Edward Jewesbury

Reginald Edward Oliphant Jewesbury, born on 6 August 1917 in London, England, and who died on 31 March 2001, was a British actor whose career encompassed film, stage, and television work spanning several decades. He is also recognized for his membership in the Renaissance Theatre Company.

Jewesbury's stage work included a period with the Royal Shakespeare Company beginning in 1982, during which he appeared in productions of The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, and Cyrano de Bergerac. The latter two productions subsequently transferred to Broadway in 1984, where he performed alongside Sir Derek Jacobi and Sinéad Cusack. His Broadway appearance marked a significant point in his theatrical career, bringing RSC productions of both Much Ado About Nothing and Cyrano de Bergerac to American audiences.

His film career extended from the early 1950s through the end of his life. Among his earlier screen appearances was a role as James Hutton in John Wesley in 1954, followed by an uncredited part in Out of the Clouds in 1955. He portrayed the Shepherd and Gaoler in a 1967 film adaptation of The Winter's Tale, and played Alvan T. Fuller in Sacco e Vanzetti in 1971. Later film credits included Little Dorrit in 1987, We Think the World of You in 1988, and Kenneth Branagh's Henry V in 1989, in which he played Sir Thomas Erpingham. He appeared as the Sexton in the 1993 film adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing and took the role of King Henry VI in the 1995 production of Richard III. Additional film work from that same year included The Grotesque and In the Bleak Midwinter. His final screen credits included Beautiful People in 1999, The 10th Kingdom in 2000, and Dungeons and Dragons in 2000.

In television, Jewesbury appeared in comedies including Yes Minister and Blackadder II during his later years.