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Michael Elphick is a Actor British born on 19 september 1946 at Chichester (United-kingdom)

Michael Elphick

Michael Elphick
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Birth name Michael John Elphick
Nationality United-kingdom
Birth 19 september 1946 at Chichester (United-kingdom)
Death 7 september 2002 (at 55 years) at Willesden (United-kingdom)

Michael John Elphick (19 September 1946 – 7 September 2002) was an English actor known in the UK for his trademark croaky voice and his work on British television, particularly his roles as the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and later Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders. He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Gorky Park.

In his prime, Elphick always looked older than he was, and with his gruff Cockney accent and lip-curling sneer he often played menacing hard men.

Elphick struggled with a highly publicised addiction to alcohol; at the height of his problem he admitted to consuming two litres of spirits a day, which contributed towards his death from a heart attack in 2002.

Biography

Elphick met his long-term partner, school teacher Julia Alexander, in 1963 and remained with her until her death from cancer in 1996. The couple had a daughter, Kate.

For many years Elphick struggled with alcoholism. He made the first of many attempts to stop drinking in 1988, after doctors warned him he could die within a year if he continued. At about this time he owned an interest in a public house, the 'White Swan' in Henley in Arden, Warwickshire. He sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous in the early 1990s, although he admitted he was still drinking in 1993. In 1996 he admitted that he had begun drinking heavily again and also contemplated suicide after the death of his partner of 33 years. However he rallied and returned to the stage in Loot. The actor also confessed to having taken cocaine and once, while high on drugs, grabbing a shotgun and chasing a gang of thugs after he had been carjacked near his villa in Portugal. Elphick was admitted to the Priory Clinic in Roehampton, in an attempt to beat his addictions. Reports of his alcohol abuse persisted, however, and during his brief spell on EastEnders during 2001 it was reported that the BBC was considering dropping his character if his drinking was not curtailed.

Usually with

Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
(2 films)
Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov
(1 films)
Brian Glover
Brian Glover
(4 films)
David Lynch
David Lynch
(1 films)
Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
(2 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Michael Elphick (35 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

Out of Bounds, 1h30
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Romance
Actors Michael Elphick, Sophia Myles, Celia Imrie, Sophie Ward, Chris Humphreys, Kelly Salmon
Roles Lionel Stubbs
Rating45% 2.276352.276352.276352.276352.27635
18-year-old Louise (Myles) is stuck in a run-down girls' boarding school and can't bear the thought of being away from her lover, art teacher Matthew, during the half term break. So she stays on at school, ostensibly to do extra work for her exams. But when Matthew's wife, Veronica (Ward), who is also the school's headmistress, finds out about the affair, she is driven over the edge and stabs him. Veronica gets rid of Louise by sending her off on an errand while she hides Matthew's body. When Louise returns, she is shocked to find Matthew gone. According to Veronica, she and Matthew need a little time apart to heal their marriage. Trapped in the remote school and haunted by nightmares, Louise finds the vast Victorian building a spooky shell without the other pupils. Late one night, she is awakened by Matthew calling up to her from outside her bedroom window. Scared and excited, Louise rushes to meet him, but it is only as his arms encircle her that she realises her eyes were deceived, with terrible consequences.
David Copperfield
Directed by Simon Curtis
Genres Drama
Themes Films about children
Actors Ciarán McMenamin, Emilia Fox, Maggie Smith, Daniel Radcliffe, Pauline Quirke, Michael Elphick
Roles Barkis
Rating76% 3.846283.846283.846283.846283.84628
Angleterre, XIX siècle. David Copperfield est venu au monde après la mort de son père. Sa mère décide de se remarier à Murdstone, un homme vil et cruel. De nouveau enceinte, celle-ci décède en couches laissant David seul face à son beau-père qui le persécute et l'envoie travailler dans un entrepôt. Le petit garçon est mis en pension chez la famille Micawber dont il se fera des amis. Mais quand ceux-ci quittent Londres, il décide de partir pour Douvres, seul endroit où il lui reste un membre de sa famille, sa tante Betsey Trotwood. Murdstone est averti de la fuite du jeune Copperfield et tente de le récupérer auprès de Mrs. Trotwood mais elle décidera de le garder et de l'élever. Reprenant ses études, il va alors loger chez Mr. Wickfield qui a une fille, Agnès, amoureuse de David.
Richard III, 1h44
Directed by Richard Loncraine
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, War
Themes Politique, Théâtre, Political films, Films based on plays, Films based on works by William Shakespeare, Dystopian films, Alternate history films, Films about royalty
Actors Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr., Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith
Roles 2nd Murderer
Rating72% 3.6465253.6465253.6465253.6465253.646525
The film is based on Shakespeare's play of the same name, written in approximately 1592. Unlike the 1955 film starring and directed by Laurence Olivier, this production combines the roles of the Duchess of York and Queen Margaret, widow of Henry VI.
Buddy's Song, 1h42
Directed by Claude Whatham
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Musical
Actors Chesney Hawkes, Roger Daltrey, Douglas Hodge, Billy Murray, Nick Moran, Michael Elphick
Roles Des
Rating52% 2.61762.61762.61762.61762.6176
Buddy Clark and his father Terry went to see live Rock n' Roll at a hotel. Terry met Des King in the car park who paid him to keep a briefcase in his car which Buddy was sure was stolen. Buddy's mother Carol arrived then Buddy attempted to get his estranged parents to talk. Buddy moved the briefcase of jewellery back into Des' Jaguar then he told Terry when he was going to move his Vauxhall. Terry feared that the police were going to look in Des' car first so he got the briefcase but the police caught him in the act and he went to prison.
Let Him Have It, 1h55
Directed by Peter Medak
Genres Drama, Biography, Crime
Themes Prison films, Films about capital punishment
Actors Christopher Eccleston, Paul Reynolds, Tom Courtenay, Eileen Atkins, Tom Bell, Edward Hardwicke
Roles Prison Officer Jack
Rating71% 3.594653.594653.594653.594653.59465
The film is based on the true story of Derek Bentley. Within the film, Bentley (Eccleston) is an illiterate young adult with developmental disabilities who falls into a gang led by a younger teenager named Chris Craig (Reynolds). The two become trapped by the police, who tell Chris to put down his gun. Bentley says, "Let him have it, Chris." Chris begins firing, killing one officer and wounding another. Because he is a minor (under 18), Chris is given a minor sentence, but Bentley, although he did not shoot anyone, is sentenced to death, on the basis that his statement to Chris was an instigation to begin shooting.
I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle, 1h41
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Comedy, Horror comedy, Horror
Themes Comedy horror films
Actors Neil Morrissey, Amanda Noar, Michael Elphick, Anthony Daniels, George Rossi, Daniel Peacock
Roles Inspector Cleaver
Rating54% 2.705632.705632.705632.705632.70563
A motorbike gang kills an occultist with a crossbow during a satanic ritual. An evil spirit inhabits a damaged bike. Noddy is then seen purchasing that very motorcycle for the price of £1100 from a dealer, but he tells Kim he only paid £600. He proceeds to take it home and fix, with his friend, Buzzer, and girlfriend, Kim, the damage caused by the crossbow by replacing the fuel tank. Buzzer steals the petrol cap for "funsies" but then the bike kills him by decapitation.
The Krays
The Krays (1990)
, 1h59
Directed by Peter Medak
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Biography, Action, Adventure, Historical, Crime
Themes Films about families, Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, Gangster films, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film
Actors Martin Kemp, Gary Kemp, Billie Whitelaw, Tom Bell, Martin Kemp, Susan Fleetwood
Roles George - Prisoner
Rating65% 3.2970653.2970653.2970653.2970653.297065
The film charts the lives of the Kray twins from childhood to adult life. The plot focuses on the relationship between the twins and their doting mother (Whitelaw). Ronald (Gary Kemp) is the dominant one, influencing his brother Reginald (Martin Kemp) to perform several acts of violence.
Little Dorrit, 6h
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Romance
Actors Derek Jacobi, Joan Greenwood, Max Wall, Patricia Hayes, Alec Guinness, Miriam Margolyes
Roles Mr. Merdle
Rating71% 3.5912853.5912853.5912853.5912853.591285
Le film est présenté en deux parties. Dans la première, sous-titrée "La faute à personne" (une allusion à un des titres auxquels avait pensé Dickens pour le roman), l'histoire est présentée en fonction du personnage d'Arthur Clennam. La seconde, sous-titrée "L'histoire de la petite Dorrit", reprend une grande partie des mêmes événements, mais cette fois selon le point de vue de l'héroïne.
Withnail & I, 1h43
Directed by Bruce Robinson
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Comedy, Black comedy
Themes Films about alcoholism, Medical-themed films, Films about drugs, Films about sexuality, Films about television, LGBT-related films, Buddy films, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film
Actors Paul McGann, Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths, Ralph Brown, Michael Elphick, Daragh O'Malley
Roles Jake
Rating74% 3.7486453.7486453.7486453.7486453.748645
The film depicts the lives and misadventures of two "resting" (struggling and unemployed) young actor friends in late-1969 London. They are the flamboyant alcoholic Withnail and "I" (named "Marwood" in the published screenplay but not in the credits) as his more level-headed, anxiety-prone, and ennui-crippled friend and the film's narrator. Withnail is filled with indignation over life’s injustices, despite his privileged background. He rages against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune all the more because he blames others for the adverse consequences of his exuberant arrogance, flagrant narcissism and habitual lying, alcoholism, and drug use. Withnail sets the tone for the friendship, with Marwood going along with whatever Withnail wants to do. They live in a filthy Georgian flat in Camden Town. While they wait for a part, daily life revolves around getting coins to use in the meters that provide gas or electricity, going to collect benefits, and waiting for the pubs to open so they can drink and be somewhere with heating. Their only other company at the flat besides each other is the local drug dealer, Danny; a somewhat distasteful man with far out, often bizarre viewpoints on the current state of affairs and a knack for irritating Withnail.
Pirates
Pirates (1986)
, 2h4
Directed by Roman Polanski
Origin France
Genres Comedy, Swashbuckler, Adventure
Themes Films set in Africa, Seafaring films, Transport films, Pirate films
Actors Walter Matthau, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Cris Campion, Damien Thomas, Olu Jacobs, Charlotte Lewis
Roles Sentry
Rating60% 3.002633.002633.002633.002633.00263
Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red and his first mate, Frog, are stranded aboard a raft at sea. Close to death from starvation and dehydration, Red tries to kill and eat Frog, but they are rescued by a Spanish galleon and are forced into slavery. Red inspires the slaves to mutiny and takes control of the vessel. Frog falls in love with the niece of a Spanish colonial governor, and unsuccessfully romances her. Red covets a golden throne that the Spanish have taken from an Aztec king. Through several adventures, Red recruits a crew of cutthroats to steal the throne. Despite their efforts, Red and Frog are ultimately stranded on a raft again, where Red sits on his golden throne and urges Frog to "fatten up".
Valhalla
Valhalla (1986)
, 1h16
Origin Danemark
Genres Fantasy, Adventure, Animation
Themes Seafaring films, Films based on mythology, Transport films, Films set in the Viking Age, Films based on Norse mythology
Actors Dick Kaysø, Ernst Günther, Preben Kristensen, Susse Wold, Ernst-Hugo Järegård, Christopher Lee
Roles Udgaardsloki (voice)
Rating70% 3.5440653.5440653.5440653.5440653.544065
The movie takes plot elements told from the three comic albums "Cry Wolf", "The Story of Quark" and "The Journey to Útgarða-Loki".
The Supergrass, 1h47
Directed by Peter Richardson
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Comedy
Actors Ade Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Keith Allen, Peter Richardson, Nigel Planer, Alexei Sayle
Roles Constable Collins
Rating62% 3.147323.147323.147323.147323.14732
After returning from a holiday in the West Country, Dennis Carter (Adrian Edmondson) tries to impress a girl by untruthfully boasts of being a drug smuggler. The girl is unimpressed however, he is overheard by the police, who persuade him to become a supergrass and inform on his associates.
Hitler's SS : Portrait In Evil, 2h15
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Historical
Actors Carroll Baker, Paul Brooke, Warren Clarke, Michael Elphick, José Ferrer, Lucy Gutteridge
Roles Ernst Röhm
Rating64% 3.2415053.2415053.2415053.2415053.241505
Helmut and Karl Hoffman are two brothers who grow up in the Great Depression of the Weimar Republic, witness the coming to power of the NSDAP (Nazi Party) and the establishment of the Third Reich. Karl, an unemployed mechanic, is enthusiastic about the Nazis and joins the Sturmabteilung (SA-"Storm Battalion"), the Nazi Party militia, after hearing its commander Ernst Röhm speak at a Nazi Party rally. Helmut is reluctant and thinks the Nazis are simply another political party.