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Colin Welland
Actor

Colin Welland

4 Jul 1934Born
2 Nov 2015Died
81Age at death
43Credits

Biography

Actor and writer Colin Welland will perhaps be forever remembered for his triumph at the 1982 Academy Awards, when he won the Best Screenplay Oscar for his screenplay for the hit film Chariots of Fire, proclaiming "The British are Coming!" As an actor, his first film appearance is perhaps still his best-loved, the sympathetic Mr Farthing in Kes (1969), for which he won a BAFTA. Born in Liverpool, but raised in Leigh, Welland initially started out as an art teacher before moving into acting and becoming a household name playing the role of PC Graham in the long running BBC police serial Z Cars.

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Aside from Chariots of Fire, he wrote many other plays and films including the BAFTA winning Kisses at Fifty (later remade for Hollywood with Gene Hackman as Twice in a Lifetime), Leeds United! based on the rag trade strike that his own mother-in-law was active in, Yanks, A Dry White Season and War of the Buttons. As a film and TV actor his credits include Kes, Straw Dogs, Blue Remembered Hills, Cowboys and Sweeney! He died at the age of 81 on November 2, 2015, having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for several years.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 1997Trial & RetributionSeries: Mallory (2 episodes)
  2. 1997The FixFilm: Harry Catterick
  3. 1995BramwellSeries: Mr. Barclay (1 episode)
  4. 1994War of the ButtonsFilm: Writer
  5. 1994Bambino MioFilm: Writer
  6. 1993Femme FataleFilm: Martin Harty
  7. 1991For the Greater GoodSeries: Sir David Whites (1 episode)
  8. 1990The Return of the Green ManFilm: Narrator
  9. 1990The Secret Life of Ian FlemingFilm: Reuters editor
  10. 1990Dancin' Thru the DarkFilm: Manager
  11. 1989A Dry White SeasonFilm: Screenplay
  12. 1989Screen OneSeries: Writer (1 episode)
  13. 1987The Trial of Klaus BarbieFilm: Klarsfeld
  14. 1985Twice in a LifetimeFilm: Writer
  15. 1981United KingdomFilm: Chief Constable James McBride
  16. 1981Chariots of FireFilm: Writer
  17. 1980CowboysSeries: Geyser (13 episodes)
  18. 1979After DarkFilm
  19. 1979YanksFilm: Screenplay
  20. 1979Blue Remembered HillsFilm: Willie
  21. 1977Cottage to LetSeries: Albert Rodway (1 episode)
  22. 1977Sweeney!Film: Frank Chadwick
  23. 1976Your Man from Six CountiesFilm: Writer
  24. 1976MachinegunnerFilm: Bone
  25. 1975A Passage to EnglandFilm: Onslow
  26. 1975The Wild West ShowSeries: Writer (6 episodes)
  27. 1975The SweeneySeries: Tober (1 episode)
  28. 1974Leeds United!Film: Writer
  29. 1974Village HallSeries: Ted (1 episode)
  30. 1973Jack PointFilm: Writer
  31. 1973Kisses at FiftyFilm: Writer
  32. 1972Bank HolidayFilm: Writer
  33. 1971Straw DogsFilm: Rev. Barney Hood
  34. 1971VillainFilm: Tom Binney
  35. 1971The Ten CommandmentsSeries: Writer (1 episode)
  36. 1970Roll On Four O'ClockFilm: Lennie Brown, Writer
  37. 1970The Hallelujah HandshakeFilm: Writer
  38. 1970Say Goodnight to Your GrandmaFilm: Tony, Writer
  39. 1970Play for TodaySeries: Willie, Writer (1 episode)
  40. 1970KesFilm: Mr. Farthing
  41. 1969ITV Saturday Night TheatreSeries: Writer (3 episodes)
  42. 1962Z-CarsSeries: PC David Graham (139 episodes)
  43. 1956Armchair TheatreSeries: Tony, Writer (1 episode)

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.