John Woodnutt condolence thread
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Removes hat
This has come as something of a shock. I didn't even know he was ill. Even so, He will indeed be missed.
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Like Kieran, I haven't seen this confirmed outside of forums and the like, but if true, it's certainly very sad news. To my knowledge, he's the first Knightmare actor to pass away.
His acting career went back to the mid 1950s. Along with Knightmare, he also appeared in such shows as the schools programme Look and Read, where he played The Thin Spaceman in the serial 'The Boy From Space', and had several roles on Doctor Who in the 1970s.
In 1994, he said at a convention that his role in 1975's 'Terror of the Zygons', where he played both the Duke of Forgill and Broton was one of his favourite parts, as he got to play a dual role. I wonder if he felt the same about Knightmare.
Just a few weeks back I said that it'd be interesting to have an interview with Woodnutt on Knightmare.com. Sadly this now isn't possible, but I'm sure it'd have been a good one.
We'll miss you, John.
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That's a real shame. May he rest in peace. He was a brilliant actor.
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He was a great actor.
Knightmare was the only thing I saw him in, but his performances as Merlin always made me laugh.
And Mogred scared me witless as a kid.......
RIP.
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Condolences to those who knew John Woodnutt personally. His scenes on Knightmare are among its best and worst, its funniest and scariest, but always memorable. He is enjoyable to watch, and inspiring too - the most recent IKM Caption Competition and Interactive Story, over 15 years after the event, are two of many testaments to that.
Thank you, Mr. Woodnutt. To paraphrase Brother Mace from Series 5: although Merlin is no longer with us, his magic remains.
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John, you will be sadly missed indeed, as well as Knightmare and Doctor Who you contributed to the comedy world in Terry and June and the marvellous Jeeves and Wooster series of the early 90s as the inimatable Sir Watkyn Bassett!
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While this news has yet to be confirmed, if it's true, then it is a great loss indeed. Not much I think I can say that hasn't been said here already... he was a great and versatile actor, with a commanding presence and excellent timing, capable of bringing real credibility and dignity to any role he played. Knightmare certainly benefited greatly from his involvement.
For those wanting to know more about his acting career, his IMDB entry can be found here: [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940407/](<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940407/>)His wikipedia entry is at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Woodnutt
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I have spotted a mention of his passing on the Outpost Gallifrey website.
'Actor John Woodnutt, who appeared in four episodes of Doctor Who, recently passed away, according to a note on the Restoration Team Forum. Woodnutt, born in 1924, played Hibbert in "Spearhead from Space," the Draconian Emperor in "Frontier in Space," the Duke of Forgill and Zygon leader Broton in "Terror of the Zygons" and as Seron in "The Keeper of Traken," had an enormous career in British television and film for decades, including appearing in episodes of "Jeeves and Wooster," "The Bill," "The Tomorrow People," "Sherlock Holmes," "Adam Adamant Lives!," "The Avengers" and "Z Cars," and his last film role was in the movie "Dragonheart: A New Beginning".'
It may not mention Knightmare, but his acting CV is certainly impressive. It seems he is very fondly remembered by many more people outside of the Knightmare community. A nice legacy.
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This is terribly sad. As a fan who started watching in series 2 as a young (5 year old) boy, my memories are of a man who held a quiet yet friendly authority as Merlin and who was capable of provoking a terrified response from this young boy as Mogdred. That he was able to play 2 contrasting roles equally well is a testiment to his undoubted talent.
Keeds
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