Ian Charleson: Actor and Hamlet

Sources

  1. Ian Charleson was born in Edinburgh in 1949, the son of a printer, and grew up in a working-class area of the city.Ian Charleson
  2. Charleson died of AIDS-related causes on 6 January 1990 at age 40, eight weeks after performing Hamlet at the Olivier Theatre.Ian Charleson
  3. Charleson attended the University of Edinburgh from 1967 to 1970 on a scholarship and obtained a three-year Scottish MA Ordinary degree.Ian Charleson
  4. Charleson made his professional stage debut in 1972 with the Young Vic, as one of the ensemble of brothers in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.Ian Charleson
  5. Charleson made his film debut in Jubilee (1977), directed by Derek Jarman.Ian Charleson
  6. Charleson spent a year in Stratford-upon-Avon with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1978–79.Ian Charleson
  7. Producer David Puttnam and director Hugh Hudson saw Charleson as Pierre in Piaf and knew immediately they had found their lead for Chariots of Fire.Ian Charleson
  8. Charleson won a Variety Club Showbiz Award for Most Promising Artiste in February 1982 for Chariots of Fire.Ian Charleson
  9. Charleson played Charlie Andrews, Gandhi's close friend, in Gandhi (1982), opposite Ben Kingsley.Ian Charleson
  10. Charleson played Sky Masterson in Richard Eyre's National Theatre revival of Guys and Dolls in 1982.Ian Charleson
  11. Charleson received an Olivier Award nomination for Actor of the Year in a New Play for playing Eddie in Fool for Love.Ian Charleson
  12. Charleson was diagnosed with HIV in 1986 and was not symptomatic until the autumn of 1988.Ian Charleson
  13. Richard Eyre brought Charleson in to replace Daniel Day-Lewis, who had abandoned the production.Ian Charleson
  14. Charleson performed Hamlet at the National Theatre from 9 October to 13 November 1989 while seriously ill from AIDS.Ian Charleson
  15. Ian McKellen gave Charleson his Evening Standard Award statuette, saying Charleson was truly the Best Actor of 1989.Ian Charleson
  16. A public memorial service for Charleson was held in London on 8 April 1990, three months after his Edinburgh funeral.Ian Charleson
  17. The book For Ian Charleson: A Tribute was published in October 1990, with royalties going to the Ian Charleson Trust.Ian Charleson
  18. Reunion performances of Guys and Dolls were given at the National Theatre in November 1990 as a tribute to Charleson.Ian Charleson
  19. The Ian Charleson Awards were established in 1991 to reward the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors under 30.Ian Charleson
  20. The Royal Free Hospital's HIV out-patient clinic was renamed the Ian Charleson Day Centre in 1992.Ian Charleson
  21. Young Vic lies at 51.5032, -0.10748.Source