Nigel Terry could make a period character feel dangerous simply by keeping quiet. We value that reserve most in his work with Derek Jarman; in Excalibur, his royal dignity makes Arthur harder to care about.
Fi1m perspective
In Excalibur (1981), Nigel Terry carries himself like a king while the people around him get more chances to entertain. His Arthur has the necessary dignity, and we never doubt that Terry takes the part seriously. Getting close to him is another matter. John Boorman’s film is worth an evening for its sorcery, bloodshed and Alex Thomson’s photography, but its leading man cannot always make the solemn speeches feel personal. We can see why Arthur matters to the legend without quite feeling that we know him.
We were frustrated by his Arthur, because the evident commitment deserves writing with more room for ordinary human exchanges. Nicholas Clay’s Lancelot and Cherie Lunghi’s Guenevere encounter a similar difficulty, so this is hardly Terry’s failure alone. We would not ask him to compete with Nicol Williamson and Helen Mirren for the film’s more immediate pleasures. A king can be less amusing than his company and still hold our attention. What is missing is a reason to care about this particular man.
He had begun in films as Prince John in The Lion in Winter (1968), holding his own alongside Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn. A long concentration on stage work followed before his return to cinema in Excalibur. His subsequent association with Derek Jarman offered a more promising use for that brooding manner. They made five films together between 1986 and 1993, with Terry taking the title role in Caravaggio (1986). In that film, his intensity suggests danger without needing to make the man agreeable.
That collaboration also included Mortimer in Edward II (1991), alongside Tilda Swinton. Later supporting work, such as Archeptolemus in Troy (2004), kept him in the period settings that recur through his screen career. He was particularly suited to men who held back their anger until they could no longer keep quiet. For a clearer sense of what he could do than Excalibur alone provides, start with Caravaggio.
Biography
Nigel Terry (1945–2015) was an English stage, film and television actor. He played King Arthur in John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) and Prince John in The Lion in Winter (1968).
Born Peter Nigel Terry in Bristol, he trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and worked with repertory companies including the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He appeared in about twenty films, notably the title role in Derek Jarman’s Caravaggio (1986) and further Jarman productions including The Last of England (1987), War Requiem (1989), Edward II (1991) and Blue (1993). Later film roles included Troy (2004).
On television he appeared in series such as Highlander: The Series (1992), Spooks (2002), Foyle’s War (2002) and Doctor Who (2008).
