Biography
Colin Blakely (23 September 1930 – 7 May 1987) was a Northern Irish stage and screen actor. Born in Bangor, County Down, he attended Sedbergh School in Yorkshire. He worked briefly in his father's sports goods business in Belfast before joining an amateur dramatic society in the mid-1950s. He moved to London in 1959 and began appearing in theatre productions, later joining the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.
Blakely's film roles included Maurice Braithwaite in This Sporting Life (1963), Matthew in A Man for All Seasons (1966), Dr John Watson in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), and Horace Blatt in Evil Under the Sun (1982). He received BAFTA nominations for his performances in Equus (1977) and two television productions. He was also nominated for an Olivier Award for his stage work in Just Between Ourselves.
