Michael York

York was born in Fulmer, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, son of Florence Edith May Chown, a musician, and Joseph Gwynne Johnson, a Llandovery-born Welsh ex-Royal Artillery British Army officer {{cite web |title= Michael York|url= https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800012484/bio |date=2006|website=yahoo.com | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060208025419/https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800012484/bio| archive-date=8 February 2006| url-status=dead}} and businessman.{{cite web |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/36/Michael-York.html |title=Michael York profile |website=FilmReference.com |access-date=5 June 2009}} York has an elder sister, Penelope Anne (born 1940) and younger twin sisters, Caroline and Bridget (born 1947); Bridget died a few hours after birth, according to York's autobiography. He was brought up in Burgess Hill, Sussex.{{cite web |title=York, Michael (1942-) Biography |url= http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/509629/index.html |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=BFI Screenonline}}

During his teenage years, York was educated at Bromley Grammar School for Boys,{{cite news| title=Hollywood icon Michael York talks about acting, illness and Bromley Little Theatre's fight for survival| url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/11415624.hollywood-icon-michael-york-talks-about-acting-illness-and-bromley-little-theatres-fight-for-survival/| date=18 August 2014| first=Patrick| last=Grafton-Green| newspaper=News Shopper| location=Petts Wood, Kent| language=en| access-date=19 October 2022}} Hurstpierpoint College and University College, Oxford. He did some early acting at the community theatre Bromley Little Theatre, and was its president in 2014. This then led to his joining the National Youth Theatre, also performing with the Oxford University Dramatic Society and the University College Players. He began his career in a 1956 production of The Yellow Jacket. In 1959, he made his West End début with a small part in a production of Hamlet.

Prior to graduating with a degree in English from the University of Oxford in 1964, York had toured with the National Youth Theatre, After some time with the Dundee Repertory Theatre, where he played in Brendan Behan's The Hostage, York joined National Theatre under Laurence Olivier where he worked with Franco Zeffirelli during the 1965 staging of Much Ado About Nothing. Following his role on British TV as Jolyon (Jolly) in The Forsyte Saga (1967), York made his film debut as Lucentio in Zeffirelli's The Taming of the Shrew (1967). He then was cast as Tybalt in Zeffirelli's 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. He starred in The Guru (1969), then played an amoral bisexual drifter in Something for Everyone (1970). In the 1971 film Zeppelin, he portrayed a World War I soldier with conflicted family loyalties who pretends to side with the Germans. He portrayed the bisexual Brian Roberts in Bob Fosse's film version of Cabaret (1972). In 1975, he portrayed a British soldier in 19th century colonial India in Conduct Unbecoming, the first of three films he did with director Michael Anderson. In 1977, he reunited with Franco Zeffirelli as John the Baptist in Jesus of Nazareth.

York starred as D'Artagnan in the 1973 adaptation of The Three Musketeers and he made his Broadway début in the original production of Tennessee Williams's Out Cry. One year later the sequel to The Three Musketeers was released (roughly covering events in the second half of the book) titled The Four Musketeers.{{cite web| url=http://a.rinkworks.com/movies/m/the.three.musketeers.1973.shtml| title=The Three Musketeers (1973)| website=At-A-Glance Film Reviews| access-date=6 October 2012}} Fifteen years later, most of the cast (and crew) joined together in a third film titled The Return of the Musketeers based on the Dumas novel Twenty Years After. He played the title character in the film adaptation of Logan's Run (1976), a fugitive who tries to escape a computer-controlled society. The following year, he starred in The Island of Dr. Moreau opposite Burt Lancaster.{{cite web| title=The Island of Dr. Moreau| url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010752-island_of_dr_moreau| website=Rotten Tomatoes| access-date=19 October 2022}}

File:Michael York Allan Warren.jpg

Since his early work, York has enjoyed a busy and varied career in film, television and on the stage. He appeared in two episodes in the second season of the Road to Avonlea series as Ezekiel Crane, the lighthouse keeper of Avonlea and foster father of Gus Pike. His Broadway theatre credits include Bent (1980), The Crucible (1992), Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (1993) and the ill-fated musical The Little Prince and the Aviator (1982), which closed during previews. He also has made many sound recordings as a reader, including Harper Audio's production of C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.{{cite magazine| title=Talking with Michael York| url=https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/narrators/michael-york/| magazine=AudioFile|access-date=1 November 2022}}

York appeared in the 1996 Babylon 5 episode "A Late Delivery from Avalon" as a delusional man who believed himself to be King Arthur. Two years later he would play King Arthur in A Knight in Camelot. He also appeared as Professor Asher Fleming, a 60-year-old Yale professor and boyfriend of Yale student Paris Geller (Liza Weil) during the fourth season of Gilmore Girls. Additionally, York voiced numerous characters in the DC Animated Universe: Count Vertigo and Montague Kane in Batman: The Animated Series, Kanto in Superman: The Animated Series, and Ares in Justice League Unlimited. York starred in both The Omega Code and its sequel, Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, as Stone Alexander, the Antichrist from Christian eschatology.

In 2002, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to motion pictures.{{cite web |title=Michael York |url= https://walkoffame.com/michael-york/|date=2002 |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |access-date=8 August 2023 }} He played President Alexander Bourne of Macaronesia on seaQuest 2032. He played Basil Exposition in all three of the Austin Powers films. He has made an appearance on The Simpsons as Mason Fairbanks, Homer Simpson's possible father, in "Homer's Paternity Coot". In 2006, York played the character Bernard Fremont (inspired by real life serial killer Charles Sobhraj) in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Slither". He also appeared as a fictionalised version of himself in several episodes of the third season of Curb Your Enthusiasm as an investor in Larry's new restaurant 'BoBo's. In 2009, he lent his voice to Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

York voiced Petrie's uncle Pterano in The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire. In 2009, he narrated the entire Bible for The Word of Promise Audio Bible, a performance of the New King James Version.Groves, Martha (16 November 2009). [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-nov-16-me-beliefs16-story.html "Stars lined up for elaborate audio Bible: Michael York, Jason Alexander and many others gave voice to a 79-CD reading of Old and New Testaments"]. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 July 2016. York again played King Arthur in a revival of Lerner and Loewe's Camelot, which began its run at the La Mirada Theatre in Southern California, and toured nationally in 2006 and 2007.

York portrays Luke in The Truth & Life Dramatised Audio New Testament Bible, a 22-hour audio dramatisation of the New Testament, which uses the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition translation. In 2008, York took part in the BBC Wales programme Coming Home about his Welsh family history. In September 2013, York played Albany in the Gala Performance of William Shakespeare's King Lear at the Old Vic in London.[http://bookings.oldvictheatre.com/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=16151 "King Lear]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195502/http://bookings.oldvictheatre.com/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=16151 |date=29 October 2013}}. The Old Vic''. Accessed 4 November 2014.

York met photographer Patricia McCallum in 1967 when she was assigned to photograph him, and they married on 27 March 1968, York's 26th birthday. His stepson is Star Wars producer Rick McCallum. York was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1977.{{cite web|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/bestdressed/bestdressed_men| title=International Hall of Fame: Men |website=vanityfair.com |date=7 July 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120601052941/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/bestdressed/bestdressed_men |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-06-01}}

{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GaSzO80iGo Michael York Speaks at The National Press Club] on amyloidosis, 4:00-60:00, 12 August 2016, National Press Club{{cite web| title=National Press Club Luncheon with Michael York, August 12, 2016| website=National Press Club| date=12 August 2016| url=http://www.press.org/news-multimedia/videos/npc-luncheon-michael-york| access-date=21 October 2016}} }}

York announced he was suffering from the rare disease called amyloidosis in 2013.{{cite news| last=Walker| first=Tim| title=Cabaret star Michael York's secret battle against killer illness| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/10021674/Cabaret-star-Michael-Yorks-secret-battle-against-killer-illness.html| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/10021674/Cabaret-star-Michael-Yorks-secret-battle-against-killer-illness.html| archive-date=12 January 2022| url-access=subscription| url-status=live| newspaper=The Daily Telegraph| location=London| date=27 April 2013}}{{cbignore}} Doctors initially thought he had bone cancer.{{cite news| url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Michael-York-has-blood-disorder/tabid/418/articleID/295983/Default.aspx| work=3 News NZ| title=Michael York has blood disorder| date=30 April 2013| access-date=30 April 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201172124/http://www.3news.co.nz/Michael-York-has-blood-disorder/tabid/418/articleID/295983/Default.aspx| archive-date=1 February 2014| url-status=dead}} He underwent a stem cell transplant, which can alleviate symptoms, in 2012.{{cite news| last=Boseley| first=Sarah| title=Michael York's battle with amyloidosis| url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/oct/20/michael-york-battle-with-amyloidosis| newspaper=The Guardian| location=London| date=20 October 2013| access-date=8 August 2023 }}

In 2022, in order to be closer to the Mayo Clinic for treatment, York and his wife moved to Rochester, Minnesota.{{cite news| title=Michael York, Now Living in Minnesota, Lists L.A. Home for $7M| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/real-estate/michael-york-la-house-for-sale-1235072339/| first=Degen| last=Pener| newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter| date=16 January 2022| access-date=19 October 2022}}{{cite news| title=From Hollywood to Rochester: Actor Michael York moves to be closer to Mayo Clinic| url=https://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/from-hollywood-to-rochester-actor-michael-york-moves-to-be-closer-to-mayo-clinic| newspaper=Post-Bulletin| location=Rochester, Minn| date=11 January 2022| access-date=19 October 2022}}

• {{cite book| title=Accidentally on Purpose: An Autobiography| url=https://archive.org/details/accidentallyonpu0000york/page/n7/mode/2up| location=New York| year=1991| publisher=Simon & Schuster| isbn=978-0-6716-8940-7| url-access=registration}}.
• {{cite book| title=Travelling Player: An Autobiography| location=London| year=1991| publisher=Headline| url=https://archive.org/details/travellingplayer0000york/page/n5/mode/2up| isbn=978-0-7472-3306-0| url-access=registration}}.

:Also available in other editions

• York wrote about his experience with Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 in Dispatches from Armageddon. 2001, Smith & Kraus. {{ISBN|978-1-5752-5311-4}}.
• York is also the co-author, with director Adrian Brine, of A Shakespearean Actor Prepares. 2000, Smith & Kraus. {{ISBN|978-0-7394-1178-0}}.

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{{Commons}}

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• {{Official website}}
• {{AFI person | 112026-Michael-York }}
• {{IMDb name|0001868|Michael York}}
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{{Mary Pickford Award}}

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Category:1942 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of University College, Oxford

Category:Audiobook narrators

Category:English expatriate male actors in the United States

Category:English male film actors

Category:English male stage actors

Category:English male television actors

Category:English male video game actors

Category:English male voice actors

Category:English people of Welsh descent

Category:Male actors from Buckinghamshire

Category:National Youth Theatre members

Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Category:People educated at Hurstpierpoint College

Category:People from Rochester, Minnesota

Category:People from South Bucks District

Category:20th-century English male actors

Category:21st-century English male actors