Clive Revill

Revill was born on 18 April 1930 in Wellington, the son of Eleanor May (née Neel) and Malet Barford Revill.{{cite book |title=Who's who in theatre |date=1981 |publisher=University of California |page=572 |isbn=9780810302341 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zZ2J8cPyTvAC}} He attended Rongotai College.{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/160424%7C33397/Clive-Revill/ |title=Overview for Clive Revill | work= Turner Classic Movies |date=18 April 1930 |access-date=21 December 2016}}

Revill originally trained to be an accountant in New Zealand, but decided to change his career path in 1950 when he made his stage debut as Sebastian in Twelfth Night. In the same year, he moved to London, where he studied acting at the Old Vic Theatre.{{cite news| url= http://newsok.com/article/5464559 |title= Clive Revill's voice talent led to a minute as 'Star Wars' first Emperor| first= Nick| last= Thomas| at= newsok.com| work= The Oklahoman| date= 4 December 2015| access-date= 28 June 2018}} He appeared in The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company's celebrated 1956–1958 season of productions in Stratford, which included Hamlet, Love's Labour's Lost, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar and The Tempest. He went on to have such varied stage roles as Bob (narrator) in Irma la Douce, Ratty in Toad of Toad Hall and Jean-Paul Marat in Marat/Sade.

He made his Broadway debut in 1952, playing Sam Weller in The Pickwick Papers, and subsequently appeared in Irma La Douce, The Incomparable Max and Oliver!, for which his Fagin was nominated for a Tony Award.{{cite web| url= http://www.broadwayworld.com/tonyawardspersoninfo.php?nomname=Clive%20Revill |title=Clive Revill Tony Awards Info |website= BroadwayWorld.com |access-date=21 December 2016}} He was also known for his roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas, on both stage and television. He starred in the first national tour of the musical Drood in 1988, replacing George Rose, who was murdered during the run.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/11/13/a-little-more-than-luck-colors-clive-revills-career |title=A little more than luck colors Clive Revill's career | work= The Baltimore Sun|date=13 November 1991 |access-date=21 December 2016}}

Revill also participated in the workshop production of Tom Jones: The Musical, playing the role of Squire Western and reprising it on the cast recording.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Various-Tom-Jones-Original-Musical-Cast-Recording/release/2881889 |title=Various – Tom Jones: Original Musical Cast Recording (Vinyl, LP) |publisher= discogs |access-date=21 December 2016}}

Revill's red hair and distinctive Mr. Punch-like features often saw him cast as comic eccentrics in a number of British films of the 1960s and 1970s such as Kaleidoscope (1966), Modesty Blaise (1966), The Double Man (1967), Fathom (1967), The Assassination Bureau (1969), A Severed Head (1970), The Black Windmill (1974) and One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975). He also had notable supporting turns in Otto Preminger's Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) opposite Laurence Olivier, and his American film debut A Fine Madness (1966), as well as a rare leading role in the horror film The Legend of Hell House (1973).{{cite web| url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070294/| title= The Legend of Hell House (1973)| date= 15 June 1973| publisher= IMDb| access-date= 28 June 2018}}

He was often cast as humorous foreign characters (he has played everything from Chinese to Russian). Two of his highest profile roles of this kind were in two films for Billy Wilder: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) and Avanti! (1972), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his part as put-upon hotel manager Carlo Carlucci.{{cite web|url=http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/clive-revill/ |title=Clive Revill | work= MasterworksBroadway.com |access-date=21 December 2016}}

In the 1978 television miniseries Centennial, he played the Scottish accountant Finlay Perkin. He played both Ko-Ko (the starring role) in The Mikado (which he had played in 1962 at Sadler's Wells Opera), and the title character, John Wellington Wells, in The Sorcerer, for the Brent Walker television series of Gilbert and Sullivan productions, shown by the BBC in 1983.Turnbull, Stephen. "Obituary", Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine, No. 117, Spring 2025

After relocating to the United States, he guest-starred in many television series, such as Columbo (1978, "The Conspirators"); Hart to Hart; Dynasty; Magnum, P.I.; The Love Boat (S9 E22 as Slade 1986); Remington Steele; Murder, She Wrote; Babylon 5; The Feather and Father Gang; Newhart; MacGyver; Dear John; The Fall Guy; Maude; and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He starred as the wizard Vector in the short-lived series Wizards and Warriors.

Revill was known for his proficiency with accents. He was also known for his voice work in feature-length films and animated series, which includes Alfred Pennyworth in the first three episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, the voice of Chico in the seven episodes of Chico the Rainmaker (The Boy with the Two Heads) (1974), the voice of Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious in the original 1980 version of The Empire Strikes Back (he was later replaced by Ian McDiarmid in the 2004 DVD version though Revill is still credited). This was an editing decision done to maintain continuity with Return of the Jedi and the prequel trilogy, as Revill's voice greatly differed from McDiarmid's.{{cite web|work=Digital Bits|title=Star Wars Trilogy – 2004 DVD Changes| url= http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews3/starwarschanges02.html|access-date=16 February 2007}} Revill has also featured in numerous cartoons such as The Transformers and DuckTales and more video games, including Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Conquest: Frontier Wars.

Revill was married twice and had a daughter, Kate, with his second wife.{{cite web |title=Revill, Clive |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/revill-clive-1930-clive-revel |website=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=26 March 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Barnes |first1=Mike |title=Clive Revill, Voice of the Emperor in ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ Dies at 94 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/clive-revill-dead-empire-strikes-back-emperor-1236173505/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=26 March 2025}}

He died of complications from dementia at a Sherman Oaks nursing home, on 11 March 2025, at the age of 94.Turnbull, Stephen. "Obituary", Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine, No. 117, Spring 2025, p. 4

• Peter Pan's Flight (1955)

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• {{IMDb name|0720890|Clive Revill}}
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• [http://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=14527 Clive Revill] at Aveleyman.com
• {{discogs artist|Clive Revill}}

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Category:1930 births

Category:2025 deaths

Category:20th-century New Zealand male actors

Category:21st-century New Zealand male actors

Category:Audiobook narrators

Category:Deaths from dementia in California

Category:New Zealand male film actors

Category:New Zealand male stage actors

Category:New Zealand male television actors

Category:New Zealand male musical theatre actors

Category:New Zealand male video game actors

Category:New Zealand male voice actors

Category:Male actors from Wellington City

Category:People educated at Rongotai College