Edward Albert Arthur Woodward OBE (1 June 1930 – 16 November 2009) was a British actor. He was born in Croydon, London. His parents were working class. His television roles included the title characters in Callan (for which he won a BAFTA Award) and The Equalizer (for which he won a Golden Globe Award). His movie roles include Sergeant Howie in The Wicker Man. He also acted on stage.

Personal life
Woodward married actress Venetia Barrett in 1952. The couple had three children, all of whom are actors. Their sons are Tim Woodward (born 1953) and Peter Woodward (born 1956). Their daughter is Sarah Woodward (born 1963). Woodward left Barrett for actress Michele Dotrice (born 1948). The couple had a daughter, Emily Beth Woodward (born 1983). Woodward and Barrett divorced in 1986. He was married to Dotrice from 1987 until his death in Treliske, Truro, Cornwall.

Death

Edward Woodward died at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro on 16 November 2009 at the age of 79. He lived in Hawker's Cove, Cornwall, near Padstow.  He had various illnesses, including pneumonia.

He is survived by his wife, Michele Dotrice and their daughter, and the three children of his first marriage.

Recording artist
His ability as tenor let him record twelve albums of romantic songs, as well as three albums of poetry and fourteen books to tape. His vocal ability and acting skill let him make a number of appearances when time allowed on the BBC's Edwardian era music hall programme, The Good Old Days.

Awards
In 1969 and 1970, he was Television Actor of the Year, and Best Actor at the Sun Awards in 1970, 1971 and 1972. Woodward won the 1970 BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his title role in Callan. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1978. At the 1987 Golden Globe Awards, he won Best Actor in a Dramatic TV Series for his role of Robert McCall in The Equalizer. At the Emmy Award from 1986 to 1990, he was nominated each year for The Equalizer.

Golden Globe - 1987
RTS Television Actor of the Year - 1969, 1970
Sun Award for Best Actor - 1970, 1971, 1972
Order of the British Empire - 1978
BAFTAAward for Best Actor
Emmy Award nominated

Filmography

Stage
1955 - Where There's a Will
1958 - Romeo and Juliet
1958 - Hamlet
1962 - Rattle of a Simple Man
1968 - Two Cities
1971 - Cyrano de Bergerac
1971 - The White Devil
1973 - The Wolf
1975 - Male of the Species
1976 - On Approval
1978 - The Dark Horse
1980 - The Beggar's Opera (also as director)
1980 - Private Lives
1982 - The Assassin
1982 - Richard III
1992 - The Dead Secret

Movies
1955 - Where There's a Will
1960 - Inn for Trouble
1964 - Becket
1969 - File of the Golden Goose
1970 - Incense for the Damned
1972 - Sitting Target
1972 - Young Winston
1973 - Hunted
1973 - The Wicker Man
1974 - Callan
1975 - Three for All
1977 - Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers
1980 - Breaker Morant
1981 - The Appointment
1981 - Wet Job (TV)
1982 - Who Dares Wins
1983 - Operation Comeback (Love is forever)1984 - Champions1984 - A Christmas Carol1985 - Arthur the King1986 - King David1987 - Uncle Tom's Cabin1989 - The Man In The Brown Suit1990 - Over My Dead Body1990 - Hands of a Murderer1990 - Mister Johnson1990 - Soccer Shootout - Official Film 1990 World Cup (Narrator)
1993 - Deadly Advice1994 - A Christmas Reunion1995 - The Shamrock Conspiracy (TV)
1996 - Harrison: The Cry Of The City (TV)
1996 - Gulliver's Travels1999 - Marcia's Dowry2007 - Hot Fuzz (as Tom Weaver)
2009 - A Congregation of Ghosts (as the Reverend Frederick Densham)

Television series
1967 - Sword of Honour1967-72, 1981 - Callan
1972 - Whodunnit? (as host)
1977-78 - 19901977-78 - The Bass Player and the Blonde1978 - Laurence Olivier Presents: Saturday, Sunday, Monday1981 - Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years1981 - Nice Work1985-89 - The Equalizer1987 - Codename: Kyril1990 - Over My Dead Body1991 - In Suspicious Circumstances1991 - America at Risk1994-97- Common as Muck1998 - CI5: The New Professionals1999 - Crusade2000 - La Femme Nikita2001-07 - Messiah, BBC drama series
2007 - Five Days, BBC and HBO drama mini-series
2008 - The Bill 2 episodes - As Johnie Jackson
2009 - EastEnders 6 episodes

Made-for-TV movies
1983 - Merlin and the Sword (U.S. title, Arthur the King)
1983 - Love is Forever1984 - A Christmas Carol1986 - Uncle Tom's Cabin1988 - The Man in the Brown Suit1990 - Hands of a Murderer1995 - The Shamrock ConspiracyTelevision specials
1969 - Omnibus: Scott Fitzgerald1970 - Bit of a Holiday1971 - Evelyn1979 - Rod of Iron1980 - The Trial of Lady Chatterley1980 - Blunt Instrument1981 - Wet Job1986 - The Spice of Life1988 - Hunted1990 - Hands of a Murderer, or The Napoleon of Crime1991 - In My Defence1994 - Harrison1995 - Cry of the City1995 - Gulliver's Travels''

References

Other websites 

Actors from Surrey
Deaths from pneumonia
Emmy Award winning actors
English movie actors
English stage actors
English television actors
Golden Globe Award winning actors
Infectious disease deaths in England
1930 births
2009 deaths