James Smillie

James Smillie, (born 28 November 1944), also credited variously as James Smillie; Jim Smillie and Jim Smilie, is a Scottish-born Australian actor. He has worked in both Britain and Australia in film, extensively on stage, on television, with voice-over and animation work.

James Smillie
Born (1944-11-28) 28 November 1944
Glasgow, Scotland
Other names
  • James Smillie
  • Jim Smillie
  • Jim Smilie
OccupationActor

Smillie was born in Glasgow, Scotland and emigrated to Australia before returning to the United Kingdom to appear in stage roles in London's West End. On television, he's best remembered for the roles of Steve Wilson in Prisoner Cell Block H and Doctor Dan Marshall in the 1980s Australian mini-series and one full series of Return to Eden.[1]

Career

Television and film

Smillie has appeared in films and television shows as featured actor and host, and as leading man on stage in the UK and Australia. His television credits include Return to Eden, Prisoner: Cell Block H, Adventure Island, Space: 1999 the episode End of Eternity, Thriller, The Gentle Touch, Skin Deep, Comedy Playhouse, The Mackinnons, Red Dwarf and Highlander: The Series. He has also made numerous appearances in a variety of light entertainment shows, including Highway with Sir Harry Secombe, An Evening with Barry Humphries, the BBC series Battle of the Sexes, and A Tribute to Robbie Burns for Scottish television. Crackerjack, and hosted his own series I Like Music. Smillie also has a Royal Variety Performances to his credit. He was also the original voice of Sky, voicing programmes there for over a decade.[2]

International Theatre

On the London stage, he played Tony in West Side Story . The following years saw him playing leading men in a string of West End productions, notably: an Italian Lothario in Brian Clemens' whodunit Lover (Ambassadors Theatre); Henry II in Thomas and The King (Her Majesty's Theatre) music written by John Williams; Dr. Thomas Barnardo in Barnardo (Royalty Theatre); Nicos in Zorba; Georges in La Cage aux Folles (London Palladium); and also as Fred Graham in 'Kiss Me Kate' (RSC Savoy), George Bernard Shaw's Candida as the Reverend James Mavor Morrell.

His other stage credits include Orin in Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra, Chance Williams in Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth, Eilif in Mother Courage and Her Children, the lead in Tom Jones, Emile de Beque in South Pacific, and as Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Followed by his success as Mack Sennet in the 1996 London production of Mack & Mabel, Smilie recorded the part of Fred/Petruchio again in the full live production of 'Kiss Me Kate' for the BBC in London with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

1998/99 and 2000 saw Smillie touring in the UK Productions tour of 42nd Street, playing the lead role of producer Julian Marsh. In 2001, he returned to Australia to play Pastor Manders in Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts for the Perth International Arts Festival. In 2003, he returned to the UK to play Charles in Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together at the Library Theatre in Manchester. This was followed in 2004 by Daddy Warbucks in a touring production of Annie with Su Pollard and Caesar in a Sadlers Wells Lost Musicals production of Harold Rome, Joshua Logan and S. N. Behrman's Fanny.

Further films and local theatre productions

In film, Smillie has had small roles in International Velvet and Jaguar Lives!. In 2005, he appeared in two German-made films – Dark Ride and Rich Girl, Poor Girl. Smillie is also a regular radio and concert broadcaster for the BBC, particularly on the series Friday Night is Music Night, presenting special occasions such as Sondheim on the South Bank, An Evening with Cole Porter at the Royal Festival Hall, and as Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Barbican Centre. He is also a voice-over artist working in animation and on commercials, dubbing, audiovisuals, documentaries, and talking books.

In 2005, Smillie returned to Australia for 7 years for personal reasons to care for his ageing mother and took a break from the business. On his return to the UK he settled back in Glasgow, and has since appeared stage productions at the Traverse Theatre, Oran Mor and the Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Most recently he has been more involved in film; La Correspondenza, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, Tommy's Honour, director Jason Connery, Romans, directed by The Shammasian Brothers and Boyz in The Wood, director Ninian Doff.

Selected stage roles

Production Playwright
West Side Story
LoverBrian Clemens
Thomas and the King
Barnardo
Zorba
La Cage au Folles
Kiss Me, Kate
CandidaGeorge Bernard Shaw
42nd Street
GhostsHenrik Ibsen
Mourning Becomes ElectraEugene O'Neill
Sweet Bird of YouthTennessee Williams
Mother Courage and Her ChildrenBertolt Brecht
Putting It TogetherStephen Sondheim
Tom Jones
Annie
FannyS. N. Behrman
Joshua Logan

Selected screen and television

Production Year Notes
Adventure Island (TV series)1967
Good Morning Mr Doubleday (TV series)1969Episode: It's an Ill Wind
Delta (TV series)1970Episode: Too Many Masters - Derek (credited as Jim Smillie)
Dynasty (TV series)1971Episode: Detour to Power - TV interviewer
Homicide (TV series)1966-1972Episodes: Country Boy (1966) - Johnny Moore; Never A Man (1969) - Roger Freeman; Major Edmund M.A. (1969) - W.G. Thomas; Lost (1971) - John Forrester; Cost of Success (1972) - Eddie Gordon
Dead of Night (TV series)1972Episode: Bedtime - Keith Hopkirk
Division 4 (TV series)1969-1973Episodes The Legend; It's A Man's Life; Cash and Carry; The Great Bank Robbery; A Good Man Gone; A Gathering of the Clan; The Infiltrator, Afraid of the Dark (credited as Jim Smillie) - various
Dial M for Murder (TV series)1974Episode: Firing Point - Larry Peters
Z-Cars (TV series)1974Episode: House to House - Roy Prentiss
Thriller (TV series)1975Episode: Night is the Time for Killing (US title: Murder on the Midnight Express) - Bob Mallory (credited as Jim Smilie)
Wodehouse Playhouse (TV series)1975Episode: The Rise of Minna Nordstrom - Police sergeant
Space: 1999 (TV series)1975Episode: End of Eternity - Baxter (credited as Jim Smillie)
Jumbo Spencer (TV series)1976Mr. Spencer (credited as Jim Smillie)
Battle of the Sexes (TV series)1976Various (credited as James Smilie)
The Tomorrow People (TV series)1977Episodes: The Heart of Sogguth (1 & 2); Devil in Disguise; Beat the Drum - Mike Harding
The Mackinnons (TV series)1977Episodes: In the Public Interest; Whose Side Are You On? - James Grant
The Barry Humphries Show (TV series)1977Episode #1.3 (credited as James Smilie)
Life at Stake (TV series)1978Episode: The Million Dollar Children - Wayne Grant
Prisoner (known as Prisoner: Cell Block H)1979Steve Wilson (credited as Jim Smilie)
Jaguar Lives!1979Reardon
The Gentle Touch (TV series)1980Episode: Rogue - Harry
The Latchkey Children (TV series)1980Malcolm McCrae
Metal Mickey (TV series)1980Episode: Music Man Mickey - Manager
Take a Letter, Mr. Jones (TV series)1981Dr. Norton (credited as James Smilie)
Return to Eden (TV mini-series)1983Doctor Dan Marshall (credited as Jim Smilie)
Skin Deep (TV film)1984Cliff Hudson
Special Squad (TV series)1984Episode: Same Time Friday - Donaghue
Return to Eden (TV series)1985Doctor Dan Marshall (credited as James Smillie)
Red Dwarf (TV series)1991Justice computer (voice)
4 Play (TV series)1991Maggot (voice)
Opéra imaginaire (animated film)1993Narrator (English version)
Highlander (TV series)1994Episode: Legacy - John Bower
Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups (video)1994Justice computer (voice)
Abra Cadabra (animated film)1996Mr. Pig (voice) (credited as Jim Smillie)
Always Greener (TV series)2002Episode: A Death in the Family - Frank
The Junction Boys (TV film)2002Dwayne Hess
Final Contract: Death on Delivery (TV film)2006
Good Girl, Bad Girl (TV film)2006
The Correspondence (La corrispondenza)2016Preside
Tommy's Honour2016A.K.H. Boyd
Romans2017Jimmy

References

  1. Super Aussie Soaps, Andrew Mercado, p 243, 2004, ISBN 1-86403-191-3, accessed January 2008
  2. Sky TV Advertisement, 1990. YouTube.
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