Richard Johnson
Date of Birth
Richard Johnson was a British actor best known for his roles in the films The Haunting and The Pumpkin Eater. In The Haunting he played Dr. John Markway, a scientist doing research to prove the existence of ghosts who invites two women to a haunted mansion, one of whom goes insane. And in The Pumpkin Eater he played Giles, the second husband of a woman who leaves him for his friend.
Johnson was also known for having turned down the role of James Bond in the original 007 film, Dr. No, which ultimately went to Sean Connery, who would play the famous character in seven films. Johnson, however, would still play a British spy in the films Deadlier Than the Male and Some Girls Do as the character Bulldog Drummond.
He was also a founding member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and worked as an actor for more than 60 years. While he performed predominately in British-made films and television series, he did appear on the American-made series Hart to Hart, Magnum, P.I., Murder, She Wrote and Tales from the Crypt. And in a 1965 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour called "Power of Attorney," Johnson played Jarvis Smith, a con man who preyed on women and convinced them to invest in nonexistent stocks.
Richard Johnson was a British actor best known for his roles in the films The Haunting and The Pumpkin Eater. In The Haunting he played Dr. John Markway, a scientist doing research to prove the existence of ghosts who invites two women to a haunted mansion, one of whom goes insane. And in The Pumpkin Eater he played Giles, the second husband of a woman who leaves him for his friend.
Johnson was also known for having turned down the role of James Bond in the original 007 film, Dr. No, which ultimately went to Sean Connery, who would play the famous character in seven films. Johnson, however, would still play a British spy in the films Deadlier Than the Male and Some Girls Do as the character Bulldog Drummond.
He was also a founding member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and worked as an actor for more than 60 years. While he performed predominately in British-made films and television series, he did appear on the American-made series Hart to Hart, Magnum, P.I., Murder, She Wrote and Tales from the Crypt. And in a 1965 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour called "Power of Attorney," Johnson played Jarvis Smith, a con man who preyed on women and convinced them to invest in nonexistent stocks.
He also appeared in the films Never So Few, with Frank Sinatra and Steve McQueen, and Khartoum, opposite Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier.
For a short period in the 1960s he was married to actress Kim Novak, whom he met on the set of their film The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders.
Johnson died June 6, 2015, in London, England. He was 87.
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