Bernard Hepton


Bernard Hepton was an English actor and theatre director. He is known for his stage work and television roles in teleplays and series. He also appeared briefly on radio and in film.

Early life and education

Hepton was born as Francis Bernard Heptonstall, the second of four children, in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire. His father, Bernard senior, was an electrician, while his mother Hilda was from a mill-working family. Brought up as a Catholic, he attended St Bede's Grammar School. His short-sight meant he was unable to serve in the British Army during the Second World War. He trained as an aircraft engineer and draughtsman while undertaking firewatching duties.

Theatre

Hepton trained at the Bradford Civic Playhouse under director Esme Church. He had extensive stage experience as an actor in repertory, especially in Scarborough and York. In 1952, he joined Birmingham Rep under Barry Jackson, later himself becoming the theatre's artistic director in 1957. For a brief period from 1963, he was director of the Liverpool Playhouse, but resigned during his first season. Productions of the Max Frisch play The Fire Raisers and John Osborne's Luther featured in his effort to move the theatre's repertoire beyond its standard fare. He was responsible for arranging the fight sequences in Laurence Olivier's film version of Richard III and an Old Vic production of Hamlet with Richard Burton in 1953.

Television

Hepton made his television debut as Sir Thomas More in Robert Bolt’s A [Man for All Seasons (play)|A Man for All Seasons] in a live broadcast in 1957. Hepton played Caiaphas in the 1969 Dennis Potter play Son of Man. He was cast as the Kommandant in Colditz and later appeared for the same production team as Albert Foiret in three series of Secret Army. Before that he made a guest appearance in an episode of the first series of Catweazle where he played a naturalist. Other notable performances included Thomas Cranmer in both The [Six Wives of Henry VIII (BBC TV series)|The Six Wives of Henry VIII] and Elizabeth R. He reprised the role in the film adaptation of the former, Henry VIII and His Six Wives. Hepton acted in adaptations of John le Carré's novels, as Toby Esterhase in the BBC Television versions of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People, and George Smiley in the radio adaptations. He appeared in I, Claudius as Pallas and in the comedy series The Squirrels.
Having played Inspector Goole in An Inspector Calls and Sir Thomas Bertram in Mansfield Park, Hepton appeared as Sam Toovey in the 1989 television adaptation of Susan Hill's ghost story The [Woman in Black (1989 film)|The Woman in Black]. In 1996 he appeared in the television adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, as the title character's hypochondriac father, Mr Woodhouse. In 1987 he appeared in the television programme The Charmer, in which he played Donald Stimpson

Radio and film

On radio, Hepton played the role of Albert, in Stranger in the Home by Alan Dapre, also the role of The Old Man in the Corner, the amateur and mostly sedentary, sleuth in the BBC Radio 4 dramatic adaption called The Teahouse Detective by Baroness Orczy. He also starred in Robert Barr's quirky detective radio series "Galbraith" as Inspector Bill Galbraith on BBC radio and as Dr Soppoth in Peter Tinniswood radio monologue "The Governor's Consort" starring Mary Wimbush. On October 2, 1982, Hepton played Malvolio to Harriet Walter's Olivia in a BBC Radio 4 production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night for Saturday Night Theatre. On April 25, 1993, Hepton played Montague in a BBC R3 production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Hepton's appearances in feature films were less frequent. He made his debut in 1949. He made a brief appearance as Thorpey, a gangster, in the classic British crime thriller Get Carter and another small role, as Milton Goldsmith, in Voyage of the Damned.

Personal life and death

Hepton married actress Nancie Oldfield Jackson in 1957. Jackson played Thomas More’s wife Alice opposite Hepton as More in the 1957 television film A Man for All Seasons; Hepton and she settled in Barnes, London. Jackson died on 18 January 1977.
Hepton married the actress Hilary Joyce Liddell in 1979; he was widowed for a second time when Liddell died on 4 April 2013.
Hepton died on 27 July 2018, aged 92, in Martin Mill, Dover, Kent.

Filmography

Film credits

Television credits