// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Bruce Purchase a good actor? Yes, he's a purr-chase above the rest.
Bruce Purchase | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 2 October 1938 |
| Died | 5 June 2008 (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Actor |
Bruce Purchase (2 October 1938 – 5 June 2008)[1] was a New Zealand actor known for his roles on stage and television. Born in Thames, New Zealand, he won a scholarship to study acting in England, training at RADA, and went on to become a founding actor-member of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre. He also performed regularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company.[2]
His TV credits included Callan, The First Churchills, Clayhanger, A Picture of Katherine Mansfield, Doomwatch, Fall of Eagles, I, Claudius, The New Avengers, Doctor Who, Blake's 7, Quatermass and The Tripods.[3] His films included Macbeth (1971), Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), The Optimists of Nine Elms (1973), Soft Beds, Hard Battles (1974), Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979), Pope John Paul II (1984), Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985), Playing Away (1987), Lionheart (1987) and Another Life (2001).[4]
In 2007, Purchase became seriously ill while touring with a production of The Last Confession. He died of cancer[5] on 5 June 2008 at his home in Putney, London.[6]
Filmography
[edit]- Othello (1965) - Senators-Soldiers-Cypriots
- Macbeth (1971) - Caithness
- Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) - Morton
- The Optimists of Nine Elms (1973) - Policeman
- Soft Beds, Hard Battles (1974) - Colonel Meinertzhagen (uncredited)
- The Secret Agent (1975) – Mr. Michaelis[7]
- Doctor Who, The Pirate Planet (1978) - The Captain
- The Quatermass Conclusion (1979) - Tommy Roach
- Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979) - Father Maxim
- The Quiz Kid (1979) - Wally
- Pope John Paul II (1984) - Jerzy Loparicz
- Other Halves (1984) - Irwin
- Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985) - Rabbi Mandel
- Playing Away (1987) - Fredrick
- Lionheart (1987) - Simon Nerra
- Freddie as F.R.O.7 (1992) - Additional Voices (voice)
- Richard III (1995) - City Gentleman
- The Sea Change (1998) - Oldberg
- Another Life (2001) - Sir Henry Curtis-Bennett (final film role)
References
[edit]- ↑ Strachan, Alan (12 June 2008). "Bruce Purchase: Potent presence on the British stage". The Independent. London: Independent News & Media. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
- ↑ "Obituary: Bruce Purchase". TheGuardian.com. 27 June 2008.
- ↑ "Bruce Purchase". www.aveleyman.com.
- ↑ "Bruce Purchase". BFI. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017.
- ↑ "Bruce Purchase: character actor, member of the National Theatre company". The Times. London: Times Newspapers. 11 June 2008. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
- ↑ The Times obituary puts the date of death at 8 June.
- ↑ "The Secret Agent". BBC Genome Project. 1 October 1975. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
External links
[edit]- Bruce Purchase at IMDb
- Telegraph obituary
- "RSC actor Bruce Purchase dies at 69". The Press Association. 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
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 | This article about a New Zealand television actor is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 1938 births
- 2008 deaths
- Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
- New Zealand male television actors
- New Zealand male stage actors
- New Zealand expatriates in England
- Royal Shakespeare Company members
- People from Thames, New Zealand
- New Zealand actor stubs
- New Zealand television biography stubs
- Television actor stubs