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Richard Easton

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Richard Easton
Born
John Richard Easton

(1933-03-22)March 22, 1933
DiedDecember 2, 2019(2019-12-02) (aged 86)
OccupationActor
Years active1953–2013

John Richard Easton[1] (March 22, 1933 – December 2, 2019) was a Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of Brian Hammond in the 1970s BBC serial The Brothers.[2]

Life and career

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Easton was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the son of Mary Louise (née Withington) and Leonard Idell Easton, a civil engineer. He started acting in a children's theatre group before moving, at the age of seventeen, to Ottawa to work in a weekly repertory theatre.[citation needed]

Easton has performed in many stage productions and various film roles.[3] He also had television guest appearances on Doctor Who, L.A. Law, Frasier, and Ed.[4][5]

In 2002, Easton starred in the title role in a three-part documentary, Benjamin Franklin, on PBS.[6] Between 2005 and 2011, Easton again appeared as Benjamin Franklin in a series of commercials and videos about Freemasonry, produced for the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts A.F. & A.M.[citation needed]

On October 18, 2006, while performing Tom Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia on stage during the show's second preview at the Lincoln Center Theater's Vivian Beaumont Theater, Easton suffered a heart attack and collapsed. His heart stopped beating, but after co-star Martha Plimpton realized that Easton's fall was serious and asked the audience if a doctor was present, a stagehand stepped up to perform CPR. An ambulance was called and Easton was revived with defibrillation.[7][8] He underwent a procedure to correct a heart arrhythmia, briefly delaying the opening of the play, in which he played a central role.[9] He made a full recovery and returned to the play soon after the incident.[10]

In 2008, Easton was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.[11]

In 2011, Easton made a guest appearance in the second season of Boardwalk Empire, appearing as Jackson Parkhurst in the episode "Gimcrack & Bunkum".[12]

One of his last notable appearances in media was as the voice of Nigel, the eccentric celebrity fanatic in the game Grand Theft Auto V.

Easton died on December 2, 2019, at the age of 86.[13][14][15]

Filmography

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Film

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1976 Feelings (Unknown Role)
1983 Young Warriors Bartender
1989 Henry V Constable of France Charles D'Albret
1991 Dead Again Father Timothy
2000 Finding Forrester Prof. Matthews
2005 Stealing Martin Lane Ed
2005 It's About Time Mr. Dawson
2005 Pizza Mr. Mitchell
2008 Revolutionary Road Mr. Givings

Television

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Television
Year Title Role Notes
1959 Play of the Week Beliaev 1 episode
1960 The DuPont Show of the Month 1 episode
1963 No Hiding Place Simon McCowen 1 episode
1971-1976 The Brothers Brian Hammond 85 episodes
1982 Doctor Who Captain Stapley 4 episodes
1997 Frasier Mel White Episode: "Ham Radio"
2002 Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin PBS mini series
3 episodes
2004 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Richard Sutton Episode: "Bound"
2007 Alexander Hamilton George Washington Voice
2011 Boardwalk Empire Jackson Parkhurst Episode: "Gimcrack & Bunkum"
2011 Mildred Pierce Charlie Hannen Episode: 3

Stage

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Video games

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Videogames
Year Title Role
2007 Manhunt 2 Watchdogs member
2013 Grand Theft Auto V Nigel

Awards

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Year Award Category Film/TV Show/Play Result
2001 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play The Invention of Love Won
2001 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play Won

References

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  1. ^ "Richard Easton Biography (1933-)". Film Reference.
  2. ^ "Richard Easton". IMDb. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  3. ^ "Richard Easton". BFI. Archived from the original on June 1, 2018.
  4. ^ "Richard Easton". TVGuide.com.
  5. ^ "Richard Easton". Aveleyman.
  6. ^ "Benjamin Franklin [Part Two] (2002)". BFI. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019.
  7. ^ Miller, Stuart (April 21, 2007). "Sometimes Not Just Curtains Fall Onstage". The New York Times. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  8. ^ LincolnCenterTheater (April 16, 2010). "Richard Easton". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  9. ^ "The Coast Is Clear: Stoppard's Utopia Opens on Broadway". Playbill. November 27, 2006. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
  10. ^ Ethan Hawke's Co-Star Literally Died On Stage | The Graham Norton Show, June 2018, retrieved May 2, 2021
  11. ^ Gans, Andrew (October 10, 2008). "Hamlisch, Lane, Birch, Tunick and Azenberg Among Theater Hall of Fame Inductees". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 10, 2014.
  12. ^ "Boardwalk Empire". TVGuide.com.
  13. ^ "Wednesday Thoughts". Mockingbird Hill Cottage. December 4, 2019.
  14. ^ Barnes, Mike (November 12, 2019). "Richard Easton, Broadway Veteran and Tony Winner, Dies at 86". The Hollywood Reporter.
  15. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (December 12, 2019). "Richard Easton, Stage Veteran and Tony Winner, Dies at 86". The New York Times.
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