Денис Лоусон: Шотландиялық актер және «Жұлдызды соғыстар» жұлдызы

Scottish actor
the Scottish international footballer

Denis Stamper Lawson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for his roles as Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy (1977–1983) and as John Jarndyce in the television miniseries Bleak House (2005), the latter of which earned him BAFTA Award and Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He also appeared in the television series The Kit Curran Radio Show (1984–1986), Holby City (2002–2004, 2019), and New Tricks (2012–2015), and reprised the role of Antilles in the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Lawson was born in Glasgow but grew up in Crieff, Perthshire, after his family moved there when he was three years old. He is the son of Phyllis Neno (née Stamper), a merchant, and Laurence Lawson, a watchmaker.

Lawson began his acting career with a small role in a 1969 stage production of The Metamorphosis in London's West End. and has since starred in television dramas such as The Merchant of Venice (1973) opposite Laurence Olivier as Shylock, Rock Follies (1976) and Dead Head (1986). Lawson played X Wing pilot Wedge Antilles in all three films of the original Star Wars trilogy. In 2001, he reprised the role, in voiceover form, for the GameCube game Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and did the same for I Am Your Mother, an episode made by Aardman Animations for the Disney+ animated series Star Wars: Visions, in 2023. He has appeared often on the West End stage, notably in the musical Mr. Cinders at the Fortune Theatre from 1983 to 1984. In 1985 Lawson appeared in two episodes of Victoria Wood As Seen on TV; in one episode performing a spoof love song with Wood called So Pissed off with Love. In 1999, Lawson directed a production of Little Malcolm & His Struggle Against the Eunuchs which was first staged at the Hampstead Theatre before transferring to the Comedy Theatre in London's West End starring his nephew Ewan McGregor in the lead role of Malcolm Scrawdyke. He appeared on an episode of Loose Ends hosted by Ned Sherrin on BBC Radio 4 on 10 December 2005. In 2005, he played the leading role of John Jarndyce in the critically acclaimed BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House, receiving an Emmy nomination. Two years later he played Peter Syme in the BBC One drama serial Jekyll, a modern version of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Lawson also appeared as Captain "Dreadnought" Foster in ITV's dramatisations of C. S. Forester's Hornblower. He appeared in Robin Hood in which he played the Harold of Winchester. He also appeared in the West End playing the character of Georges in the revival of the musical hit La Cage Aux Folles. No stranger to musical theatre, Lawson previously starred in the London revival of Pal Joey. He starred as the lead in Above Their Station, a sitcom for the BBC written by Rhys Thomas about Community Support Officers; it was made as a pilot but never commissioned, being shown only as a one off special. Lawson appeared alongside actress Helena Bonham Carter in the BBC Four movie based on the life of Enid Blyton, playing Kenneth Darrell Waters, a London surgeon who becomes Blyton's second husband. In July 2009 Lawson appeared as Alexander Fleming in a BBC Four drama called Breaking the Mould: The Story of Penicillin alongside Dominic West. Lawson played the part of Alice's grandfather in ITV1's supernatural crime thriller Marchlands which was shown in February 2011. Lawson appeared at the Royal Court Theatre once more in The Acid Test by Anya Reiss in 2011. Lawson replaced James Bolam in the BBC One series New Tricks in its ninth series in 2012. Lawson has said he was asked to reprise his role as Wedge Antilles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but reportedly turned down the role because he believed it would have "bored" him. However, Lawson later said he actually declined to appear in The Force Awakens due to a scheduling conflict, and would have appeared in the film had he been available. Lawson returned to the role in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

In 1973, he met actress Diane Fletcher in a stage production of Twelfth Night. They have a son together, Jamie (born 1979). He met his wife, actress Sheila Gish, on the set of the 1985 film That Uncertain Feeling. They lived together for nearly 20 years before marrying in March 2004 in Antigua; she died of cancer a year later. In 2017, he married Karen Prentice in Italy. His nephew is actor Ewan McGregor, who famously went on to portray Obi Wan Kenobi in the Prequel Trilogy.

Year(s) Title Role Notes 1969 Dr. Finlay's Casebook Andy Donald 1 episode: "Action, Dr. Cameron" 1973 Launcelot Gobbo 1973 Beryl's Lot Peter Jaret 1 episode: "Getting Up" 1974 Ms or Jill and Jack Jerry 1975 Survivors Norman 1 episode: "The Future Hour" 1975 Rock Follies Ken Church 1976 Play for Today: The Jumping Bean Bag Snare 1977 Providence Dave Woodford 1977 Seven Faces of Woman Jerome 1 episode: "She: Anxious Anne" 1977 Rock Follies of '77 Ken Church 1977 Claude 1978 Armchair Thriller: The Girl Who Walked Quickly David Cooper 1978 Play of the Week: Fearless Frank Ernest Dowson/Prof Byron Smith 1979 Diary of a Nobody Frank Mutlar 1980 Play for Today: The Flipside of Dominick Hide Felix 1980 If Winter Comes 1980 Albert Tuggridge 2 episodes: "Stumbling Chronicles" "In Which We Meet the Company" 1982 Crown Court John Dickens 1 episode: "Talking to the Enemy" 1983 Bergerac Giroux 1 episode: "A Miracle Every Week" 1984 Kit Curran 1985 Victoria Wood As Seen on TV Phiilip and Singer 2 episodes: Series 1, Episode 2 and 5 1985 That Uncertain Feeling John Aneurin Lewis 1986 Kit Curran Kit Curran 1986 Dead Head Eddie Cass 1987 Love After Lunch Miles 1989 Screen One: One Way Out Bernard 1989 Dominic Rossi 1990 Boon James Marian 1 episode: "Bully Boys" 1991 Bejewelled Alistair 1992 El C. I. D. 1 episode: "My Brother's Keeper" 1992 Screen One: Born Kicking Victor Grace 1992 Natural Lies James Towne 1996 Tales from the Crypt Frank 1996 Henry Brougham 1997 Pie in the Sky Nick Spencer 1 episode: "In the Smoke" 1998 Cold Feet Alex Welch 1 episode: Series 1, Episode 4 1998 Hornblower Captain 'Dreadnought' Foster 1 episode: "The Examination for Lieutenant" 1998 John Stone 1998 Arthur Brett 1999 Bob Martin Greg 2000 Other People's Children Tom Series 1, Episodes 2 and 3 2001 DI Morris Rose TV film 2002–2004, 2019 Holby City Tom Campbell Gore Regular character 2003 Tommy 2003 Narrator 2003 Lucky Jim Julius Gore Urquat 2005 Sensitive Skin Al Jackson 2005 Bleak House John Jarndyce 2006 Feel the Force Gordon Campbell 2006 Father Plunkett 2006 Dalziel and Pascoe John Barron 2 episodes: "The Cave Woman", Parts 1 and 2 2007 Marple Leo Argyle 1 episode: "Ordeal By Innocence" 2007 Jekyll Peter Syme 2007 Robin Hood Harold of Winchester 1 episode: "For England!" 2008 Mumbai Calling Phillip Glass 2008 Annas Episode 1–3 2009 Law & Order:UK Philip Woodleigh 1 episode: "Sacrifice" 2009 Criminal Justice DCI Bill Faber 2009 Breaking the Mould – The Story of Penicillin Alexander Fleming 2009 Enid Kenneth Darrell Waters 2009 No Holds Bard Miekel 2009 Mister Eleven Len 2010 Above Their Station Chief Constable Keith Boone 2010 Just William Headmaster 2011 Hustle Benny 1 episode: Series 7, Episode 4 "Benny's Funeral" 2011 Marchlands Robert Bowen 2011 Candy Cabs Kenny Ho 2012–2015 New Tricks DI Steve McAndrew 2014 Inside No. 9 Gerald 1 episode: Series 1, Episode 2 "A Quiet Night In" 2016 In Plain Sight Episode 2 2017 Victoria Duke of Atholl 1 episode: Series 2, Episode 7 "The King Over the Water" 2018 Death in Paradise Philip Marston 1 episode: Series 7, Episode 1 "Murder from Above" 2023 Star Wars: Visions Wedge Antilles Voice; 1 episode: Volume 2, Episode 4 "I Am Your Mother"

Year Title Character Production Notes 1971 Titus Andronicus Martius Round House Theatre 1972 England's Ireland Round House Theatre 1973 Kaspar Almost Free Theatre 1973 Sarah B. Divine Cochrane Theatre 1975 Kidnapped at Christmas Warder Mullins Shaw Theatre 1977 Brother David Hampstead Theatre 1977 Censored Scenes from King Kong Stephen Open Space Theatre 1978 We Can't Pay! We Won't Pay! Luigi Half Moon Theatre 1978 Patrick Bush Theatre 1979 Fifty Words—Bits of Lenny Bruce King's Head Theatre 1983–84 Mr Cinders Jim Lancastar King's Head Theatre then Fortune Theatre won the 1983 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical 1984 Bellmour Royal Court Theatre 1986 Lend Me a Tenor Max Globe Theatre 1986–87 Ashes Colin Bush Theatre 1987 Algernon Moncrieff Royalty Theatre 1988 Jonathon Balton Hampstead Theatre 1990 Volpone Mosca Almeida Theatre 1993 Oleanna John Duke of York's Theatre 1995 Lust Horner Haymarket Theatre 2008 George Playhouse Theatre nominated for the 2009 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical 2011 Jim Royal Court Theatre 2018 Art Marc UK and Ireland tour 2022 Anything Goes Moonface Martin Barbican