British Actor John Nolan Dies at 87

John Nolan, a respected actor whose career spanned theater, television, and film, has died. He was 87.

His death was reported on Saturday by the Stratford-Upon-Avon Herald.

Personal Life

John Francis Nolan was born in London on May 22, 1938, and studied acting at the Drama Centre in London.

He was the younger brother of Brendan Nolan, making him the uncle of filmmakers Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan. He married actress Kim Hartman in 1975.

He is survived by his wife; their children, Miranda and Tom; his grandchildren, Dylan and Kara; and his nephews, Christopher and Jonathan Nolan.

Career

Nolan's professional work extended over five decades.

A classically trained stage actor, Nolan was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) for two years and also performed with the Royal Court Company.

• His stage roles included performances in Julius Caesar, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Small Craft Warnings, and The Relapse.
• He performed as Romeo at the Richmond Theatre and later joined the National Theatre ensemble.
• In the early 1980s, with the Bristol New Vic company, he co-wrote and performed in a Dostoyevsky trilogy.

Nolan had a prolific television career, beginning with a starring role in the 1970 BBC miniseries Daniel Deronda.

• He played scientist Geoff Hardcastle in the BBC series Doomwatch (1970-71).
• He appeared as Nick Faunt in the ITV miniseries Shabby Tiger (1973).
• From 2013 to 2016, he appeared in 28 episodes of the CBS series Person of Interest as the character John Greer.
• Other television credits include The Prisoner, The Sweeney, Silent Witness, and General Hospital.

Nolan's film work included roles in several projects by his nephew, Christopher Nolan.

• He played Douglas Fredericks in Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
• He also appeared in Following (1998) and Dunkirk (2017).
• Other film credits include Bequest to the Nation (1973), Terror (1978), and The World Is Full of Married Men (1979).

• Nolan was also the voice for The Discovery Channel's in-flight entertainment.