Celebrity Biographies
Richard Johnson
Richard Johnson had an outstanding career on the British stage, starring in the excellent horror film “The Haunted House” and playing prominent supporting roles in numerous titles. The actor died at the age of 86 after a brief illness of which the details were not specified, in Chelsea (London), on June 6, 2015. He was about to play the first James Bond.
Born in Upminster, Essex, on July 30, 1927, Richard Johnson studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), one of the UK’s most renowned institutions. After sharing the stage for many years with John Gielgud in the noted actor’s repertory company, he served in the Royal Navy during World War II.
He debuted on the big screen in El hidalgo de los mares , where he appeared briefly as the surgeon’s companion, although he gained greater relevance with the war film When Blood Boils , where he played an army officer, along with Steve McQueen , Gina Lollobrigida and Frank Sinatra . Robert Wise hired him as the lead in The Haunted House , where he played Dr. John Markway, who investigates paranormal activities in a building with a macabre history, with the help of two women.
He combined his theatrical activity with appearances in titles such as Kartum , The Monsters Club , Assassination of Julius Caesar or Aces from Heaven . He was also Terence Young ‘s first choice to play James Bond in the character’s first film, Agent 007 vs. Dr. No. But the producers decided to do without him when he refused to sign a contract to continue playing the character for several films.
Divorced from actress Sheila Sweet, with whom he had two children, he married the famous Kim Novak , with whom he filmed Moll Flanders in 1965. Later, Richard Johnson had another daughter with his third wife, Mary Louise Norlund, and a fourth. son with the fourth, Françoise Pasca l. Late in his career he appeared as a fine gentleman in Tomb Raider and as the grandfather in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas .