Roger Rees
About
Biography
Filmography
Notes
Rees taught drama at Florida State Unversity and teaches at UCLA.
Biography
This acclaimed classical stage actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company possessed soulful deep-set eyes and sharp features that made him ideal for the title role in the RSC adaptation of Dickens's "Nicholas Nickleby" on the London and Broadway stages and television. His performance earned a Tony and an Olivier Award and an Emmy nomination. Rees won acclaim for his portrayal of an art critic whose visit to an elderly painter (played by Laurence Olivier) causes problems in the PBS adaptation of John Fowles' "The Ebony Tower" (1987) He joined the hit TV comedy "Cheers" for the 1989-90 season as Kirstie Alley's suitor, the single-minded international financier and corporate raider Robin Colcord and co-starred in the short-lived sci-fi series "M.A.N.T.I.S" (Fox, 1994-97). This led on to an ongoing career as a character actor on film, TV and stage, cut short too soon when he died of cancer on July 10, 2015, at the age of 71.
Rees studied art in London and was "discovered" while working as a scene painter at Wimbledon. Within three years, he had joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in numerous productions there before winning international stardom as "Nicholas Nickleby." Post-"Nickleby" roles include the lead in Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing" (1983), "Hamlet" (1984) and Stoppard's "Hapgood." In addition to acting, he has written and directed for the stage.
Rees has had a sporadic film career. He made his debut in Stephen Frears' "Saigon - Year of the Cat" (1983), adapted from David Hare's play. In Bob Fosse's "Star 80" (also 1983), he portrayed a film director loosely based on Peter Bogdanovich. Rees was sculptor Edgar Papworth in Bob Rafelson's biopic of explorers Sir Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke, "Mountains of the Moon" (1990). He turned villainous in both "If Looks Could Kill" (1991) and "Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot" (1992). For Mel Brooks' "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993), Rees offered a spirited spoof of Alan Rickman's portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" (1991). He next appeared in Adrienne Shelley's feature directorial debut "Sudden Manhattan" and the film version of Jon Robin Baitz's "The Substance of Fire" (both 1996).
After a supporting role in the university-set situation comedy "Boston Common" (NBC 1996-97), Rees co-starred as Thomas Paine in the miniseries "Liberty! The American Revolution" (PBS 1997). A supporting role in Brad Anderson's indie romantic comedy hit "Next Stop Wonderland" (1998) was followed by a turn as Peter Quince in Michael Hoffman's film adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1999), starring Kevin Kline. A co-starring role in the action thriller "BlackMale" (2000) and a supporting part in the adventure tale "The Scorpion King" (2002) were followed by Julie Taymor's critically-acclaimed "Frida" (2002), a lavish biopic of troubled painter Frida Kahlo. During this period, Rees also had a recurring role on "The West Wing" (NBC 1999-2006) as the British ambassador and appeared in Peter Greenaway's immense multimedia project "The Tulse Luper Suitcases." Rees continued to move easily between highbrow and lowbrow credits, appearing in Terrence Malick's "The New World" (2005) and Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" (2006), as well as Steve Martin's "The Pink Panther" (2006) and "Garfield 2: A Tale of Two Kitties" (2006). Rees appeared in a recurring role in the cul favorite science fiction series "Warehouse 13" (Syfy 2009-2014) and two episodes of the modern day Sherlock Holmes adaptation "Elementary" (CBS 2012- ). His final screen role came in John McTeigue's action thriller "Survivor" (2015). Roger Rees died of cancer in New York on July 10, 2015 at the age of 71.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Film Production - Construction/Set (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1964
While earning extra money as a scenery painter and stage designer, made acting debut in the stage comedy "Hindle Wakes" in Wimbledon
1967
Joined the Royal Shakespeare Company; appeared in "The Taming of the Shrew" and "As You Like It"
1981
Created the title role in the the Royal Shakespeare Company's "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby"
1983
First feature film role was Bob Fosse's "Star 80"
1983
Reprised role of Nicholas Nickleby in syndicated TV miniseries
1986
Named associate director with Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company
1989
Played the recurring role of English tycoon Robin Colcord on the NBC sitcom "Cheers"
1992
Played Prince Charles in ABC biopic "Charles & Diana: Unhappily Ever After"
1994
Provided voice of Prince Malcolm, a recurring character on the syndicated animated series "Gargoyles"
1994
Co-starred on Fox series "M.A.N.T.I.S"
1995
Cast in the Broadway production of "Indiscretions"
1997
Joined cast of the NBC sitcom "Boston Common"
1999
Directed and starred in a stage production of "The Taming of the Shrew" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
1999
Played Peter Quince in "William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream"
2000
Staged the off-Broadway revival of Shaw's "Arms and the Man"
2000
Appeared on Broadway alongside Derek Jacobi in Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya"
2000
Directed the play "The Late Middle Classes" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
2000
Played the recurring role of Lord John Marbury on NBC's "The West Wing"
2001
Played John Adams in the L.A. Reprise! staging of "1776"
2006
Cast opposite Steve Martin in a prequel to the 1964 Peter Sellers original film "The Pink Panther"
2006
Co-starred with Mary McDonnell in the independent feature "Crazy Like a Fox"
2006
Featured in "The Prestige," a thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan
2007
Had a recurring role as Dr. Colin Marlow on "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
2011
Took over the role of Gomez in the Broadway musical adaptation of "The Addams Family" following the departure of Nathan Lane
Family
Bibliography
Notes
Rees taught drama at Florida State Unversity and teaches at UCLA.
