's Story
	Live at the Lensic		Benefit Variety Show, Santa Fe
2001	Conversations on “A Life in the Theatre”		Pasadena Playhouse
	The Journey of Falstaff and Henry V	Narrator	Kennedy Center
	Scenes and Sonnets
2002	Christopher Columbus: A Musical Journey	Christopher Columbus
	Shakespeare at the Bowl		Hollywood Bowl
2003	Dear Editor: A 90th Anniversary Celebration of Poetry Magazine
	For The Time Being: Advent
	Enoch Arden
	Broadway Goes to the Movies
2004	Russian David… Soviet Goliath	Dimitri Shostakovich	Aspen Music Festival
2005	Peer Gynt	Peer Gynt
	Shadows and Voices: The Last Days of Tchaikovsky	Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky	Aspen Music Festival
2013	King Lear	Albany	The Old Vic and St James Theatre
2016	Murder, Lust and Madness

Autobiography

• Template:Cite book.
• Template:Cite book.

Also available in other editions

Other works

• York wrote about his experience with Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 in Dispatches from Armageddon. 2001, Smith & Kraus. Template:ISBN.
• York is also the co-author, with director Adrian Brine, of A Shakespearean Actor Prepares. 2000, Smith & Kraus. Template:ISBN.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
1970	Laurel Awards	Golden Laurel – Male New Face	Romeo and Juliet	Template:Nom	Template:Citation needed
1978	Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films	Best Actor	The Island of Dr. Moreau	Template:Nom	Template:Citation needed
1986	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming	ABC Afterschool Special episode Are You My Mother?	Template:Nom	Template:Citation needed
2000	Temecula Valley International Film Festival	Lifetime Achievement Award	Outstanding TV/Film career	Template:Won	Template:Citation needed
2001	DVD Exclusive Awards	Best Animated Character Performance	The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire (voice)	Template:Nom	Template:Citation needed
2001	53rd Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series	The Lot	Template:Nom	Template:Citation needed
2002	Hollywood Walk of Fame	Motion Picture Star	Outstanding Film career	Template:Won	<ref name="walk"/>
2002	Karlovy Vary International Film Festival	Town of Karlovy Vary Award	Outstanding TV/Film career	Template:Won	Template:Citation needed
2009	14th Satellite Awards	Mary Pickford Award	Veteran Actor Outstanding TV/Film career	Template:Won	Template:Citation needed
2011	Transilvania International Film Festival	Lifetime Achievement Award	Outstanding TV/Film career	Template:Won	Template:Citation needed

External links

• Template:Official website
• Template:AFI person
• Template:IMDb name
• Template:Tcmdb name
• Template:IBDB name