Neville Smith (actor)

Neville Smith (born January 1940, in Liverpool[1]) is a British screenwriter and actor who has contributed to numerous television productions, radio plays and movies.

After studying politics and history at Hull University Smith worked as a teacher. Subsequently, he became an announcer and, from 1965, wrote for BBC Radio. He took part in a total of 57 radio dramas.[1] In 1964 he made his TV acting debut in the premiere episode of the Granada-ITV comedy drama series Villains He was also seen in an episode of the Doctor Who story The Reign of Terror.[2] In 1968 he wrote his first screenplay, The Golden Vision, for the BBC TV series The Wednesday Play.[3] In the following years he appeared in episodes of Cluff, Z-Cars, Thirty-Minute Theatre, Softly Softly, Her Majesty's Pleasure and The Wednesday Play.

In 1971 the film Gumshoe, based on Smith's novel of the same title, was the first major film-directlng assignment for Stephen Frears.[4] Smith also played a small role in the film, as Arthur, a character whom Eddie Ginley (played by Albert Finney) consults about the gun before entering Liverpool Docks.[5]

In 1977 Smith wrote the screenplay for Apaches, a short public information film (government-funded documentary) directed by John Mackenzie, about the dangers to children playing on farms.[6]

In the late 1970s Smith played the protagonist in two television plays directed by Stephen Frears: Me! I'm Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1978) by Alan Bennett, and Long Distance Information (1979), his own play about the death of Elvis Presley.[7]

Smith's most recent appearances on screen have been in Wish You Were Here (1987) and in the TV film Friends in Space (1990).