He’s played Nazis, serial killers, super villians, simpletons, at least one Evil Genius and even a Master Control Program, bringing gravitas and panache to every role. He’s definitely a “hey, it’s that guy” actor but David Warner is more than just a character actor. Like many British actors, he started off in Shakespeare before moving on to film and television. That Shakespearean training served him well as Warner became best known for some chilling performances as iconic villains in Time Bandits, Tron, and my personal favorite Time After Time, where he played a time traveling Jack The Ripper pursued through time by H.G. Wells. Despite his reputation as a heavy Warner was always able to inject some sly humor in his roles. Here he is in Time Bandits, blowing up a dog:
Perhaps Warner’s most unforgettable role was in The Omen, where he was decapitated in rather spectacular fashion:
Warner has done some terrific voice over work later in his career, playing such arch villains as the Red Skull and Ra’s Al Ghul and Lord Azluk in the animated Doctor Who:Dreamland series. He’s still going strong into his 70’s though, regularly appearing on stage and television. Our mark of a Cool Actor is someone who you’re always happy to see pop up in whatever you’re watching and on that count David Warner is most definitely a Cool Actor.
I’ll let David sing us out on a high note. Despite the costume he’s not doing the Safety Dance and no midget jesters were harmed during the filming of this video.
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