Richard Wilson (Scottish actor)

Richard Wilson (born Iain Carmichael Wilson; 9 July 1936) is a Scottish actor, broadcaster, and theatre director. He is most famous for playing Victor Meldrew in the BBC sitcom One Foot in the Grave. Another notable role was as Gaius, the court physician of Camelot, in the BBC drama Merlin.

Early life

Wilson was born on 9 July 1936 in Greenock in Renfrewshire, Scotland. He went to Lady Alice Primary school in Greenock. He studied science subjects at Greenock Academy, then completed his National Service with the Royal Army Medical Corps, serving in Singapore.

Career

Wilson worked in a laboratory at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow as a research assistant before switching to acting, aged 27. He trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating in 1965 with an Acting (RADA Diploma). He then appeared in repertory theatres in Edinburgh (Traverse Theatre), Glasgow and Manchester (Stables Theatre).

Wilson initially turned down the role of Victor Meldrew and it was almost offered to Les Dawson before Wilson changed his mind. Wilson has stated that he came to hate Meldrew's catchphrase of "I don't believe it!" to the point where he now refuses to say it except for charity.

Wilson was appointed an OBE in the 1994 Birthday Honours for services to Drama. In April 1996, he was elected Rector of the University of Glasgow for a term of three years.

Wilson's biography, One Foot on the Stage: The Biography of Richard Wilson, was written by James Roose-Evans.

In March 2011, Wilson presented an edition of the Channel 4 current affairs programme Dispatches entitled Train Journeys From Hell, with transport journalist Christian Wolmar highlighting the failings of the British railway network.

Personal life

Wilson has lived in London since 1959.

Wilson has been a campaigner for gay rights for many years. He appeared at charity events organised by gay rights campaign group Stonewall, but had not discussed his own sexuality in interviews with the media. He was named in a list of influential gay people in 2013 by Time Out magazine, which he considered to have outed him.

Wilson is a supporter of his local football club, Greenock Morton, but he has come to lend greater support to English club Manchester United. Wilson is a good friend of his One Foot in the Grave co-star Angus Deayton, and is godfather to Deayton's son.

Wilson is one of the patrons of Scottish Youth Theatre. Wilson is also a long-time supporter of the charity Sense and in 2007 hosted their annual award ceremony. He is also one of the honorary patrons of the London children's charity, Scene & Heard. He has been honorary president of the Scottish Community Drama Association (SCDA) since 1998.

Wilson is a supporter of the Labour Party. He donated more than £5,000 to the party in 1997 and recorded the party's manifesto on audio for the 2010 general election.

On 12 August 2016, it was reported that Wilson had suffered a heart attack. He had been due to reprise the role of Victor Meldrew in a one-man show at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

In June 2021, Wilson was the guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. His choices included "Hammond Song" by The Roches, Symphony No. 6 in D minor by Sibelius and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" performed by Roberta Flack. His book choice was the poetry of Robert Burns and his luxury item was a subscription to The Guardian.

Wilson had one elder sister, Moira, who died in 2021 at the age of 91.

Filmography

Films

Junket 89 (1970) as Mr Potter
The Trouble with 2B (1972) as Mr Potter
Mark Gertler: Fragments of a Biography (1981) as Clive Bell
Those Glory Glory Days (1983, TV Movie) as Arnold – Journalist
A Passage to India (1984) as Turton
Foreign Body (1986) as Col. Partridge
Whoops Apocalypse (1986) as Nigel Lipman
Prick Up Your Ears (1987) as Psychiatrist
How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989) as Bristol
A Dry White Season (1989) as Cloete
Soft Top Hard Shoulder (1992) as Uncle Salvatore
Carry On Columbus (1992) as Don Juan Felipe
The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997) as Sir Roger Daggenhurst
Women Talking Dirty (1999) as Ronald
Love and Other Disasters (2006) as Registrar
Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) as Mr. Capulet (voice)
Sherlock Gnomes (2018) as Mr. Capulet (voice)

Television

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956) (Uncredited)
Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1965) – as Mason
Crown Court (1970s) – as Jeremy Parsons QC (1972–1984)
My Good Woman (1972–1974) – as Rev. Martin Hooper (in 3 episodes)
Soldier and me (1974) – as Dr Nixon
A Sharp Intake of Breath 1977 to 1980
Yanks Go Home (1977) – as Rev. Desmond Brierley (in 2 episodes)
The Sweeney episode "The Bigger They Are" as DCI Anderson (1978)
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em episode "Wendy House" as Mr Harris The Insurance Man (1978)
Only When I Laugh (1979–1982) as Gordon Thorpe
In Loving Memory as Percy Openshaw (in two episodes)
Andy Robson (1982–1983) – as Mr Ridley (in 3 episodes)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes episode The Red Headed League as Duncan Ross (1985)
Have I Got News for You
Screen Two: Poppyland (1985) as Theodore Watts-Dunton
Howards' Way (1986 one episode) as Viscount Cunningham
Emmerdale (1986)
Room at the Bottom (1986–1988) as Toby Duckworth
High & Dry as Richard Talbot
Tutti Frutti (1987)
Hot Metal (1988)
The Play on One: Normal Service (1988) as Max
Screen Two: Fellow Traveller (1989) Sir Hugo
One Foot in the Grave (1990–2000) as Victor Meldrew
Cluedo (1991) as Reverend Jonathan Green
Selling Hitler (1991)
Mr. Bean – episode The Trouble with Mr. Bean as Mr A. M. Peggit The Dentist (1992)
Inspector Morse – episode "Absolute Conviction (1992)"
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends as Mr. McGregor (1992)
Under the Hammer (1994) (as Ben Glazier)
Gulliver's Travels (1996)
Lord of Misrule (1996) (as Bill Webster). Filmed at Fowey in Cornwall
Duck Patrol (1998)
Father Ted – episode "The Mainland" as himself (1998)
The Mrs Merton Show (1998) guest appearance alongside Bernard Manning
Other Animals (1999) (as Alex Cameron)
High Stakes (2001)
Life As We Know It (2001)
Jeffrey Archer: The Truth as Duke of Edinburgh (2002)
King of Fridges (2004) (as Frank)
Doctor Who – episodes "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" (2005) – Doctor Constantine
Born and Bred (2005)
The F Word – Appeared as himself in the middle of the first series. (2005)
A Harlot's Progress (2006)
Would I Lie to You? (2007)
Thank God You're Here (2008)
Merlin – (all 65 episodes + 2 Children in Need specials) as Gaius (2008–2012)
Demons – as Father Simeon (2009)
Britain's Best Drives (2009)
New Tricks (2009) – as Father Bernárd in episode "The War Against Drugs"
Confessions from the Underground – Narrated (2012)
All Aboard East Coast Trains – Narrated (2013)
Richard Wilson on the Road (2015)
Trollied (2015)
Coming Oot! A Fabulous History of Gay Scotland – Narrated (2015)
(2017) travel in style by rail and ship through the Scottish Highlands (documentary)
Around the World in 80 Days (2021)
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2023)
One Foot in the Grave - 30 Years Of Laughs (2023)

Stage acting

Twelfth Night, as Malvolio, Royal Shakespeare Company
Whipping it Up by Steve Thompson, Bush Theatre, Ambassadors Theatre
What the Butler Saw, as Dr Rance, Royal National Theatre
Peter Pan, as Mr Darling/Captain Hook, Royal Festival Hall
Waiting for Godot, as Vladimir, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Uncle Vanya, as Vanya, Traverse Theatre
A Little Hotel on the Side by Georges Feydeau, Theatre Royal, Bath, August 2013
Krapp's Last Tape, as Krapp, Sheffield Crucible Theatre, 25 June – 19 July 2014
Forty Years On by Alan Bennett, Chichester Festival Theatre, as the Headmaster, 21 April – 20 May 2017.

Theatre direction

Wilson won the TMA Best Director Award in 2000 for Mr Kolpert.

King Lear (BBC Radio 4, 2025) as King Lear

Exercise videos

Let's Dance (1996)

References

External links

The Official Richard Wilson Archive