Michael Gough, British actor (Sleepy Hollow, Batman), died after a short illness he was , 94.

Michael Gough  was an English character actor who appeared in over 150 films died after a short illness he was , 94.. He is perhaps best known to international audiences for his roles in the Hammer Horror films from 1958, and for his recurring role as Alfred Pennyworth in all four movies of the Burton/Schumacher Batman franchise, beginning with Batman (1989).

(23 November 1916 – 17 March 2011)

Early life and career

Michael Gough was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya (now Malaysia), the son of British parents Frances Atkins (née Bailie) and Francis Berkeley Gough.^[3][4][5] Gough was educated in Rye Hill school, Tunbridge Wells, and Durham School, he moved onto Wye Agricultural College which he left to go to the Old Vic.^[6][7] During World War II Gough was a conscientious objector, like his friend Frith Banbury, although he was obliged to serve in the Non-Combatant Corps^[8] and was a member of No. 6 Company, NCC, in Liverpool.^[9] Gough made his film debut in 1948 in Blanche Fury, and since appeared extensively on British television. In 1955, he portrayed one of the two murderers who kill the Duke of Clarence (John Gielgud) as well as the two little princes in Laurence Olivier's Richard III.
Gough became known for appearances in horror films including Dracula (1958), Horrors of the Black Museum (1959), The Phantom of the Opera (1962), The Corpse (Velvet House, 1970) and Norman J. Warren's stockbroker-satanism debut Satan's Slave (1976).
Gough guest-starred on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, as the villain in the serial The Celestial Toymaker (1966) and also as Councillor Hedin in Arc of Infinity (1983). He also played the automation-obsessed, wheelchair-using Dr. Armstrong in "The Cybernauts", one of the best remembered episodes of The Avengers (1965). In the Ian Curteis television play Suez 1956 (1979) he played Prime Minister Anthony Eden. He also appeared in The Citadel (1983) as Sir Jenner Halliday, and in 1985's Out of Africa as Lord Delamere.

Later roles

His later roles included Alfred Pennyworth for director Tim Burton, including Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). He also reprised his role as Alfred in the 1994 BBC radio adaptation of Batman: Knightfall and in Joel Schumacher Batman films, Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997). Gough was one of two actors to have appeared in the four Batman films; the other actor was Pat Hingle (as Commissioner Gordon). Gough worked for Burton again in 1999's Sleepy Hollow and 2005's Corpse Bride. He also briefly reprised his Alfred role in six 2001 television commercials for the OnStar automobile tracking system, informing Batman of the system's installation in the Batmobile. As a favor to Burton, Gough came out of retirement once more to appear in Burton's Alice in Wonderland.^[10]

Awards and nominations

He won Broadway's 1979 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role – Play) for Bedroom Farce. He was also nominated in the same category in 1988 for Breaking the Code.
He won a BAFTA TV Award in 1957 and was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award in 1972 for his work in The Go-Between.
He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play in 1979 for Bedroom Farce and again in 1988 for Breaking the Code.

Personal life

Gough was married four times—one of his ex-wives is Anne Elizabeth Leon (born 1925). They married in 1950, their daughter Emma Frances was born in 1953 and they divorced in 1964.^[5] Another ex-wife is Doctor Who actor Anneke Wills, who played the Doctor's companion Polly. Wills had encountered him at various times during her life—firstly during a theatre trip with her mother in 1952—but they first met formally, on the set of Candidate for Murder and the attraction was instant. Gough adopted Wills's daughter Polly, and in 1965 their son Jasper was born.

Death

Michael Gough died on 17 March 2011 in London^{[citation needed]} at the age of 94 after a short illness. He was survived by his fourth wife, Henrietta, daughter Emma and sons Simon (who is married to actress Sharon Gurney, the daughter of the late Upstairs Downstairs actress Rachel Gurney) and Jasper.^[11] Michael Keaton, his co-star in the first two Batman films, said that Gough was sweet and charming and wrote, "To Mick – my butler, my confidant, my friend, my Alfred. I love you. God bless. Michael (Mr Wayne) Keaton."^[12]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1948	Anna Karenina	Nicholai
1948	Blanche Fury	Laurence Fury
1948	Saraband for Dead Lovers	Prince Charles
1949	The Small Back Room	Capt. Dick Stuart
1951	Blackmailed	Maurice Edwards
1951	The Man in the White Suit	Michael Corland
1953	Twice Upon a Time	Mr. Lloyd
1953	The Sword and the Rose	Duke of Buckingham
1953	Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue	Duke of Montrose
1955	Richard III	Dighton, the first murderer
1956	Reach for the Sky	Flying Instructor Pearson
1957	Ill Met by Moonlight	Andoni Zoidakis
1958	Dracula	Arthur Holmwood
1958	The Horse's Mouth	Abel
1959	Model for Murder	Kingsley Beauchamp
1959	Horrors of the Black Museum	Edmond Bancroft
1961	What a Carve Up!	Fisk, the butler
1961	Konga	Dr. Charles Decker
1962	The Phantom of the Opera	Ambrose D'Arcy
1963	Black Zoo	Michael Conrad
1965	Dr. Terror's House of Horrors	Eric Landor	Segment four: "Disembodied Hand"
1965	The Skull	Auctioneer
1966	Alice in Wonderland	March Hare
1966	Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker	Celestial Toymaker
1967	Berserk!	Albert Dorando
1968	Curse of the Crimson Altar	Elder
1969	Women in Love	Tom Brangwen
1969	A Walk with Love and Death	Mad Monk
1970	Julius Caesar	Metellus Cimber
1970	Trog	Sam Murdock
1970	The Go-Between	Mr. Maudsley
1970	The Corpse	Walter Eastwood	Also known as Velvet House and Crucible of Horror
1972	Henry VIII and His Six Wives	Norfolk
1972	Savage Messiah	M. Gaudier
1973	Horror Hospital	Dr. Christian Storm
1973	The Legend of Hell House	Emeric Belasco	Uncredited
1976	Satan's Slave	Uncle Alexander Yorke
1978	The Boys from Brazil	Mr. Harrington
1981	Venom	David Ball
1982	Smiley's People	Mikhel
1983	Doctor Who: Arc of Infinity	Councillor Hedin
1983	The Dresser	Frank Carrington
1984	Oxford Blues	Doctor Ambrose
1984	Top Secret!	Dr. Paul Flammond
1984	A Christmas Carol	Mr. Poole
1985	Out of Africa	Baron Delamere
1986	Caravaggio	Cardinal Del Monte
1987	Inspector Morse: The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn	Philip Ogleby
1987	The Fourth Protocol	Sir Bernard Hemmings
1988	The Serpent and the Rainbow	Schoonbacher
1989	Strapless	Douglas Brodie
1989	Batman	Alfred Pennyworth
1989	Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome	Alfred Pennyworth	Voice
1991	Let Him Have It	Lord Goddard
1992	The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Russia 1910	Leo Tolstoy
1992	Batman Returns	Alfred Pennyworth
1993	The Age of Innocence	Henry van der Luyden
1993	The Hour of the Pig	Magistrate Boniface
1993	Wittgenstein	Bertrand Russell
1995	Batman Forever	Alfred Pennyworth
1997	Batman & Robin	Alfred Pennyworth
1998	St. Ives	Comte de Saint-Yves
1999	The Cherry Orchard	Feers
1999	Sleepy Hollow	Notary Hardenbrook
2005	Corpse Bride	Elder Gutknecht	Voice
2010	Alice in Wonderland	Uilleam	Voice; Final role

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