Paul Massie

Not to be confused with Paul Massey.
Paul Massie
Born
Arthur Dickinson Massé

(1932-07-07)July 7, 1932
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
DiedJune 8, 2011(2011-06-08) (aged 78)
Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada
Occupation(s)Actor
Academic
Years active1958–1998
Known forThe Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll

Paul Massie (born Arthur Dickinson Massé; July 7, 1932 – June 8, 2011)[1] was a Canadian actor and academic.[2] He later became a theater professor for the University of South Florida during the 1970s. He remained with the faculty until his retirement as professor emeritus in 1996.[3][4]

Massie won a BAFTA Award in 1959 for Most Promising Newcomer for his role in the Anthony Asquith movie Orders to Kill (1958) in which he played an American bomber pilot in Nazi-occupied France.[3][5] Also in 1958 he acted in the Peter Hall production of Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Comedy Theatre in London, with Kim Stanley and Leo McKern also in the cast.[1]

Massie played the characters of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the 1960 Hammer horror movie The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll.[6] Unusually, he played Jekyll in make-up as an older bearded man, and his villainous counterpart Hyde as his young, handsome self.[7] He also appeared in the thriller movie Sapphire (1959), and The Rebel (1961), featuring British comedian Tony Hancock, as a young actor.[8] His later movies included the British comedies Raising the Wind (1961) and The Pot Carriers (1962).[9]

In 1963, he acted in William Fairchild's play Breaking Point, at the Golders Green Hippodrome, London with John Gregson, fellow Canadian Robert Beatty, and Robert Ayres in the cast. John Barron was director.[3][10]

In 1965 he appeared in the second episode of the fourth series of the 1960s British television spy seriesThe Avengers. For the episode, entitled "The Gravediggers", he played the villainous character Dr. Johnson.[11][circular reference]

Later Massie changed his career to teaching, and became a member of the faculty at the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he had often been a guest artist-instructor over the years, first appearing in a 1966 production of Tartuffe. He taught acting, scene study, voice production, clowning, directing and other subjects. He also directed numerous productions at USF.[12][4]

Paul Massie died on June 8, 2011, in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, at the age of 78.[3] He had resided on the south shore of Nova Scotia since his retirement from USF in 1996.[3]

  1. ^ a b Bergan, Ronald (31 July 2011). "Paul Massie obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  2. ^ The Stage (16 August 2011). "Paul Massie". The Stage.
  3. ^ a b c d e Dagan, Carmel (2011-06-16). "Paul Massie dies at 78, Canadian actor became Florida professor". Variety. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
  4. ^ a b "Actor Paul Massie left fame, burgeoning career to teach at USF". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  5. ^ Obituary, St. Petersburg Times, June 12, 2011, page 5B.
  6. ^ "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1959)". BFI. Archived from the original on 2012-07-11.
  7. ^ Hal Erickson. "Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960) - Terence Fisher - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  8. ^ "Paul Massie". BFI. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21.
  9. ^ "Paul Massie - Movies and Filmography - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  10. ^ "Breaking Point". Theatricalia. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  11. ^ "The Gravediggers (The Avengers)".
  12. ^ "Orders to Kill (1958) - Articles - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.