Editing Richard Morant

{{Short description|English actor (1945–2011)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Richard Morant
| image              = Actor_Richard_Morant.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{birth date|df=yes|1945|10|30}}
| birth_place        = [[Shipston-on-Stour]], [[Warwickshire]], [[England]]
| death_date         = {{death date and age|df=yes|2011|11|09|1945|10|30}}
| death_place        = [[Richmond, London|Richmond]], [[London]], England
| alma_mater         = [[Central School of Speech and Drama]]
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Melissa Fairbanks |1969|1979|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Valerie Buchanan |1982}}
}}
| children           = 4
| othername          = 
| occupation         = Actor
| yearsactive        = 
| relatives          = [[Angela Morant]] (sister) <br> [[Penelope Wilton]] (cousin) <br> [[Susan Travers]] (cousin)
}}

'''Richard Morant''' (30 October 1945 &ndash; 9 November 2011) was an [[English people|English]] [[actor]].

==Biography==

Morant was born in [[Shipston-on-Stour]], [[Warwickshire]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SAqdwE8hZKsC&q=richard+morant+obituary&pg=PA240|title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2011|first=Harris M. Lentz|last=III|date=10 January 2014|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786491346|via=Google Books}}</ref>{{Circular reference|date=May 2025}} His father was Shakespearean actor Philip Morant (1909–1993).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0603081/|title=Philip Morant|publisher=IMDb}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://theatricalia.com/person/1ws/philip-morant|title=Philip Morant - Theatricalia|website=theatricalia.com}}</ref><ref name=telegraph/> His sister is actress [[Angela Morant]]. He was also a nephew of actors [[Bill Travers|Bill]] and [[Linden Travers]], and a cousin of actress [[Penelope Wilton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/13043559.richard-morant/|title=Richard Morant|website=The Herald|date=29 December 2011 |location=Glasgow}}</ref> He trained at the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]] before joining the [[Prospect Theatre Company]], and touring with [[Ian McKellen]] in ''[[Richard II (play)|Richard II]]'', ''[[Edward II (play)|Edward II]]'' and ''[[Twelfth Night]]''.<ref name=independent>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/richard-morant-actor-best-known-as-flashman-and-as-dr-enys-in-poldark-6267669.html|title=Richard Morant: Actor best known as Flashman, and as Dr Enys in|date=25 November 2011|website=The Independent}}</ref> 

Morant had a long television and theatrical career, first as [[Harry Paget Flashman|Flashman]] in a [[BBC]] adaptation of the [[Thomas Hughes]] novel, ''[[Tom Brown's Schooldays (TV serial)|Tom Brown's Schooldays]]'' (1971), and a starring role in Thames Television's [[Armchair Theatre]] play ''Verité'' (1972) and a regular role as Dr Dwight Enys in the BBC series ''[[Poldark (1975 TV series)|Poldark]]'' (1975).<ref name=guardianobit/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/richard-morant/credits/171644|title=Richard Morant - TV Guide|website=TV Guide}}</ref>

Morant also appeared in several BBC serials, including adaptations of [[Walter Scott]]'s ''[[Woodstock (novel)|Woodstock]]'' (1973), as the future [[Charles II of Great Britain|Charles II]], and ''[[The Talisman (Scott novel)|The Talisman]]'' (1980), as [[Conrad of Montferrat|Conrade of Montserrat]].<ref name=guardianobit/>

He played [[Maximilien Robespierre]] in ''[[The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982 film)|The Scarlet Pimpernel]]'' (1982), and the titular character in the second series of the children's programme ''[[Captain Zep - Space Detective]]''. He later played [[Mervyn Bunter]], the valet of [[Lord Peter Wimsey]], in ''[[A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery]]'', the BBC's 1987 productions of ''Strong Poison'', ''Have His Carcase'' and ''Gaudy Night'' (all based on [[Dorothy Sayers]]'s original novels).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b766e7d05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831221304/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b766e7d05|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 August 2018|title=The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)|website=BFI}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/mjhbv/the-dorothy-l-sayers-mysteries--s1-e10-gaudy-night---part-three/|title=The Dorothy L Sayers Mysteries - S1 - Episode 10: Gaudy Night - Part Three|website=Radio Times}}</ref> In 1988 he played [[Theodore Dyke Acland]] in the serial ''[[Jack the Ripper (miniseries)|Jack the Ripper]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/jack-the-ripper-v25712|title=Jack the Ripper (1988) - David Wickes - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related|website=AllMovie}}</ref>

His film roles included  ''[[Zeppelin (film)|Zeppelin]]'' (1971), ''[[Mahler (film)|Mahler]]'' (1974), ''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' (1984), ''[[The Second Victory (film)|The Second Victory]]'' (1986), ''[[Scandal (1989 film)|Scandal]]'' (1989) and ''[[Janice Beard]]'' (1999).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f3b54e4|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426102754/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f3b54e4|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 April 2017|title=Richard Morant|website=BFI}}</ref>

His stage appearances included a starring role in [[Noël Coward]]'s ''[[Private Lives]]'' at the [[Theatre Royal, Bath]] in 1984.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1167627|title=Poster - V&A Search the Collections|date=12 January 2019|website=V and A Collections}}</ref> The following year he co-starred with [[Stephanie Beacham]] and [[Pam Ferris]] in ITV's rag-trade soap drama, ''[[Connie (TV series)|Connie]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b703739fc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170725000226/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b703739fc|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 July 2017|title=Connie[30/06/85] (1985)|website=BFI}}</ref> He also did voice-over, radio, and audio book work including voicing books by [[Julian Barnes]] and [[Julian Fellowes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/obituaries--archive/obituaries/richard-morant|title=Richard Morant - Obituaries|date=7 December 2011}} (subscription required)</ref>

==Personal life==
Morant's first wife was Melissa Fairbanks, a daughter of [[Douglas Fairbanks Jr.]], with whom he had a son and daughter. His second wife was Valerie Buchanan, with whom he had another son and daughter.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/theatre-obituaries/8926727/Richard-Morant.html |title=Richard Morant |date=30 November 2011 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref>

He had a sideline as a dealer in Asian carpets and textiles, including running his own gallery in [[Notting Hill]].<ref name=independent/> In 2005 he became the sole owner of an established company specialising in carpets and fine textiles,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://richardmorant.com/|title=自分でもできるdmのダイレクトなメール方法|website=dmというダイレクトにメールを送ることのメリット}}</ref> headquartered in Notting Hill, London. After suffering a short illness, Morant died suddenly of an [[aneurysm]]<ref name=guardianobit>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/dec/14/richard-morant-obituary|title=Richard Morant obituary|first=Anthony|last=Hayward|date=14 December 2011|work=The Guardian}}</ref> on 9 November 2011, aged 66.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/9372940.Richard_Morant_dies__aged_66/ |title=Richmond actor Richard Morant dies, aged 66 (From This Is Local London) |date=20 November 2011 |publisher=Thisislocallondon.co.uk|accessdate=20 November 2011}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1969|| ''[[Battle of Britain (film)|Battle of Britain]]'' || Replacement Pilot - Red Section 'Red 2' || Uncredited
|-
|1971|| ''[[Zeppelin (film)|Zeppelin]]'' || Billy Chisholm || Uncredited
|-
|1974|| ''[[Mahler (film)|Mahler]]'' || Max ||
|-
|1974|| ''The Protectors - Episode The Bridge'' || David Mitchell || TV series
|-
|1975|| ''[[Hijack! (1975 film)|Hijack!]]'' || Colin ||
|-
|1975|| ''Poldark'' || Dr Dwight Enys || TV movie
|-
|1977|| ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1977 TV series)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' || Phoebus || TV movie
|-
|1980|| ''[[BBC Television Shakespeare|The Merchant of Venice]]'' || Lorenzo || TV movie
|-
|1982|| ''[[The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982 film)|The Scarlet Pimpernel]]'' || [[Maximilien Robespierre]] ||
|-
|1983|| ''On the Third Day'' || Jeremy Bolt ||
|-
|1984|| ''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' || Wealthy Groom ||
|-
|1985|| ''[[The Last Place on Earth]]'' || [[Lawrence Oates]] ||
|-
|1987|| ''[[The Second Victory (film)|The Second Victory]]'' || Capt. Johnson ||
|-
|1989|| ''[[Scandal (1989 film)|Scandal]]'' || D'Lazlo ||
|-
|1999|| ''[[Janice Beard]]'' || Boss ||
|-
|2006|| ''[[Day Night Day Night]]'' || Flirt || Final film role
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{imdb name|0603082|Richard Morant}}
*[http://www.richardmorant.com Richard Morant Commissioned Carpets and Design]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111202203015/http://www.hobsons-international.com/pages/news Notice of death]
*[http://robin-ellis.net/2011/11/18/richard-morant/ Robin Ellis remembers fellow actor Richard Morant]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morant, Richard}}
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:People from Shipston-on-Stour]]
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male voice actors]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama]]