Garfield Morgan

Garfield Morgan
Born
Thomas Timothy Garfield Morgan

(1931-04-19)19 April 1931
Birmingham, Warwickshire, UK
Died5 December 2009(2009-12-05) (aged 78)
London, UK
Years active1956–2007
SpouseDilys Laye (1963–1972 or before) (divorced)

Thomas Timothy Garfield Morgan (19 April 1931 – 5 December 2009) was an English actor who appeared mostly on television and occasionally in films.[1][2] He had a regular role in The Sweeney as Detective Chief Inspector Frank Haskins.

Early life

Born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, Morgan began acting with a youth club drama group in Erdington where he grew up. He apprenticed as a dental mechanic before enrolling into drama school.[3]

Career

Morgan started his acting career with the Arena Theatre, Birmingham.[4] He then went on to be Director of Productions at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury from 1957 to 1958 and then at Manchester's Library Theatre 1959 to 1960.[5] He was associate director of the Northcott Theatre 1976 to 1978 and associate director of the Nottingham Playhouse in 1978.[6]

Beginning to act on television in 1955, Morgan made hundreds of appearances in many shows.[4] He played Detective Chief Inspector Gwyn Lewis in the first series of the BBC police series Softly, Softly, but his best remembered role was as Detective Chief Inspector Frank Haskins in the Euston Films/Thames Television's British crime series of the 1970s, The Sweeney.[7][6] He appeared in all four series of the programme.[8]

Morgan appeared in two episodes of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased): "The House on Haunted Hill" and “You Can Always Find a Fall Guy”, both 1969.[9]

Morgan continued to perform in character roles on TV, most recently in The Bill. He appeared on Hallelujah!, No Job for a Lady and Shelley.[6] His film roles included The Odessa File and 28 Weeks Later.[10]

Morgan appeared on Z-Cars, Dear Mother...Love Albert, The Bill, The Likely Lads, Dr. Finlay's Casebook, No Hiding Place, Callan, Redcap, Paul Temple, The Persuaders!, The Avengers, On the Buses, Dixon of Dock Green, Special Branch, Sutherland's Law, George and Mildred, The Gentle Touch, Lovejoy, Bad Girls, Heartbeat, Crown Court, The Saint, Minder, Shelley, Public Eye, The Troubleshooters, Dangerfield and Holby City.[1]

Personal life

Morgan was married to the actress Dilys Laye in 1963 (marriage dissolved). He listed his hobbies as golf, photography and riding (show-jumping and eventing). Morgan died from cancer on 5 December 2009.[6]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b Lentz, Harris M. III (21 March 2016). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2009: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. ISBN 9780786456451 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Garfield Morgan - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  3. ^ "Sweeney star dies, aged 78". Birmingham Mail. 1 January 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Lives Remembered". The Daily Telegraph. 30 December 2009.
  5. ^ Gaughan, Gavin (16 February 2010). "Garfield Morgan obituary". The Guardian.
  6. ^ a b c d Hayward, Anthony (30 December 2009). "Garfield Morgan: Actor best known for playing Jack Regan's boss in 'The Sweeney'". The Independent.
  7. ^ "Garfield Morgan". bafta.org. 11 May 2012.
  8. ^ "The Sweeney [TV Series] (1975) - - Cast and Crew". AllMovie.
  9. ^ "House on Haunted Hill (1969)". BFI. Archived from the original on 30 December 2018.
  10. ^ "Garfield Morgan". BFI. Archived from the original on 20 July 2016.
  11. ^ Baskin, Ellen (1996). Serials on British Television, 1950-1994. Scolar Press. p. 107.