Born: October 5, 1919 – Died: February 2, 1995
Donald Pleasence, an actor known for his piercing blue eyes and unforgettable performances, was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England. His parents, Alice (Armitage) and Thomas Stanley Pleasence, were connected to the railway industry, with both his brother and father serving as station masters. This background set the stage for a life that was equally grounded and adventurous.
Early Life and Career
Pleasence's early life took a dramatic turn when he failed to secure a scholarship at RADA, leading him to join his family's occupation as a railway clerk. His passion for the arts, however, was undeterred. He eventually joined a theatre company in Jersey as an assistant stage manager, marking the beginning of his theatrical career with a debut in Wuthering Heights. World War II interrupted his burgeoning career, during which he served in the RAF and endured captivity in a German POW camp.
After the war, Pleasence returned to the stage, gaining acclaim in productions like "The Brothers Karamazov" and "Caesar and Cleopatra." His screen career began modestly in 1952, but it was his portrayal of Prince John in "The Great Escape" that brought him international recognition. This role showcased his ability to play complex, layered characters.
Pleasence's filmography is extensive, including iconic roles such as the psychiatrist Sam Loomis in the "Halloween" franchise and the villainous Ernst Stavro Blofeld in "You Only Live Twice." His versatility as an actor was evident in his ability to play both heroes and villains with equal conviction.
Off-screen, Pleasence was just as remarkable. He authored the children's book "Scouse the Mouse" and was married to Linda Kentwood, with whom he had a daughter, Angela Pleasence, who also pursued acting. His life and career were a testament to his resilience, talent, and enduring impact on the entertainment industry. Donald Pleasence remains an iconic figure in Hollywood, celebrated for his unique ability to bring depth and intensity to every role he played.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Fatal Frames | Professor Robinson |
| 1995 | Safe Haven | The Sailor |
| 1995 | Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers | Dr. Loomis |
| 1995 | Signs and Wonders (TV Series) | Cornelius Van Damm |
| 1994 | Guinevere (TV Movie) | Merlin |
| 1972–1994 | Omnibus (TV Series) | Sinister Dentist | Julius Caesar |
| 1993 | The Big Freeze (TV Movie) | Soup slurper |
| 1993 | The Advocate | Pincheon |
| 1993 | The Thief and the Cobbler | Phido the Vulture (original and Majestic Films version) | Additional voices (Miramax version) (voice) |
| 1993 | Screen Two (TV Series) | Victor Harty |
| 1992 | Lovejoy (TV Series) | Karel Redl |
| 1992 | Diên Biên Phú | Howard Simpson |
| 1991 | Shadows and Fog | Doctor |
| 1991 | Millions | Ripa |
| 1991 | Donne armate (TV Movie) | Dreyfuss |
| 1991 | L'avvoltoio sa attendere (TV Mini Series) | Armon Shalik (as Donald Pleasance) |
| 1990 | Moi, général de Gaulle (TV Movie) | Winston Churchill |
| 1989 | Buried Alive | Dr. Schaeffer |
| 1989 | American Rickshaw | Reverend Mortom |
| 1989 | Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery (TV Movie) | Jason Rafiel |
| 1989 | Casablanca Express | Colonel Bats |
| 1989 | Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers | Loomis |
| 1989 | Ten Little Indians | Judge Wargrave |
| 1989 | River of Death | Heinrich Spaatz |
| 1989 | The House of Usher | Walter Usher |
| 1988 | The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (TV Movie) | Dr. Absalon |
| 1988 | Paganini Horror | Mr. Pickett |
| 1988 | Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers | Dr. Sam Loomis |
| 1988 | Vampire in Venice | Don Alvise |
| 1988 | Last Platoon | Colonel B. Abrams |
| 1988 | The Commander | Henry Carlson |
| 1988 | The Ray Bradbury Theater (TV Series) | George Hill |
| 1988 | Hanna's War | Captain Thomas Rosza |
| 1987 | Gila and Rik (TV Movie) | Joe Gardenia |
| 1987 | Urban Animals | Prof. Livingstone |
| 1987 | Phantom of Death | Inspector Datti |
| 1987 | Django Strikes Again | Ben Gunn |
| 1987 | Prince of Darkness | Priest |
| 1987 | Ground Zero | Prosper Gaffney |
| 1987 | Double Target | Senator Blaster |
| 1987 | Basements (TV Movie) | Mr. Kidd (segment "The Room") |
| 1987 | Spettri | Professor Lasky |
| 1987 | Scoop (TV Movie) | London - Lord Copper |
| 1987 | Warrior Queen | Clodius |
| 1986 | Honor Thy Father (TV Movie) | Aldo Rossi (as Donald Pleasance) |
| 1986 | Into the Darkness (Video) | David Beckett |
| 1986 | Naso di cane (TV Mini Series) | Olindo Cuomo |
| 1986 | Cobra Mission | Father Lenoir |
| 1985 | Nothing Underneath | Commissioner Danesi |
| 1985 | Treasure of the Amazon | Klaus von Blantz |
| 1985 | The Corsican Brothers (TV Movie) | The Chancellor |
| 1985 | Phenomena | Professor John McGregor |
| 1985 | Black Arrow (TV Movie) | Sir Oliver Oates |
| 1984 | To Kill a Stranger | Col. Kostik |
| 1984 | Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie | Victor Frankenstein | Old Baron Frankenstein |
| 1984 | The Ambassador | Eretz |
| 1984 | Arch of Triumph (TV Movie) | Haake |
| 1984 | A Breed Apart | J.P. Whittier |
| 1984 | Where Is Parsifal? | Mackintosh |
| 1984 | Master of the Game (TV Mini Series) | Salomon Van der Merwe |
| 1983 | The Devonsville Terror | Dr. Warley |
| 1971–1983 | Play for Today (TV Series) | Samuel Johnson | Gerry Muddiman | Tom |
| 1983 | Warrior of the Lost World | Prossor |
| 1982 | The Barchester Chronicles (TV Mini Series) | Septimus Harding |
| 1982 | Witness for the Prosecution (TV Movie) | Mr. Myers |
| 1982 | Alone in the Dark | Dr. Leo Bain |
| 1981 | Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr | Gilbert Carson |
| 1981 | Halloween II | Sam Loomis |
| 1981 | Computercide (TV Movie) | George Dettler |
| 1981 | Dick Turpin (TV Series) | Ignatius Slake |
| 1981 | The Monster Club | Pickering (Segment "Vampire Story") |
| 1981 | Escape from New York | President |
| 1980 | Blade on the Feather (TV Movie) | Professor Jason Cavendish |
| 1980 | The Ghost Sonata (TV Movie) | The old man |
| 1980 | The Pumaman | Kobras (as Donald Pleasance) |
| 1979 | The French Atlantic Affair (TV Mini Series) | Max Dechambre |
| 1979 | All Quiet on the Western Front (TV Movie) | Kantorek |
| 1979 | Better Late Than Never (TV Movie) | Colonel Maxwell Riddle |
| 1979 | Jaguar Lives! | General Villanova |
| 1979 | Dracula | Dr. Jack Seward |
| 1979 | Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff | Dr. Steiner |
| 1979 | L'homme en colère | Albert Rumpelmayer |
| 1979 | Gold of the Amazon Women (TV Movie) | Clarence Blasko |
| 1979 | Mrs. Columbo (TV Series) | Ian A. Morly |
| 1978–1979 | Centennial (TV Mini Series) | Sam Purchas |
| 1978 | *Halloween* | Loomis |
| 1978 | Last In, First Out | Rothko |
| 1978 | Power Play | Blair |
| 1978 | *Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band* | B.D. Brockhurst |
| 1978 | Night Creature | Axel MacGregor |
| 1978 | The Bastard (TV Series) | Solomon Sholto |
| 1978 | Tomorrow Never Comes | Dr. Todd |
| 1978 | Blood Relatives | James Doniac |
| 1978 | The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (TV Mini Series) | Narrator (voice) |
| 1978 | The Defection of Simas Kudirka (TV Movie) | Captain Vladimir Popov |
| 1977 | Telefon | Nicolai Dalchimsky |
| 1977 | Oh, God! | Doctor Harmon |
| 1977 | The Uncanny | Valentine De'ath (segment "Hollywood 1936") |
| 1977 | Jesus of Nazareth (TV Mini Series) | Melchior |
| 1976 | Ubu roi (TV Movie) | Pa Ubu |
| 1976 | *The Eagle Has Landed* | Heinrich Himmler |
| 1976 | Hindle Wakes (TV Movie) | Nat Jeffcote |
| 1976 | The Last Tycoon | Boxley |
| 1976 | The Passover Plot | Pontius Pilate |
| 1974–1976 | BBC2 Playhouse (TV Series) | George Livingston | Aaron | Bendel |
| 1976 | Goldenrod | John Tyler Jones |
| 1976 | The Devil's Men | Father Roche |
| 1976 | A Dirty Knight's Work | Sir Giles Marley |
| 1976 | Death of an Informer (TV Movie) | The man in the office |
| 1976 | Peep Show (TV Series) | Max |
| 1975 | Performance (TV Series) | Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt |
| 1975 | Shades of Greene (TV Series) | Puckler |
| 1975 | Hearts of the West | A.J. Nietz |
| 1975 | Journey Into Fear | Kuvetli |
| 1975 | Sharon's Baby | Dr. Finch |
| 1975 | Escape to Witch Mountain | Deranian |
| 1975 | The Count of Monte-Cristo (TV Movie) | Danglars |
| 1974 | Barry McKenzie Holds His Own | Erich Count von Plasma |
| 1974 | La loba y la Paloma | Martin Zayas |
| 1974 | Occupations (TV Movie) | Christo Kabak |
| 1974 | The Mutations | Dr. Nolter |
| 1974 | The Black Windmill | Cedric Harper |
| 1974 | Watch Out, We're Mad | The Doctor |
| 1974 | From Beyond the Grave | Jim Underwood (Segment 2 "An Act of Kindness") |
| 1973 | The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water (TV Short) | The Spirit (voice) |
| 1973 | Tales That Witness Madness | Tremayne (segment "Clinic Link Episodes") |
| 1973 | Malachi's Cove | Malachi |
| 1973 | Columbo (TV Series) | Adrian Carsini |
| 1973 | Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (TV Series) | Cawser |
| 1973 | The Rainbow Boys | Ralph Logan |
| 1973 | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (TV Movie) | Fred Smudge |
| 1972 | Wedding in White | Jim Dougall, Sr. |
| 1972 | Death Line | Inspector Calhoun |
| 1972 | Police Surgeon (TV Series) | Jerry Hahn |
| 1972 | Innocent Bystanders | Loomis |
| 1972 | Henry VIII and His Six Wives | Thomas Cromwell |
| 1972 | The Man Outside (TV Series) | Victor Cobb |
| 1972 | The Pied Piper | Baron |
| 1972 | The Jerusalem File | Major Samuels |
| 1972 | Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) | Hans Vogler |
| 1971 | Kidnapped | Ebenezer Balfour |
| 1971 | The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (TV Series) | Carnacki |
| 1971 | Wake in Fright | Doc Tydon |
| 1971 | THX 1138 | SEN |
| 1970 | Aquarius (TV Series) | Disson |
| 1970 | Confession (TV Series) | Sergeant Hurby |
| 1970 | Soldier Blue | Cumber |
| 1969 | Arthur? Arthur! | Arthur Brownjohn | Sir Easonby 'E' Mellon |
| 1969 | The Madwoman of Chaillot | The Prospector |
| 1969 | NBC Experiment in Television (TV Series) | (voice) |
| 1968 | Creature of Comfort | Shopkeeper James Thorne |
| 1968 | The Other People | Clive - Elsa's father |
| 1968 | Mr. Freedom | Dr. Freedom (as Don Pleasence) |
| 1967–1968 | Thirty-Minute Theatre (TV Series) | J.G. | Richard Pratt |
| 1967 | Call Me Daddy (TV Movie) | Mr. Hoffman |
| 1967 | Will Penny | Preacher Quint |
| 1967 | The Diary of Anne Frank (TV Movie) | Albert Dussel |
| 1967 | Matchless | Gregori Andreanu |
| 1967 | You Only Live Twice | Blofeld |
| 1957–1967 | Armchair Theatre (TV Series) | Ben Hoffman | Fred Watson | Arthur Gladwell ... |
| 1967 | Seven Deadly Virtues (TV Series) | Buchanan |
| 1967 | The Night of the Generals | General Kahlenberge |
| 1966 | Eye of the Devil | Pere Dominic |
| 1966 | The Wednesday Play (TV Series) | The Head Waiter |
| 1966 | Fantastic Voyage | Dr. Michaels |
| 1966 | Cul-de-sac | George |
| 1956–1966 | ITV Play of the Week (TV Series) | Supt. Smith | Barton Keyes | Henri Pincoff ... |
| 1966 | The Fugitive (TV Series) | Max Pfeiffer |
| 1965 | Love Story (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1965 | Armchair Mystery Theatre (TV Series) | Ambrose |
| 1965 | The Hallelujah Trail | 'Oracle' Jones |
| 1965 | The Defenders (TV Series) | Dr. Byron Saul |
| 1965 | The Greatest Story Ever Told | The Dark Hermit - Satan |
| 1964 | Espionage (TV Series) | Escalon |
| 1963 | The Outer Limits (TV Series) | Harold J. Finley |
| 1963 | Dr. Crippen | Dr. Crippen |
| 1963 | The Guest | Mac Davies | Bernard Jenkins |
| 1963 | The Great Escape | Blythe 'The Forger' |
| 1962 | The Hatchet Man (TV Movie) | Harry Laws, assistant to Curnic |
| 1962 | The Twilight Zone (TV Series) | Professor Ellis Fowler |
| 1962 | Lisa | Sgt. Wolters |
| 1961 | The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) | Captain Pinski |
| 1961 | No Place Like Homicide! | Everett Sloane |
| 1961 | The Horsemasters (TV Movie) | Captain Pinski |
| 1961 | Spare the Rod | Mr. Jenkins |
| 1961 | One Step Beyond (TV Series) | Harvey Laurence (as Donald Pleasance) |
| 1961 | The Wind of Change | 'Pop' Marley |
| 1961 | No Love for Johnnie | Roger Renfrew |
| 1960–1961 | Danger Man (TV Series) | Nikolides | Captain Aldrich |
| 1960 | The Hands of Orlac | Graham Coates |
| 1960 | A Story of David: The Hunted | Nabal |
| 1960 | Alice Through the Looking Box (TV Movie) | Caterpillar |
| 1960 | The Risk | Brown |
| 1960 | The Big Day | Victor Partridge |
| 1960 | Interpol Calling (TV Series) | Karl Haussman |
| 1960 | BBC Sunday-Night Play (TV Series) | Admiral Vespery |
| 1960 | Rendezvous (TV Series) | Potter |
| 1960 | Sons and Lovers | Pappleworth |
| 1960 | Hell Is a City | Gus Hawkins |
| 1960 | Circus of Horrors | Vanet |
| 1960 | Somerset Maugham Hour (TV Series) | Mr. Preston |
| 1960 | The Battle of the Sexes | Irwin Hoffman (as Donald Pleasance) |
| 1960 | The Flesh and the Fiends | William Hare |
| 1960 | The Shakedown | Jessel |
| 1960 | The Four Just Men (TV Series) | Paul Koster |
| 1959 | Killers of Kilimanjaro | Captain |
| 1956–1959 | ITV Television Playhouse (TV Series) | Robert Robertson | Leonard Browne | Lenin ... |
| 1952–1959 | BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (TV Series) | Doctor | The Foreign Minister | Syme ... |
| 1959 | The Traitor (TV Movie) | Grantley Caypor |
| 1959 | William Tell (TV Series) | The Spider (as Donald Pleasance) |
| 1959 | Look Back in Anger | Hurst |
| 1959 | The Scarf (TV Mini Series) | Det. Insp. Harry Yates |
| 1958 | Granite (TV Movie) | A nameless man |
| 1958 | The Two-Headed Spy | Gen. Hardt (as Donald Pleasance) |
| 1958 | The Man Inside | Organ Grinder (as Donald Pleasance) |
| 1956–1958 | The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV Series) | Prince John | Bailiff Baldwin |
| 1958 | The Wind Cannot Read | The Doctor |
| 1958 | The Desk Set (TV Movie) | Kenny |
| 1958 | Hotel Imperial (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1958 | Heart of a Child | Spiel |
| 1958 | The Killing Stones (TV Series) | Jakob Kleiber |
| 1958 | A Tale of Two Cities | Barsad |
| 1958 | I Spy (TV Movie) | Mr. Frute |
| 1957 | All at Sea | Cashier |
| 1957 | Stowaway Girl | Evans |
| 1957 | Assignment Foreign Legion (TV Series) | Commandant |
| 1957 | Decision Against Time | Crabtree |
| 1956 | The Black Tent | Ali |
| 1956 | H.M. Tennent Globe Theatre (TV Series) | Julius Baker |
| 1984 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1956 | R. Parsons (as Donald Pleasance) | Unknown |
| 1956 | Encounter (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1955 | On Camera (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1955 | Value for Money | Limpy |
| 1955 | The Grove Family (TV Series) | Monsieur Paul |
| 1954 | 1984 - BBC Live TV Productions (TV Movie) | Syme |
| 1954 | Orders Are Orders | L | Cpl. Martin (as Donald Plesance) |
| 1954 | The Face of Love (TV Movie) | Alex |
| 1954 | The Runaway Slave (TV Movie) | Kidnapper |
| 1954 | Montserrat (TV Movie) | Juan Alvarez |
| 1954 | The Beachcomber | Tromp |
| 1954 | The Coiners (TV Movie) | Mr. Chamberlayn |
| 1952 | The Dybbuk (TV Movie) | Second batlon |
General:
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