Clinton Greyn

Clinton Greyn
Born
Clinton Stuart Greyn Thomas

(1933-09-29)29 September 1933
Swansea, Wales
Died19 March 2019(2019-03-19) (aged 85)
England, UK
Years active1961-1989

Clinton Greyn (29 September 1933 – 19 March 2019)[1][2] was a Welsh-born actor noted for his appearances in British television series of the 1960s and 1970s.[3]

After graduating from RADA in 1957, Greyn worked in rep at Ipswich, Chesterfield and the Belgrade Theatre Coventry.[4][5] He made his film debut in the 1961 Scotland Yard short Wings of Death, before going on to appear in such popular British TV series as Z-Cars and Compact.[6] By 1967 his career had progressed to prominent roles opposite Shirley MacLaine in Vittorio De Sica's Woman Times Seven (1967), Stanley Baker in Peter Yates’s crime caper Robbery (1967), and Peter O'Toole in Herbert Ross's musical remake of Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969).[7] This led to him getting his own TV series in 1968, Virgin of the Secret Service, in which he played the dashing Captain Robert Virgin, travelling the world battling evil in the name of the British Empire.[8] The series was not a success and he found himself making guest appearances in other adventure series, such as The Champions; Department S; and UFO ("The Dalotek Affair", 1971).[6]

In the early 1970s he moved to Hollywood where he appeared in a number of films, including Raid on Rommel, The Love Machine, Swedish Fly Girls, and How to Steal an Airplane (all 1971).[7] Returning to Britain he appeared in the action thriller Penny Gold (1973), and continued to guest-star in popular television series of the period such as Jason King, The Protectors, The Zoo Gang and Doctor Who.[6]

Later in life he concentrated on the stage, appearing at the National Theatre as Nobel prize-winning Danish physicist Niels Bohr in Michael Frayn's Copenhagen in 2000.[9][10]

Besides his acting career, Greyn studied architecture and design at the Open University and City University, London. He collaborated with Australian architect Russell Jones to build his dream home on a former bomb site in Bayswater, London.[11]

Survivors include his first wife and their son, four grandchildren, and his second wife.[1]

  1. ^ a b "Obituary: Clinton Greyn – 'striking actor who enjoyed a long career on stage and screen'". The Stage.
  2. ^ "Tribute to Clinton Stuart Greyn Thomas, 1933 - 2019". Tribute to Clinton Stuart Greyn Thomas, 1933 - 2019.
  3. ^ "Clinton Greyn". www.bafta.org. 5 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Clinton Greyn, 1933-2019 — RADA". www.rada.ac.uk.
  5. ^ "Clinton Greyn | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  6. ^ a b c "Clinton Greyn". www.aveleyman.com.
  7. ^ a b "Clinton Greyn". BFI. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Virgin Of The Secret Service | Nostalgia Central".
  9. ^ "Jonathan Glancey on actor Clinton Greyn's love for architecture". The Guardian. 2 October 2006.
  10. ^ Contributor, A. J. (14 September 2000). "Clinton on bill". {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ Thomas, Jean Fernandes Greyn (June 2020). "Building of the month – The Garway Road Penthouse, London". Twentieth Century Society. Retrieved 3 June 2020.