Richard Morant
Richard Morant (30 October 1945 – 9 November 2011) was an English actor. Biography. Morant was born in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire. His father was the Shakespearean actor Philip Morant (1909–1993). His sister is the actress Angela Morant. He was also a nephew of actors Bill and Linden Travers, and a cousin of actress Penelope Wilton. He trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama before joining the Prospect Theatre Company, and touring with Ian McKellen in "Richard II", "Edward II" and "Twelfth Night". He enjoyed a long television and theatrical career, first creating an impression as the  bully Flashman in a BBC adaptation of the Thomas Hughes novel, "Tom Brown's Schooldays" (1971), and had a starring role in Thames Television's Armchair Theatre play "Verité" (1972) and followed this up with a regular role as Dr Dwight Enys in the popular BBC series of "Poldark" (1975). Morant also appeared in several BBC classic serials, including adaptations of Walter Scott's "Woodstock" (1973), as the future Charles II, and "The Talisman" (1980), as Conrade of Montserrat. He played Maximilien Robespierre in "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (1982), and he later played Mervyn Bunter, the valet of Lord Peter Wimsey , in "A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery", the BBC's 1987 productions of "Strong Poison", "Have His Carcase" and "Gaudy Night" (all based on Dorothy Sayers's original novels). In 1988 he played Theodore Dyke Acland in the serial "Jack the Ripper". His film career included roles in "Zeppelin" (1971), "Mahler" (1974), "The Company of Wolves" (1984), "The Second Victory" (1986), "Scandal" (1989) and "Janice Beard" (1999). His stage appearances included a starring role in Noël Coward's "Private Lives" at the Theatre Royal, Bath in 1984. The following year he co-starred with Stephanie Beacham and Pam Ferris in ITV 's rag-trade soap drama, "Connie". He also did voice-over, radio, and audio book work including voicing books by Julian Barnes and Julian Fellowes. Personal life. His first wife was the actress Melissa Fairbanks, a daughter of the actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr., with whom he had a son and daughter. After that marriage ended he married Valerie Buchanan, with whom he had another son and daughter. He had a sideline as a dealer in Asian carpets and textiles, including running his own gallery in Notting Hill. In 2005 he became the sole owner of an established company specialising in  carpets and fine textiles, headquartered in Notting Hill, London. After suffering a short illness, Morant died suddenly of an aneurism on 9 November 2011.