John Merivale

John Herman Merivale (1 December 1917 – 6 February 1990) was a Canadian-born British theatre actor who appeared on Broadway between 1938 and 1966, and took on supporting roles in British films throughout his career. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to English actors Philip Merivale and Viva Birkett. His stepmother was the English actress Gladys Cooper. Merivale received his education in England, attending Rugby and New College, Oxford.

His first appearance on screen came at age 15, when he played a newsboy in James Whale's The Invisible Man (1933). His stage career began at 21, when he served as an understudy in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, an engagement during which he first encountered Vivien Leigh. He subsequently worked on the production of Romeo and Juliet staged by Leigh and her husband, Laurence Olivier. Military service interrupted his professional work when he flew as a pilot with both the British and Canadian air forces during World War II. Following the war, he resumed his career in 1946 with a starring role in a U.S. production of Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan.

Merivale's Broadway credits encompassed a range of productions, including Venus Observed, Duel of Angels, The Deep Blue Sea, Ivanov, and The Debutante, among others, with his stage appearances spanning nearly three decades. His theatre work also included productions of Anne of the Thousand Days, The Reluctant Debutante, and The Last of Mrs. Cheyney.

His film work, though secondary to his stage career, included a second screen appearance in The Battle of the River Plate (1956), followed by supporting roles in A Night to Remember (1958), Circus of Horrors (1960), House of Mystery (1961), The List of Adrian Messenger (1963), in which he portrayed the title character, King Rat (1965), and Arabesque (1966). He also held the leading role in the Italian horror film Caltiki - il mostro immortale (1959).

Merivale was married to American actress Jan Sterling from 1941 until 1948. Beginning in 1960, he lived with Vivien Leigh, serving as her dedicated caretaker until her death in 1967. He entered a relationship with actress Dinah Sheridan in 1968, and the two married in 1986. Merivale died on 6 February 1990 from kidney failure.