Henry Goodman
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
When it was announced that Henry Goodman would succeed Nathan Lane as Max Bialystock in the hit Broadway musical "The Producers" in March 2002, more than a few eyebrows were raised. Despite a long and distinguished stage career in South Africa and his native London, the good-looking, light-haired actor was not well known in the USA, despite having already made his Broadway debut in "Art" in 1998.
Born and raised in London's East End, Henry Goodman began his professional career at age 10 when he was cast as one of a group of Jewish children smuggled out of a concentration camp in the WWII-era drama "Conspiracy of Hearts" (1960). Six years later, he directed the stage musical "Love from Judy" which featured his sister and twin brother in the cast. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and the Leeder School of Dance in Switzerland, Goodman headed to his wife's home of South Africa where he spent nearly a decade honing his craft and winning accolades as both actor and director. Returning to England in 1981, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and earned attention for his work in a 1983 staging of "The Comedy of Errors" and where he went on to distinguish himself in a variety of roles.
In 1989, Goodman made his big screen debut as a cab driver in the little seen "Queen of Hearts" and appeared on American TV in the HBO drama "Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story." Although he has occasionally appeared in other film and TV roles, most notably as an American media baron in the Dennis Potter-scripted miniseries "Cold Lazarus" (1996), the British sitcom "Unfinished Business" (1998) and the comedy "Notting Hill" (1999, as the concierge bussed by Hugh Grant after he reveals the whereabouts of movie star Julia Roberts), Goodman was best known as a stage performer. Equally adept at musical comedy and classical and contemporary plays, he distinguished himself in such roles as presidential murderer Charles Guiteau in "Assassins" (1992), closeted homosexual Roy Cohn in Tony Kushner's epic "Angels in America" (also 1992), Nathan Detroit in "Guys and Dolls" (1996) and slippery lawyer Billy Flynn in "Chicago" (1997). Goodman garnered rave reviews for his turn as Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice" (1999) under Trevor Nunn's direction and that performance was preserved in a 2001 TV adaptation. Just prior to accepting his breakthrough Broadway role in "The Producers," the actor received glowing notices as the crazed press secretary determined to protect the Prime Minister in "Feelgood" (2001).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1960
Acting debut as a child in "Conspiracy of Hearts"
1966
Directed the musical, "Love from Judy"
1973
Moved to South Africa
1981
Directed productions at the Troop Theatre and the Space Theatre in Cape Town, South Africa
1982
Returned to England; joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)
1983
Had stage success with the RSC's production of "The Comedy of Errors"
1989
Film debut in small role as a taxi driver in "Queen of Hearts"
1989
Made TV debut in "Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story" (HBO)
1992
Played Roy Cohn in the London production of "Angels in America"
1992
Cast as Charles Guiteau in the Stephen Sondheim-John Weidman musical, "Assassins"; directed by Sam Mendes
1992
Cast as studio head Buddy Fiedler in the London premiere of "City of Angels"
1993
Portrayed Sigmund Freud in Terry Johnson's "Hysteria"
1994
Cast in the RSC's production of "Pericles"
1995
Had a leading role in the London premiere of Arthur Miller's "Broken Glass"; reprised role in TV production (aired in US on PBS in 1996)
1996
Played Nathan Detroit, opposite Imelda Staunton, in London's National Theatre revival of "Guys and Dolls"
1996
Co-starred as a media baron in "Cold Lazarus," a television miniseries penned by Dennis Potter
1996
Had featured role in "Mary Reilly"
1997
Appeared in the film adaptation of Howard Stern's "Private Parts"
1997
Portrayed the slippery lawyer Billy Flynn in the London staging of "Chicago"
1998
Starred opposite Harriet Walter in the British TV series, "Unfinished Business"
1998
Made Broadway debut in "Art"
1999
Portrayed the concierge at the Ritz in "Notting Hill"
1999
Co-starred in the National Theatre staging of "Summerfolk"
2000
Cast as the Sultan Billah in the ABC miniseries, "Arabian Nights"
2001
Earned plaudits for his starring turn in "Feelgood"
2002
Succeeded Nathan Lane as Max Bialystock in the hit musical, "The Producers"; was abruptly fired from the role
2004
Cast in the HBO movie, "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers"
2007
Played the lead role of Tevye in Lindsay Posner's revival of "Fiddler on the Roof"
2008
Played the lead character in the radio serial, "The Way We Live Right Now"
2009
Co-starred in Ang Lee's "Taking Woodstock"
2009
Played the chairman of Leeds United in the British sports drama, "The Damned United"; adapted by Peter Morgan
Companions
