Michael York

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Michael York
York at the Filmex Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, November 1981. Credit to Alan Light
Born	Michael Hugh Johnson 27 March 1942 (1942-03-27) (age 67) Fulmer, Buckinghamshire, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1965 – present
Spouse(s)	Patricia McCallum

Michael York, OBE (born Michael Hugh Johnson; 27 March 1942) is an English actor. He is more recently known among mainstream audiences for his role as Basil Exposition in the Austin Powers series of comedy films.

Biography

Early life

York was born in Fulmer, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the son of Florence Edith May (née Chown), a musician; and Joseph Gwynne Johnson, a Llandovery born Welsh ex-Royal Artillery British Army officer and executive with Marks and Spencer department stores.^[1] York has an older sister, Penepole Anne (born 1940) and younger twin sisters, Caroline and Bridget (born 1947) but Bridget died a few hours after birth, according to his autobiography. He was raised in the town of Burgess Hill in Sussex.^[2] During his teenage years, York was educated at Bromley Grammar School for Boys, Bromley, Kent and at Oxford University. He began his career in a 1956 production of The Yellow Jacket. In 1959 he made his West End debut with a brief part in a production of Hamlet.

Career

Prior to graduating with a degree in English from the University of Oxford in 1964, York had toured with the National Youth Theatre, also performing with the Oxford University Dramatic Society and the University College Players. After some time with the Dundee Repertory Theatre, York joined the National Theatre where he worked with Franco Zeffirelli during the 1965 staging of Much Ado About Nothing.

York made his film debut as Lucentio in Zeffirelli's The Taming of the Shrew (1967), then was cast as Tybalt in Zeffirelli's 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. He also starred in an early Merchant Ivory Productions film, The Guru (1969). He played an amoral bisexual drifter in Harold Prince's film Something for Everyone (1970) opposite Angela Lansbury as the countess who hires York as her footman. He then went on to portray the bisexual Brian Roberts in Bob Fosse's film version of Cabaret (1972), opposite Liza Minnelli. In 1977 reunited with Zeffirelli as a fiery 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 debut 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. These two films are still popular and generally accepted as the best film version of the famous Dumas adventure story.^[3] 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. York had already been on British TV as Jolyon (Jolly) in The Forsyte Saga (1967). He also played the title character in the film adaptation of Logan's Run (1976).

Since his auspicious 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 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's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

He appeared in the Babylon 5 episode "A Late Delivery From Avalon" as a delusion-ridden Earthforce gunner. He also appeared as Professor Asher Fleming, a 60 year-old Yale professor and boyfriend of Yale student Paris Geller (Liza Weil) in the fourth season of Gilmore Girls. He performed the voice of the character Ares in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Hawk & Dove", as well as a character named Dr. Montague Kane in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Zatanna". York starred in both The Omega Code and its sequel, Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, as Stone Alexander, portraying the Antichrist of Christian eschatology.

York also played President Alexander Bourne of Macronesia (formerly New Australia) on seaQuest 2032, a role that was quickly fleshed out and would have remained a major player in the series had it lasted past the thirteen episodes it was ordered for in its third season before ultimately being canceled. He has played Basil Exposition in all three of the Austin Powers movies. He has made an appearance on The Simpsons as Mason Fairbanks, Homer's possible father in "Homer's Paternity Coot." He was also in the third season finale of Sliders as a character reminiscent of Dr. Moreau. In 2006, York played the Charles Sobhraj-like character, Bernard Fremont, on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He also appeared as himself in several episodes of the third season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and featured in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

York also voiced Petrie's uncle Pterano in The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire. York has also featured as the narrator in the audio New Testament project, the Word of Promise, which is being produced by Jim Caviezel. York 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. Recently, has voiced Forever King Patrick in Ben 10: Alien Force.

Personal life

York resides in California. He married Patricia McCallum on 27 March 1968. His stepson is Star Wars producer Rick McCallum.

Filmography

• 2009 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• 2009 Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• 2008 Świadectwo (Polish and Italian film, as narrator)
• 2008 Testimony
• 2007 Flatland: The Movie
• 2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent ::Slither
• 2004 The Remains of the Piano
• 2004 Gilmore Girls: Luke Can See Her Face
• 2004 Gilmore Girls: Afterboom
• 2004 Justice League Unlimited: Hawk and Dove
• 2004 Gilmore Girls: The Nanny and the Professor
• 2004 Crusader
• 2003 La Femme Musketeer
• 2003 Gilmore Girls: Ted Koppel's Night Out
• 2002 Liberty's Kids
• 2002 Founding Brothers: The Evolution of a Revolution, Part Three - Parties
• 2002 Founding Brothers: A More Perfect Union, Part Two - Government
• 2002 Austin Powers in Goldmember
• 2002 Founding Brothers: The Evolution of a Revolution, Part Four - Posterity
• 2002 Founding Brothers: A More Perfect Union, Part One - Leadership
• 2001 Criminal Desire
• 2001 Megiddo: The Omega Code 2
• 2000 The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire
• 2000 Founding Fathers: You Say You Want a Revolution
• 2000 Founding Fathers: Rebels...With a Cause
• 2000 Borstal Boy
• 2000 A Monkey's Tale
• 2000 Founding Fathers: A Healthy Constitution
• 2000 Founding Fathers: Taking Liberties
• 1999 Henry James' The Ghostly Rental
• 1999 The Haunting of Hell House
• 1999 The Omega Code
• 1999 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
• 1998 54
• 1998 A Dirty Little Business
• 1998 Perfect Little Angels
• 1998 One Hell of a Guy
• 1998 Wrongfully Accused
• 1998 A Knight in Camelot
• 1997 The Long Way Home
• 1997 True Women
• 1997 Dark Planet
• 1997 The Treat
• 1997 A Christmas Carol
• 1997 Goodbye America
• 1997 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
• 1997 The Ripper
• 1996 September
• 1996 Danielle Steel's The Ring
• 1996 Babylon 5: A Late Delivery from Avalon
• 1995 Not of This Earth
• 1994 Discretion Assured
• 1993 Batman: The Animated Series: Zatanna
• 1993 Tracey Ullman Takes On New York
• 1992 Duel of Hearts
• 1992 Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn: Tulips and Spring Bulbs
• 1992 Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn: Public Gardens & Trees
• 1992 Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn: Flower Gardens
• 1992 Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn: Japanese Gardens
• 1992 Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn: Tropical Gardens
• 1992 Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn: Roses & Rose Gardens
• 1992 Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn: Formal Gardens
• 1992 Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn: Country Gardens
• 1992 Wide Sargasso Sea
• 1992 The Long Shadow
• 1991 The Heat of the Day
• 1991 Eline Vere
• 1991 Road to Avonlea: All That Glitters
• 1991 Road to Avonlea: Sea Ghost
• 1990 Night of the Fox
• 1990 Come See The Paradise
• 1990 Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales and Legends: Ponce de Leon
• 1989 The Return of the Musketeers
• 1989 Till We Meet Again
• 1989 The Lady and the Highwayman
• 1988 Il Segreto Del Sahara aka The Secret of the Sahara
• 1988 Midnight Cop
• 1988 The Four Minute Mile
• 1987 Un Delitto Poco Comune
• 1987 Lethal Obsession
• 1986 Storybook Series, Vol. 4
• 1986 Ponce de Leon and the Fountain of Youth
• 1986 L'Aube
• 1986 The Far Country
• 1986 Sword of Gideon
• 1986 Dark Mansions
• 1985 Nevil Shute's the Far Country
• 1985 James A. Michener's Space
• 1985 British Rock The First Wave
• 1984 Success Is the Best Revenge
• 1984 The Master of Ballantrae
• 1983 The Weather in the Streets
• 1983 Au Nom de Tous les Miens
• 1983 The Phantom of the Opera
• 1981 The White Lions
• 1980 Final Assignment
• 1979 The Riddle of the Sands
• 1979 A Man Called Intrepid
• 1978 Fedora
• 1978 Much Ado About Nothing
• 1977 Jesus of Nazareth
• 1977 The Last Remake of Beau Geste
• 1977 The Island of Dr. Moreau
• 1976 Logan's Run
• 1976 Seven Nights in Japan
• 1975 Conduct Unbecoming
• 1975 The Four Musketeers
• 1974 Great Expectations
• 1974 Murder on the Orient Express
• 1973 The Three Musketeers
• 1973 England Made Me
• 1973 Lost Horizon
• 1972 Cabaret
• 1971 La Poudre d'escampette
• 1971 Zeppelin
• 1970 Something for Everyone
• 1969 The Guru
• 1969 Alfred the Great
• 1969 Justine
• 1968 The Strange Affair
• 1968 Romeo and Juliet
• 1967 The Taming of the Shrew
• 1967 Liefdesbekentenissen
• 1967 Smashing Time
• 1967 Accident

Autobiography

• Accidentally on Purpose (US), Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-79591-0.
• Travelling Player (UK), Headline. ISBN 0-7472-3306-3.

Also available in other editions

Other Works

York is also the co-author, with director Adrian Brine, of A Shakespearean Actor Prepares, Smith & Kraus, ISBN 1-575-25189-2.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Michael York

• Official website
• Michael York at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• Michael York at the Internet Movie Database
• Michael York at the TCM Movie Database
• Michael York at the Internet Broadway Database
• Biography at Yahoo movies
• Michael York