John Wood (English actor)
Encyclopedia
John Wood, CBE
(5 July 1930 – 6 August 2011) was an English
actor.
and studied law at Jesus College, Oxford
where he was president of the Oxford University Dramatic Society
. Changing to drama, Wood became known as a stage actor, appearing in numerous West End productions as well as on Broadway. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company
during the 1970s and played many roles in Shakespeare's plays
. He also appeared in many of Tom Stoppard
's plays. Wood starred in the première of Stoppard's Travesties
in 1974, and he later took the role to Broadway, winning a Tony Award for his performance.
Wood's wide-ranging cinema career included significant roles in WarGames
(1983), Ladyhawke
(1985), Jumpin' Jack Flash
(1986), and Ian McKellen
's Richard III
(1995), Sabrina
(1995), and The Revengers' Comedies
(1997), among others.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
in 2007.
Wood died in his sleep on 6 August 2011.
in 1976 for the role of Henry Carr in Stoppard's Travesties
, and was nominated for an Olivier Award
in 1997 for the role of A. E. Housman – which he originated – in Stoppard's The Invention of Love
.
Wood received two other Tony Award nominations: for the role of Sherlock Holmes
in a revival of William Gillette
's play, and for the role of Guildenstern in Stoppard's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
. In 1994 he received much acclaim for his role of Travis Flood in Philip Ridley
's controversial play Ghost from a Perfect Place
.
Wood was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
in the New Year Honours of 2007 in the United Kingdom
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(5 July 1930 – 6 August 2011) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor.
Biography
Wood was born in DerbyshireDerbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and studied law at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
where he was president of the Oxford University Dramatic Society
Oxford University Dramatic Society
The Oxford University Dramatic Society is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England...
. Changing to drama, Wood became known as a stage actor, appearing in numerous West End productions as well as on Broadway. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
during the 1970s and played many roles in Shakespeare's plays
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. He also appeared in many of Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
's plays. Wood starred in the première of Stoppard's Travesties
Travesties
Travesties is a play by Tom Stoppard.The play centres on the figure of Henry Carr, an elderly man who reminisces about Zürich in 1917 during the First World War, and his interactions with James Joyce when he was writing Ulysses, Tristan Tzara during the rise of Dada, and Lenin leading up to the...
in 1974, and he later took the role to Broadway, winning a Tony Award for his performance.
Wood's wide-ranging cinema career included significant roles in WarGames
WarGames
WarGames is a 1983 American Cold War suspense/science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film stars Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy....
(1983), Ladyhawke
Ladyhawke
Ladyhawke is a 1985 fantasy film directed by Richard Donner, starring Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film marked the second 20th Century Fox film to be co-produced and co-released by Warner Bros.. The first was The Towering Inferno; this time Warner got the U.S...
(1985), Jumpin' Jack Flash
Jumpin' Jack Flash (film)
Jumpin' Jack Flash is a 1986 spy comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, Carol Kane, John Wood, Annie Potts, and Jonathan Pryce...
(1986), and Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
's Richard III
Richard III (1995 film)
Richard III is a 1995 drama film adapted from William Shakespeare's play of the same name, starring Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr., Nigel Hawthorne, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, John Wood and Dominic West....
(1995), Sabrina
Sabrina (1995 film)
Sabrina is a 1995 romantic comedy-drama film adapted by Barbara Benedek and David Rayfiel, based on the 1954 screenplay of the same name, which in turn was based upon a play titled Sabrina Fair....
(1995), and The Revengers' Comedies
The Revengers' Comedies (film)
The Revengers' Comedies was a 1997 film adaptation for television of the Alan Ayckbourn stage comedy of the same name. It was directed by Malcolm Mowbray and written by Mowbray and Ayckbourn together...
(1997), among others.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
in 2007.
Wood died in his sleep on 6 August 2011.
Movies
- Stolen FaceStolen FaceStolen Face is a British film noir directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions. With its theme of a man who, after the sudden end of a powerful romance with a beautiful blonde tries to recreate her by altering the appearance of another woman, it is clearly a forerunner of Vertigo...
(1952) .... Dr. John 'Jack' Wilson - Two-Way StretchTwo-Way StretchTwo-Way Stretch, sometimes titled Nothing Barred, is a 1960 British comedy film, about a group of prisoners who plan to break out of jail, commit a robbery, and then break back into jail again, thus giving them the perfect alibi – that they were behind bars when the robbery occurred...
(1960) (uncredited) .... Army officer - The ChallengeThe Challenge (1960 film)The Challenge, released as It Takes a Thief in the United States, is a 1960 British crime film directed by John Gilling and starring Jayne Mansfield and Anthony Quayle.-Cast:*Jayne Mansfield ... Billy*Anthony Quayle ... Jim...
(1960) .... School Inspector - Invasion Quartet (1961) .... Duty Officer - War Office
- Wings of DeathWings of DeathWings of Death is a shoot 'em up game released in 1990 for Atari ST and Amiga, developed by Eclipse Software and distributed by Thalion Software. The two versions of the game are mostly the same, the only noticeable difference is in the sounds...
(1961) .... Photographer - The RebelThe Rebel (1961 film)The film The Rebel is a satirical comedy starring the British comedian Tony Hancock, and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.-Plot:...
(1961) .... Poet - Live Now - Pay Later (1962) .... Curate
- Postman's KnockPostman's Knock (film)Postman's Knock is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Robert Lynn and starring Spike Milligan, Barbara Shelley, John Wood and Warren Mitchell. A country postman is transferred to London, where he manages to foil a major robbery.-Cast:...
(1962) (as John Woods) .... P.C. Woods - Just for Fun (1963) .... Official
- That Kind of GirlThat Kind of GirlThat Kind of Girl is a British cult film and the directorial debut of Gerry O'Hara. Produced by Robert Hartford-Davis with a script by Jan Read, it was released in 1963....
(1963) .... Doctor - The Mouse on the MoonThe Mouse on the MoonThe Mouse on the Moon is a 1963 British comedy film, an adaptation of the novel The Mouse on the Moon by Irish author Leonard Wibberley. It was directed by Richard Lester and served as the sequel to The Mouse That Roared. In it, the people of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, a microstate, attempt space...
(1963) .... Countryman - Love Is a BallLove Is a BallLove Is a Ball is a 1963 romantic comedy film starring Glenn Ford and Hope Lange. It is based on the book The Grand Duke and Mr. Pimm by Lindsay Hardy.-Plot:...
(1963) .... Julian Soames - Just Like a WomanJust Like a Woman (1967 film)Just Like a Woman is a 1967 British comedy film written and directed by Robert Fuest and starring Wendy Craig, Francis Matthews, Dennis Price and Clive Dunn...
(1967) .... John Martin - Which Way to the Front?Which Way to the Front?Which Way to the Front? is a 1970 film starring Jerry Lewis. It would be Lewis' last released film for eleven years , until 1981's Hardly Working. The unreleased The Day the Clown Cried was filmed in the years between...
(1970) .... Finkel - One More TimeOne More Time (film)One More Time is a comedy film, directed by Jerry Lewis and starring Sammy Davis, Jr. and Peter Lawford. It was filmed in 1969 and released in May, 1970 by United Artists. It is a sequel to the 1968 film Salt and Pepper.-Synopsis:...
(1970/I) .... Figg - The Engagement (1970) .... Penciller
- Nicholas and AlexandraNicholas and AlexandraNicholas and Alexandra is a 1971 biographical film which tells the story of the last Russian monarch, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra....
(1971) .... Colonel Kobylinsky - Slaughterhouse-FiveSlaughterhouse-Five (film)Slaughterhouse-Five is a 1972 film based on Kurt Vonnegut's novel of the same name. The screenplay is by Stephen Geller and the film was directed by George Roy Hill. It stars Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, and Valerie Perrine, and features Eugene Roche, Sharon Gans, Holly Near, and Perry King. The...
(1972) (as Tom Wood) .... English Officer - Somebody Killed Her HusbandSomebody Killed Her HusbandSomebody Killed Her Husband is a 1978 comedy/mystery film directed by Lamont Johnson and written by Reginald Rose. It starred Farrah Fawcett and Jeff Bridges. Also in the cast were John Wood, Tammy Grimes and John Glover. The film is set in Manhattan, New York City...
(1978) .... Ernest Van Santen - Agentti 000 ja kuoleman kurvitAgentti 000 ja kuoleman kurvitAgentti 000 ja kuolema kurvit was a 1983 Finnish spy comedy film directed by Visa Mäkinen and written by Ismo Sajakorpi. The film stars Ilmari Saarelainen as James Bond impersonator Joonas G. Breitenfeldt and Tenho Saurén as a bank robber...
(1983) .... Agent 009 - WarGamesWarGamesWarGames is a 1983 American Cold War suspense/science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film stars Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy....
(1983) .... Dr. Stephen Falken - LadyhawkeLadyhawkeLadyhawke is a 1985 fantasy film directed by Richard Donner, starring Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film marked the second 20th Century Fox film to be co-produced and co-released by Warner Bros.. The first was The Towering Inferno; this time Warner got the U.S...
(1985) .... Bishop of Aquila - The Purple Rose of CairoThe Purple Rose of CairoThe Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. Inspired by Sherlock, Jr., Hellzapoppin, and Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, it is the tale of a film character who leaves a fictional film of the same name and enters the real...
(1985) .... Jason - Jumpin' Jack FlashJumpin' Jack Flash (film)Jumpin' Jack Flash is a 1986 spy comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, Carol Kane, John Wood, Annie Potts, and Jonathan Pryce...
(1986) .... Jeremy Talbott - HeartburnHeartburn (film)Heartburn is a 1986 American drama film directed by Mike Nichols. The screenplay by Nora Ephron is based on her semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, which was inspired by her tempestuous second marriage to Carl Bernstein and his affair with Margaret Jay. Rachel is a food writer at a New...
(1986) .... British Moderator - Lady JaneLady Jane (film)Lady Jane is a 1986 British costume drama romance film directed by Trevor Nunn, written by David Edgar, and starring Helena Bonham Carter as the title character in her first major film role. It tells the story of Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days' Queen, on her reign and romance with husband Lord...
(1986) .... John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland - OrlandoOrlando (film)Orlando is a 1992 film based on Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando: A Biography, starring Tilda Swinton as Orlando, Billy Zane as Marmaduke Bonthrop Shelmerdine, and Quentin Crisp as Queen Elizabeth. It was directed by Sally Potter....
(1992) .... Archduke Harry - ShadowlandsShadowlandsShadowlands is a 1985 television film, written by William Nicholson, directed by Norman Stone and produced by David M. Thompson for BBC Wales. Its subject is the relationship between Oxford don and author, C. S. Lewis and Joy Gresham....
(1993) .... Christopher Riley - The Young AmericansThe Young Americans (film)The Young Americans is a 1993 crime drama that marked the feature film debut of British director Danny Cannon.-Plot:Harvey Keitel plays an American cop who travels to London to apprehend a gangster who has formed a new gang of sociopathic teenagers trying to imitate American culture.-Cast:*Harvey...
(1993) .... Richard Donnelly - The Madness of King GeorgeThe Madness of King GeorgeThe Madness of King George is a 1994 film directed by Nicholas Hytner and adapted by Alan Bennett from his own play, The Madness of George III. It tells the true story of George III's deteriorating mental health, and his equally declining relationship with his son, the Prince of Wales, particularly...
(1994) .... Thurlow - UncoveredUncovered (film)Uncovered is a 1994 film based on Arturo Perez-Reverte's The Flanders Panel. It was directed by Jim McBride. The leading actress was Kate Beckinsale as the main character Julia.-Plot:...
(1994) .... Cesar - SabrinaSabrina (1995 film)Sabrina is a 1995 romantic comedy-drama film adapted by Barbara Benedek and David Rayfiel, based on the 1954 screenplay of the same name, which in turn was based upon a play titled Sabrina Fair....
(1995) .... Tom Fairchild - Richard IIIRichard III (1995 film)Richard III is a 1995 drama film adapted from William Shakespeare's play of the same name, starring Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr., Nigel Hawthorne, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, John Wood and Dominic West....
(1995) .... King Edward IV - Jane EyreJane Eyre (1996 film)Jane Eyre is a 1996 film adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name. This Hollywood version, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, is similar to the original novel, although it compresses and eliminates most of the plot in the last quarter of the book to make it fit into a 2-hour...
(1996) .... Mr. Brocklehurst - The GamblerThe Gambler (1997 film)The Gambler is a 1997 drama film directed by Károly Makk and starring Michael Gambon, Jodhi May and Polly Walker. It is set around the writing of the novel The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.-Cast:* Michael Gambon ... Fyodor Dostoyevsky...
(1997) .... The General - MetrolandMetroland (1997 film)Metroland is a 1997 British film starring Christian Bale and Emily Watson. It was directed by Philip Saville and written by Adrian Hodges, based on the 1980 novel by Julian Barnes...
(1997) .... The Retired Commuter - The Avengers (1998) .... Trubshaw
- Sweet RevengeSweet Revenge (1998 film)Sweet Revenge is a 1998 British comedy film written and directed by Malcolm Mowbray. The screenplay is based on the epic two-part play The Revengers' Comedies by Alan Ayckbourn....
(1998) .... Col. Marcus - Mad Cows (1999) .... Alistair
- The Venice ProjectThe Venice ProjectThe Venice Project is a 1999 drama film directed by Robert Dornhelm. It stars Lauren Bacall and Dennis Hopper, and included a cameo appearance from Steve Martin.-Cast:*Lauren Bacall ... Countess Camilla Volta*Dennis Hopper ... Roland / Salvatore...
(1999) .... The Viscount - An Ideal HusbandAn Ideal HusbandAn Ideal Husband is an 1895 comedic stage play by Oscar Wilde which revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour...
(1999) .... Lord Caversham - Chocolat (2000) .... Guillaume Blerot
- The Little VampireThe Little VampireThe film version of the story was released in 2000 and stars Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant, Jim Carter, and Alice Krige.-Plot:Tony Thompson is an only child whose family has moved to Scotland from California. In the new country, he has no friends, and he is picked on and beaten up by bullies...
(2000) .... Lord McAshton - The Body (2001) .... Cardinal Pesci
- Imagining ArgentinaImagining ArgentinaImagining Argentina is an award-winning novel by Lawrence Thornton, about the Dirty War in 1970s Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the military government is abducting those opposed to its rule...
(2003) .... Amos Sternberg - The Rocket PostThe Rocket PostThe Rocket Post is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Whittaker and starring Ulrich Thomsen, Shauna Macdonald, Kevin McKidd and Patrick Malahide. It is set on a remote Scottish island during the late 1930s...
(2004) .... Sir Wilson Ramsay - The White CountessThe White CountessThe White Countess is a 2005 British/American/Chinese drama film directed by James Ivory. The screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro focuses on a disparate group of displaced persons attempting to survive in Shanghai in the late 1930s.-Plot:...
(2005) .... Prince Peter Belinsky
Television
- Barnaby RudgeBarnaby RudgeBarnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty is a historical novel by British novelist Charles Dickens. Barnaby Rudge was one of two novels that Dickens published in his short-lived weekly serial Master Humphrey's Clock...
(1960) .... Barnaby Rudge - SakiSakiHector Hugh Munro , better known by the pen name Saki, and also frequently as H. H. Munro, was a British writer whose witty, mischievous and sometimes macabre stories satirised Edwardian society and culture. He is considered a master of the short story and often compared to O. Henry and Dorothy...
(1962) .... Mr. Blenkinthrope - And Benbow Was His Name (1964) .... Captain Kirby
- EspionageEspionageEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
(1964) .... Douglas - A Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two Cities is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it ranks among the most famous works in the history of fictional literature....
(1965) .... Sydney Carton - Out of the UnknownOut of the UnknownOut of the Unknown is a British television science fiction anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2 in four series between 1965 and 1971. Each episode was an independent dramatisation of a separate science fiction short story...
(1966) .... Brenner - HondoHondo (TV series)Hondo is a Western television series starring Ralph Taeger, that aired in the United States on ABC during the 1967 fall season.-Overview:Hondo was based on the film of the same name starring John Wayne, which was in turn based on an early Louis L'Amour novel...
(1967) .... Goya - Armchair TheatreArmchair TheatreArmchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television after 1968....
(1967) .... Brian - The AvengersThe Avengers (TV series)The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
(1967) .... Edgar Twitter - DoomwatchDoomwatchDoomwatch is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC, which ran on BBC One between 1970 and 1972. The series was set in the then present-day, and dealt with a scientific government agency led by Doctor Spencer Quist , responsible for investigating and combating various...
(1971) .... Nigel Waring - Thatcher: The Final DaysThatcher: The Final DaysThatcher: The Final Days is a 1991 British television film about the events surrounding the final few days of Margaret Thatcher's time as Prime Minister. It was written by Richard Maher, directed by Tim Sullivan and starred Sylvia Syms in the role of Mrs Thatcher...
(1991) .... Michael HeseltineMichael HeseltineMichael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group. He was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001 and was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major... - The Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesThe Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
(1993) .... Charles Leadbeater - Kavanagh QCKavanagh QCKavanagh QC is a British television series made by Carlton Television for ITV between 1995 and 2001. It has been shown on ITV3 as recently as August 2011; series 1–6 are available on Region 2 DVDs....
(1997) .... Mr. Justice Way - Longitude (2000) .... Sir Edmond HalleyEdmond HalleyEdmond Halley FRS was an English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist who is best known for computing the orbit of the eponymous Halley's Comet. He was the second Astronomer Royal in Britain, following in the footsteps of John Flamsteed.-Biography and career:Halley...
- The Canterbury TalesThe Canterbury TalesThe Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales are told as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at...
(2000) .... The Knight - Love in a Cold ClimateLove in a Cold ClimateLove in a Cold Climate is a novel by Nancy Mitford, first published in 1949. The title is a direct quotation from George Orwell's novel Keep The Aspidistra Flying .-Plot summary:...
(2001) ..... Lord Merlin - Victoria and AlbertVictoria & Albert (TV serial)Victoria & Albert is a 2001 British-US historical television serial. It focused on the early life and marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The series starred Victoria Hamilton as Victoria, Jonathan Firth as Prince Albert and Peter Ustinov as King William IV. It was directed by John Ermant....
(2001) .... The Duke of Wellington - Foyle's WarFoyle's WarFoyle's War is a British detective drama television series set during World War II, created by screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, and was commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse came to an end in 2000. It has aired on ITV since 2002...
(2004) .... Sir Michael Waterford - Lewis (2007) .... Edward Le Plassiter
Awards
Wood won a Tony AwardTony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
in 1976 for the role of Henry Carr in Stoppard's Travesties
Travesties
Travesties is a play by Tom Stoppard.The play centres on the figure of Henry Carr, an elderly man who reminisces about Zürich in 1917 during the First World War, and his interactions with James Joyce when he was writing Ulysses, Tristan Tzara during the rise of Dada, and Lenin leading up to the...
, and was nominated for an Olivier Award
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
in 1997 for the role of A. E. Housman – which he originated – in Stoppard's The Invention of Love
The Invention of Love
The Invention of Love is a 1997 play by Tom Stoppard portraying the life of poet A.E. Housman, focusing specifically on his personal life and love for a college classmate. The play is written from the viewpoint of Housman dealing with his memories towards the end of his life and contains many...
.
Wood received two other Tony Award nominations: for the role of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
in a revival of William Gillette
William Gillette
William Hooker Gillette was an American actor, playwright and stage-manager in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who is best remembered today for portraying Sherlock Holmes....
's play, and for the role of Guildenstern in Stoppard's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is an absurdist, existentialist tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet, the courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern...
. In 1994 he received much acclaim for his role of Travis Flood in Philip Ridley
Philip Ridley
Philip Ridley is a British artist working with various media.- Biography :Ridley was born in Bethnal Green, in the East End of London, where he still lives and works. He studied painting at St. Martin’s School of Art and his work has been exhibited throughout Europe and Japan...
's controversial play Ghost from a Perfect Place
Ghost From A Perfect Place
Ghost from a Perfect Place is the third stage play by Philip Ridley. It premiered at the Hampstead Theatre in London in 1994. The part of Travis Flood was played to much acclaim by the veteran, classical actor John Wood....
.
Wood was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in the New Year Honours of 2007 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.