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Louis Mahoney

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Louis Mahoney
Born
Louis Felix Danner Mahoney

8 September 1938
Bathurst, British Gambia
Died28 June 2020 (aged 81)
London, England
EducationCentral School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActor
Years active1962–2020

Louis Felix Danner Mahoney (/ˈluːiːməˈhoʊni/; 8 September 1938 – 28 June 2020)[1][2][3] was a Gambian-born British actor, based in Hampstead in London.[4] He was an anti-racist activist and long-time campaigner for racial equality within the acting profession.[5] He represented African-Asian members on the council of the actors' union, Equity, and served as joint Vice-President between 1994 and 1996.[6]

Early life

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Mahoney was born in Bathurst (now Banjul), the Gambia in 1938, the eldest of six children to James Mahoney and Princess (née Danner). Mahoney attended the Methodist Boys' High School.[1] In 1957, he moved to England to study medicine at University College London. He also joined the university's cricket team and played for Essex and Ilford. However, he left to pursue drama at the (now Royal) Central School of Speech and Drama in the 1960s.[7][6]

Career

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After graduating, Mahoney worked with Colchester Rep and the Mercury Theatre before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1967 – he was one of the first black actors in the Company.[8] He worked regularly on the stage throughout his career including shows at the National Theatre, Young Vic, Royal Court, Almeida and his final stage performances were in Alan Bennett's Allelujah! at the Bridge Theatre in 2018.

He helped found Performers Against Racism in the 1980s to campaign against apartheid in South Africa and was Joint Vice President of Equity between 1994 and 1996.

He was seen most frequently on television in series such as: Danger Man, Dixon of Dock Green, Z-Cars, Special Branch, The Troubleshooters, Menace, Doctor Who (in the stories Frontier in Space, Planet of Evil and Blink), Quiller, Fawlty Towers (as Dr Finn in The Germans, 1975), The Professionals (as Dr Henry in the episode "Klansmen", never transmitted on terrestrial TV in the UK, and in "Black Out", again as a doctor), Miss Marple, Yes, Prime Minister, Bergerac, The Bill, Casualty, Holby City and Sea of Souls.[9]

His films included The Plague of the Zombies (1966), Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981), Rise and Fall of Idi Amin (1981), White Mischief (1987), Cry Freedom (1987), Shooting Fish (1997), Wondrous Oblivion (2003) and Shooting Dogs (2005).[10]

He featured in the Channel 4 documentary Random (2011), and in the BBC Three drama Being Human (2012) as Leo, an aged and dying werewolf.[11]

Mahoney's last TV appearance was in the Tracy Beaker CBBC spin-off, The Dumping Ground, as Henry Lawrence, the grandfather of Charlie Morris (Emily Burnett).

Campaign work

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Mahoney was a long-standing campaigner for racial equality within the acting profession, as a member of the Equity Afro-Asian Committee (previously called the Coloured Actors Committee until he renamed it), founding Performers Against Racism to defend Equity policy on South Africa,[6] and as co-creator, with Mike Phillips and Taiwo Ajai, of the UK's Black Theatre Workshop in 1976.[5][12]

Personal life

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Mahoney was married in 1971 and later divorced, and had daughters.[13] For decades a resident in Hampstead, London,[14] Mahoney lived on the corner of Gayton Road and Willow Road, and was a regular in local pubs.[15] He was athletic and played cricket as a fast bowler, joining the Gentlemen of Hampstead club.[1]

Death

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In 2016, Mahoney was diagnosed with cancer. He died on 28 June 2020, aged 81.[16] His funeral took place at Hampstead Parish, attended by his friends and community.[15]

Legacy

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The Louis Mahoney Scholarships at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama were initiated in his memory to encourage applications from Black and global majority students, beginning from the academic year 2021/22, supporting one undergraduate and one postgraduate candidate in each of the following three years.[13]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1964 Guns at Batasi Soldier Uncredited
1965 Curse of Simba African expert
1966 The Plague of the Zombies Coloured Servant
1967 Prehistoric Women Head Boy
1970 Praise Marx and Pass the Ammunition Julius
1973 Live and Let Die Fillet of Soul Patron (New York) Uncredited
Doctor Who Newscaster Serial: Frontier in Space, 2 episodes
1974 Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? Frank Episode: "In Harm's Way"
1975 Doctor Who Ponti Serial: Planet of Evil, 2 episodes
Fawlty Towers Doctor Finn Episode: "The Germans"
The Fight Against Slavery Olaudah Equiano
1981 Omen III: The Final Conflict Brother Paulo
Rise and Fall of Idi Amin Freedom fighter Ofumbi
1984 Sheena Elder 1
1987 Cry Freedom Lesotho government official
White Mischief Abdullah
1997 Shooting Fish Magistrate
2003 Wondrous Oblivion Mr. Johnson
2005 Shooting Dogs Sibomana
Holby City Raymond Opoku 1 episode
2007 Doctor Who Old Billy Episode: "Blink"
2012-13 Being Human Leo 2 episodes
2013 Captain Phillips Maersk Alabama Crew
2016 Holby City Thomas Law 1 episode
2018 National Theatre Live: Allelujah! Neville
The Dumping Ground Henry Lawrence

Theatre

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Year Show Role Theatre
? Talking To You Various Duke of York's Theatre
? Cato Street Conspirator Young Vic
? Jesus Christ Superstar Caiaphas Gaiety Theatre, Dublin
? Murderous Angels Diallo Diop Gaiety Theatre, Dublin
1967 Coriolanus Lieutenant to Aufidius Royal Shakespeare Company
Romeo and Juliet Musician Royal Shakespeare Company
1970 Robinson Crusoe Friday Mercury Theatre
Night and Day President Mageeba Watford Palace Theatre
Hutch Builder to Her Majesty Various Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
White Devil Antonelli Oxford Playhouse
I am Tomarienka Various Watermill Theatre
1990 Desire Kindo Almeida
1997 Romeo & Juliet Friar John and Monatague Royal Shakespeare Company
2007 Generations Grandfather Young Vic
2009 As You Like It Adam and Sir Oliver Martext Leicester Curve
The Observer Muturi and Dr Durami Royal National Theatre
2010 Love Thy Sinner Paul Royal National Theatre
2011 Truth & Reconciliation Rwandan Grandfather Royal Court
2013 Feast Papa Legba Young Vic and Royal Court
2018 Allelujah Neville Bridge Theatre

References

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  1. ^ a b c Hadoke, Toby (9 July 2020). "Louis Mahoney obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  2. ^ Michael Quinn (7 July 2020). "Louis Mahoney". The Stage.
  3. ^ "Louis Mahoney: Trailblazing actor and activist dies at 81". BBC News. 30 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Louis Mahoney | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
  5. ^ a b Abigail Dunn (2 March 2007). "Reflections of a firebrand". Catalyst. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014.
  6. ^ a b c "Louis Mahoney". Forward to Freedom: A history of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement 1959–1994. 2013.
  7. ^ "Louis Mahoney Biography". IMDb.
  8. ^ "Louis Mahoney: Fawlty Towers and Doctor Who actor dies aged 81". Sky News. 30 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Louis Mahoney". www.aveleyman.com.
  10. ^ "Louis Mahoney". BFI. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017.
  11. ^ Jodie Tyley (6 February 2012). "Being Human Series 4 Episode 1 'The Eve Of War' review". SciFiNow. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Historical Notes > 1958 - 1982". Trading Faces: Recollecting Slavery.
  13. ^ a b "Central Announces the Louis Mahoney Scholarships to support Black and Global Majority Students". 9 February 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  14. ^ Sam Volpe (1 July 2020). "Louis Mahoney: 'Real Hampstead character' and much-loved campaigning actor who starred in Doctor Who and Fawlty Towers dies at 81". Ham & High.
  15. ^ a b Foot, Tom (1 December 2020). "Stars support tribute to TV pioneer Louis Mahoney". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  16. ^ Sam Volpe (6 July 2020). "Louis Mahoney obituary: Death of Hampstead icon and passionate antiracist marks 'end of an era' in NW3". Ham & High. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
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