Hordern, Sir Michael Murray

▪ 1996

      British actor (b. Oct. 3, 1911, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England—d. May 2, 1995, Oxford, England), as a stage, screen, and television actor for more than 60 years, used his distinctive voice, careworn features, and wry humour in a remarkable variety of character roles—ranging from Mr. Toad to King Lear. He was particularly adept at deadpan comedy, notably as the dithering philosopher George Moore in Tom Stoppard's play Jumpers (1972). Hordern worked as a salesman until a stint in amateur theatricals induced him to take up the profession in his 20s. He made his London stage debut in Othello in 1937 and his Broadway debut in 1959. Hordern's memorable stage appearances included the title roles in Shakespeare's King John and Anton Chekhov's Ivanov, but he also excelled in comedies by Harold Pinter, Alan Ayckborn, John Mortimer, Evelyn Waugh, George Bernard Shaw, and Sir Arthur Pinero, among others. He made his first motion picture in 1939 and later appeared in such films as Passport to Pimlico (1949), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), and The Missionary (1982). His television work (mainly in the 1970s and '80s) included a reprise of King Lear, and he also provided the voice of Paddington Bear. Hordern was knighted in 1983.

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