British actor dies yet in December, news comes todayJanuary 26, 2012 - 13:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Nicol Williamson, the British actor best known for his role as the wizard Merlin in “Excalibur”, died of cancer. According to New York Daily News, his son Luke said the actor died Dec. 16 at the age of 75 in Amsterdam, where he had lived for more than two decades. Williamson had dozens of film credits to his name but won more plaudits for his stage acting. Playwright John Osborne once described him as “the greatest actor since Marlon Brando.” He was nominated for a Tony Award in 1966 for his role in Osborne's “Inadmissible Evidence” and again in 1974 for Anton Chekhov's “Uncle Vanya.” He also was nominated three times for acting honors at the British Academy Film Awards, Britain's equivalent of the Oscars. In films, he was an acclaimed wizard Merlin in John Boorman's “Excalibur” and also played Little John to Sean Connery's Robin Hood and Audrey Hepburn's Lady Marian in the 1976 movie “Robin and Marian.” Williamson was born in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, the son of a factory owner. He left school at 16 to begin work in his father's factory and later attended the Birmingham School of Speech & Drama. Top stories Ara Aivazian said Azerbaijan continues the traditions of Turkey after seizing territories and forced Armenians out. The creative crew of the Public TV had chosen 13-year-old Malena as a participant of this year's contest. She called on others to also suspend their accounts over the companies’ failure to tackle hate speech. Penderecki was known for his film scores, including for William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist”, Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”. Partner news | Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State to travel to Armenia Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O’Brien will travel to Yerevan on June 10-12. |