Editing Jack Wild

{{Short description|English actor and singer (1952–2006)}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Jack Wild
| image              = Serie. Jack Wild (Dodger in film Oliver) tijdens persconferentie in bioscoop D, Bestanddeelnr 921-8847 (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Wild as the Artful Dodger in ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'' (1968)
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{birth date |df=y|1952|9|30}}
| birth_place        = [[Royton]], Lancashire, England
| death_date         = {{death date and age|df=y|2006|3|1|1952|9|30}}
| death_place        = [[Tebworth]], Bedfordshire, England
| resting_place      = [[Toddington, Bedfordshire|Toddington Parish Cemetery]]
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor|singer}}
| years_active       = 1964–2005
| spouse             = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|Gaynor Jones|14 February 1976|1985|end=div}}|{{marriage|Claire Harding<br />|2005}}}}
}}

'''Jack Wild''' (30 September 1952 – 1 March 2006) was an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as the [[Artful Dodger]] in the film ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'' (1968), for which he received an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] at the age of 16, becoming the [[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees#Youngest nominees 4|fourth-youngest]] nominee in the category. He also received [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Award]] and [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Award]] nominations for the role.

Wild also starred in the television series ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]'' (1969) and its film adaptation ''[[Pufnstuf (film)|Pufnstuf]]'' (1970), as well as in the films ''[[Melody (1971 film)|Melody]]'' (1971) and ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]'' (1991).

==Early life and education==
Wild was born into a [[working-class]] family in [[Royton]], [[Lancashire]], on 30 September 1952. In 1960, at the age of eight, with his parents and his elder brother Arthur, he moved to [[Hounslow]], in [[Middlesex]], where he got a job helping a milkman, which paid about five [[shilling (British coin)|shillings]]. While playing [[Association football|football]] with his brother in the park, he was discovered by theatrical agent June Collins, mother of [[Phil Collins]].<ref name="stage">{{cite news |title=Jack Wild obituary |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jack-wild-6107855.html |access-date=24 November 2023 |work=The Independent}}</ref> June Collins enrolled both Jack and Arthur at the [[Barbara Speake Stage School]], an [[independent school]] in [[Acton, London|Acton]], west London.<ref name="stage"/>

== Acting career ==

===''Oliver!''===
[[File:41st Academy Awards Mark Lester Jack Wild.jpg|thumb|Jack Wild (right) with ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'' co-star [[Mark Lester]] at the [[41st Academy Awards]], 14 April 1969]]
The Wild brothers sought acting roles to supplement their parents' income. In the autumn of 1964, the pair were cast in the [[West End theatre]] production of [[Lionel Bart]]'s ''Oliver!'' – Arthur in the title role and Jack as Charley Bates, a member of Fagin's gang.<ref name="independent-obit">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jack-wild-6107855.html |title=Jack Wild |first=Tom|last=Vallance|date=3 March 2006 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> Wild was chosen to play the [[Artful Dodger]] for the 1968 movie version of ''Oliver!'' His performance received critical acclaim and several nominations:

*[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] – nominated at the [[41st Academy Awards]]
*[[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor|Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer]] – nominated at [[26th Golden Globe Awards]]
*[[BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer|BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer]] – nominated at [[22nd British Academy Film Awards]]

===TV work===
[[File:H.R. Pufnstuf Jack Wild 1969.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Wild with the title character in the [[NBC]] children's series ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]'', 1969]]
In the spring of 1966, Wild left the stage show of ''Oliver!'' to make the film serial ''Danny the Dragon'' for the [[Children's Film Foundation]].<ref name="official-website">{{cite web |url=http://www.jackwild.info/theatre-work/ |title=Official Jack Wild Website - Theatre Work |website=Jackwild.info}}</ref> Wild's first speaking roles on TV were in an episode of ''[[Out of the Unknown]]'', and in the third part of the BBC's version of the Wesker trilogy, ''[[I'm Talking About Jerusalem]]''. He also appeared in episodes of ''[[Z-Cars]]'', ''[[The Newcomers (TV series)|The Newcomers]]'', and ''[[George and the Dragon (TV series)|George and the Dragon]]''.

===After ''Oliver!''===
At the 1968 premiere of ''Oliver!'', Wild met brothers [[Sid and Marty Krofft]], who thought he would make a good lead for a show they were developing called ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]''. Wild starred as Jimmy in Pufnstuf's only season (1969), as well as in the film ''[[Pufnstuf (film)|Pufnstuf]]'' (1970), which was released shortly after the show was concluded. 

Wild then appeared in ''[[Melody (1971 film)|Melody]]'' (1971, with ''Oliver!'' co-star [[Mark Lester]]) and ''[[Flight of the Doves]]'' (1971, with another ''Oliver!'' co-star, [[Ron Moody]]). In 1972, Wild appeared as a stowaway in an episode of BBC TV's ''[[The Onedin Line]]''. In 1973, he played Reg in ''[[The 14]]'', a film directed by [[David Hemmings]]. On television, Wild appeared in [[Our Mutual Friend (1976 TV serial)|a BBC adaptation]] of ''[[Our Mutual Friend]]'' in 1976.<ref name="guardian1">{{cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/mar/03/film.filmnews|title=Child star Jack Wild, the Artful Dodger, dies of cancer aged 53|date=3 March 2006|work=The Guardian}}</ref>  During the early 1970s, Wild was considered a teen heartthrob, alongside [[David Cassidy]] and [[Barry Williams (actor)|Barry Williams]].  In 1999, Wild lamented, <blockquote>"When I first entered in the show business, of course I didn't mind playing younger roles. However, it did bug me when I would be 21 being offered the role of a 13-year-old. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy playing these roles; I had barrels of fun, I just wanted more serious and dramatic roles; it's that simple." </blockquote>

He also embarked on a recording career, releasing ''The Jack Wild Album'' for [[Capitol Records]], which contained the single "Some Beautiful". In the early 1970s, Wild also released the albums ''Everything's Coming Up Roses'' and ''Beautiful World'' for [[Buddah Records]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/wild_jack/albums.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050426184158/http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/wild_jack/albums.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 April 2005 |title=Jack Wild: Albums |work=CMT.com |publisher=MTV Networks |access-date=5 September 2010}}</ref>

===Later career===
Wild returned to the big screen in a few minor roles, such as in the 1991 [[Kevin Costner]] film ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]'' and as a peddler in ''[[Basil (film)|Basil]]'' (1998). For the most part, he spent the remainder of his career working in theatre. Wild's last major appearance was as the male lead, Mouse, in [[Tayla Goodman]]'s rock musical ''Virus''. The show ran for two weeks at the [[Theatre Royal, Nottingham|Theatre Royal]], [[Nottingham]], in 1999. For his final film appearance, he had a minor role in ''Moussaka & Chips'' (2005), in which he once again worked with Ron Moody.<ref name="guardian1"/>

==Personal life==
Wild first met Welsh-born actress Gaynor Jones when they were around 12 years old at the Barbara Speake stage school. After he left in 1966, he did not see her again until Christmas 1970. They married on 14 February 1976.<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Marriages, March quarter 1976, Surrey North, Vol 17, page 156</ref> She left him in 1985 because of his chronic drinking.<ref name="independent-obit" /> Wild met his second wife, Claire Harding, when he was working with her in ''[[Jack and the Beanstalk]]'' in [[Worthing]].<ref name="independent-obit"/> They married in [[Bedford]] in September 2005.<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Marriages, September quarter 2005, Bedford, District 309, Page 0579, entry 004</ref> In 2001, Wild was diagnosed with [[oral cancer]]; he blamed the disease on his drinking and smoking habits.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://oralcancerfoundation.org/people/arts-entertainment/jack-wild/ |title=Jack Wild |website=Oralcancerfoundation.org |access-date=26 October 2018}}</ref> He underwent [[chemotherapy]] immediately, and had his [[tongue]] and [[Larynx|voice box]] removed in July 2004, leaving him unable to speak.<ref name="independent-obit" /> Wild had to communicate through his wife for the rest of his life.<ref name="independent-obit" />

===Alcoholism===
By 21, Wild was an [[alcoholic]]. After exhausting his remaining fortune, he lived with his retired father for a few years.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1511931/Jack-Wild.html |issn=0307-1235 |oclc=49632006 |title=Jack Wild |date=3 March 2006 |access-date=5 September 2010}}</ref> His alcoholism caused three [[cardiac arrest]]s and resulted in numerous hospital stays.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/> He was diagnosed with [[diabetes]] on 14 March 1983. His alcoholism ruined both his career and first marriage, as his wife left him in 1985 because of his drinking.<ref name="independent-obit" /> 

During the mid-1980s, he often drank three to four bottles of [[vodka]] a week, and typically drank half a bottle of vodka and two bottles of wine every day.<ref name="book">{{cite book|first=Jack|last=Wild|title=It's a Dodger's Life|publisher=Fantom Films Limited|location=Coventry, West Midlands, England|isbn=9781781962664|date=2016|page=440}}</ref> He later admitted his alcoholism was so debilitating that he was incapable of performing any kind of work.<ref name="manchester">{{cite news |last1=Wylie |first1=Ian |title=Jack's Wild life |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/film-and-tv/jacks-wild-life-1133256 |access-date=2022-04-29 |work=Manchester Evening News |date=2013-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509065025/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/film-and-tv/jacks-wild-life-1133256 |archive-date=2017-05-09}}</ref> He once attended a drying-out clinic for drug addicts and alcoholics, run by [[Pete Townshend]], but after being "dry" for six weeks, he bought a bottle of champagne to celebrate that he had stopped drinking. Wild eventually became sober on 6 March 1989, after joining a support group, ''Alcoholics Victorious''.<ref name="manchester"/>

==Death and legacy==
Wild was just 53 when he died of [[oral cancer]] on 1 March 2006.<ref>General Register Office of England and Wales, Deaths, March quarter 2006, Bedford, District 3091G, Register No G7D, entry 099</ref> He is buried in [[Toddington, Bedfordshire|Toddington Parish Cemetery]], [[Bedfordshire]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ&dq=Toddington+Parish+Cemetery+jack+wild&pg=PA808|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.|first=Scott|last=Wilson|date=19 August 2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476625997|via=Google Books}}</ref> He was unable to speak for the last two years of his life following the operation in which his vocal cords and part of his tongue were removed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/mar/03/film.filmnews |title=Child star Jack Wild, the Artful Dodger, dies of cancer aged 53|last=Barkham |first=Patrick |date=3 March 2006 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date= 26 June 2021 |quote=Wild admitted his heavy smoking and drinking made him a "walking time bomb" for mouth cancer. The disease was diagnosed in 2000. Although unable to speak after an operation two years ago...}}</ref>

At the time of his death, he and his wife had been working on his [[autobiography]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4765996.stm |title=Oliver! star Jack Wild dies at 53 |date=March 2, 2006 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=April 10, 2016}}</ref> She said: "All the material was there when Jack died, it just needed rearranging, editing, and in certain sections, writing out from transcripts Jack and I made as we recorded him talking about his life."<ref name="book"/> The book, ''It's a Dodger's Life'', was published in 2016 with a foreword by ''Pufnstuf'' co-star [[Billie Hayes]], an afterword by [[Clive Francis]], and an epilogue by Wild's wife.<ref name="book"/>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ List of acting performances in film and television
|-
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Alternate titles
! scope="col" | Role
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Poor Cow]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1967
|
| Boy Playing Football [Wearing Hat]
| Uncredited
|-
! scope="row" | ''Danny the Dragon''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1967
|
| Gavin
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1968
|
| [[The Artful Dodger]]
| First film to act alongside [[Mark Lester]]<ref name="independent-obit" /> and [[Ron Moody]]<br>Nominated – [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]<br>Nominated – [[BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer|BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer]]<br>Nominated – [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor|Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1969
| 
| Jimmy
| TV series, 1 Season, 17 Episodes (Segment: H.R. Pufnstuf; 2 episodes unreleased)
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Pufnstuf (film)|Pufnstuf]]'' 
| style="text-align:center;"|1970
| ''Pufnstuf Zaps the World''
| Jimmy
| 
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Melody (1971 film)|Melody]]''
| style="text-align:center;"|1971
| ''S.W.A.L.K.''
| Ornshaw
| Second and last film to act alongside Mark Lester<ref name="independent-obit" />
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Flight of the Doves]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1971
|
| Finn Dove
| Second film to act alongside Ron Moody
|-
! scope="row" | ''{{sortname|The|Pied Piper|The Pied Piper (1972 film)}}''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1972
| 
| Gavin
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Onedin Line]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1972
|
| Peter Thompson
| Season 2, Episode 3 
|-
! scope="row" | ''{{sortname|The|14}}''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1973
| ''Existence'' (USA)<br>''The Wild Little Bunch'' (USA)
| Reg
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Sigmund and the Sea Monsters]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1973
|
| Himself
| Guest appearance
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Keep It Up Downstairs]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1976
|
| Peregrine Cockshute
| 
|-
! scope="row" | ''Everyday Maths''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1978
|
| Mike Selby
| BBC Schools and Colleges
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Alice (1982 film)|Alice]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1982
|
| Mock Turtle
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1991
|
| [[Much the Miller's Son]]
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Basil (film)|Basil]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1998
|
| Peddler
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Lock, Stock...]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 2000
|
|Bill Bishop
|Episode 4: Lock, Stock and Spaghetti Sauce<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0635087/?ref_=ttfc_ql | title=...And Spaghetti Sauce | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |  ''Moussaka & Chips''
| style="text-align:center;"| 2005
|
| Durgen Fleece 
| Third film to act alongside Ron Moody; final film role
|}

==Discography==
===Albums===
{{div col|colwidth=35em}}
* ''The Jack Wild Album'' (1970)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Jack-Wild-The-Jack-Wild-Album/release/4450156 |title=Jack Wild - The Jack Wild Album |website=Discogs |year=1970 |access-date=26 October 2018}}</ref>
:A1	"Sugar and Spice"	
:A2	"[[Early in the Morning (Vanity Fare song)|Early in the Morning]]"	
:A3	"Fish And Chips"	
:A4	"Some Beautiful"	
:A5	"[[A Picture of You (Joe Brown song)|A Picture of You]]"	
:B1	"Wait For Summer"	
:B2	"[[Maxwell's Silver Hammer]]"	
:B3	"Melody"	
:B4	"[[When I'm Sixty-Four]]"	
:B5	"[[Lazy Sunday (Small Faces song)|Lazy Sunday]]"
* ''Everything's Coming Up Roses'' (1971)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Jack-Wild-Everythings-Coming-Up-Roses/release/3111043 |title=Jack Wild - Everything's Coming Up Roses |website=Discogs |year=1971 |access-date=26 October 2018}}</ref> 
:A1	"(Holy Moses!) Everything's Coming Up Roses"	
:A2	"[[The Pushbike Song]]"	
:A3	"Cotton Candy"	
:A4	"[[Bring Yourself Back To Me]]"
:A5	"Hello (Jack)"
:B1	"The Old Man Song (Na Na Na Na)"	
:B2	"[[Apeman (song)|Apeman]]"
:B3	"Takin' It Easy"
:B4	"[[Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da]]"
:B5	"[[What Have They Done to My Song Ma]]"
* ''A Beautiful World'' (1972)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Jack-Wild-A-Beautiful-World/release/3653107 |title=Jack Wild - A Beautiful World |website=Discogs |year=1972 |access-date=26 October 2018}}</ref>
:A1	"A Beautiful World"	
:A2	"Punch and Judy"	
:A3	"Sweet Sweet Lovin'"	
:A4	"Bird in the Hand"	
:A5	"The Lord"
:B1	"Beggar Boy"
:B2	"Songs of Freedom"	
:B3	"Being With You"	
:B4	"[[E.O.I.O.]]"
:B5	"Bunny Bunny"
{{div col end}}

===Singles===
[[File:The Jack Wild Album.jpg|right|thumb|''The Jack Wild Album'']]
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan=2 style="width:20em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan=2 | Year
! scope="col" colspan=2 | Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%";"|[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book |first=David |last=Roberts |year=2006 |title=[[British Hit Singles & Albums]] |edition=19th |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |location=London |isbn=1-904994-10-5 |page=601}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%";"|[[Billboard Hot 100|US]]
|-
! scope="row" | "Some Beautiful"
| 1970
| 46
| 92
|-
! scope="row" | "Wait For Summer"
| 1970
| —
| 115
|-
! scope="row" | "Everything's Coming Up Roses"
| 1971
| —
| 107
|-
| colspan="4" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
|}

==See also==
* [[List of British actors]]
*[[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees#Youngest nominees 4|List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest nominees for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]
*[[List of British Academy Award nominees and winners]]
*[[List of actors with Academy Award nominations]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Wild, Jack. ''Autobiography: It's A Dodger's Life'', Fantom Films 2016. Hardback edition {{ISBN|978-1-78196-266-4}} 
* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p.&nbsp;296. {{ISBN|978-0859551786}}
* Dye, David. ''Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985''. Jefferson, NC: [[McFarland & Co.]], 1988, p.&nbsp;239. {{ISBN|9780899502472}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.jackwild.info/ Jack Wild Official Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160404063309/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f68607a Jack Wild] at the [[British Film Institute]]
* {{IMDb name|0928349}}
* {{Discogs artist|Jack Wild}}
* {{find a Grave|13499963}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wild, Jack}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in England]]
[[Category:Deaths from oral cancer]]
[[Category:English male child actors]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:People from Royton]]
[[Category:Male actors from Lancashire]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:People educated at Barbara Speake Stage School]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Hounslow]]
[[Category:People from Hounslow]]
[[Category:Actors from the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham]]