Honoring John Nolan: Celebrated Actor, Director, and Free Spirit
John Nolan, who died aged 87, built a long and varied career in stage, screen and teaching. He worked steadily as an actor and theatre director. He also taught at Stratford College.
Filmogaz.com is honoring John Nolan: Celebrated Actor, Director, and Free Spirit for his wide-ranging contributions. His distinctive, velvety voice and strong presence marked his work.
Early life and training
Nolan was born in Kent to professional Irish parents. His looks and luminous blue eyes helped open early doors.
He was among the first students at the Drama Centre in London. On leaving, he was cast as Romeo opposite Francesca Annis at the Richmond Theatre.
Stage career
He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and took major parts. His athletic stage presence and baritone voice drew praise.
- Claudio in Measure for Measure at the Barbican
- Mark Antony in Julius Caesar
- Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Regent’s Park
At the Royal National Theatre he appeared on the Olivier stage. Notable credits there include Troilus and Cressida and The Merchant of Venice.
Other theatre work included Tom in The Glass Menagerie and McCann in Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party. He also played the Defending Officer in For King and Country at the Mermaid Theatre.
Screen work and voice roles
On television he played Daniel Deronda for the BBC. He was a regular on Doomwatch and starred as Nick Flaunt in Shabby Tiger for Granada.
He guested in many series, including The Sweeney, The Saint and Enemy at the Door. Irish television cast him as Hamlet and Richard II for RTE.
Nolan won Best Actor at the Dublin Festival for The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. His film roles included Fredericks in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises.
He had a memorable blind-man cameo in Dunkirk. A one-episode role on Person of Interest was expanded into the recurring part of Greer.
His voice featured in numerous television and radio advertisements. He also narrated documentaries.
Later years and final work
He continued working into his eighties. At 85 he gave his final performance as the Speaker of The Hall in The Dune Prophecy for Sky Atlantic.
He attracted new fans through later screen appearances. Those roles connected him with both long-time and younger audiences.
Reputation and teaching
Nolan was a respected teacher who explained Shakespeare with clarity. He taught practical skills too, including how to swing a golf club.
Critics and colleagues noted a small but unmistakable onstage frisson in his appearances. That quality sustained him across decades.
Personal life and survivors
He met fellow cast member Kim Hartman during a production at the Bristol Old Vic. The couple married and remained together.
They are survived by their children Tom and Miranda, both actors. Grandchildren Dylan and Kara also survive him.
Hartman described him as a free spirit, an original thinker with an anarchic wit. She added that he was kind, devoted to family, and loved by animals.
John Nolan leaves a large body of work across theatre, television, film and radio. His influence endures in performances and in the students he taught. Filmogaz.com remembers him for his craft and character.
