Denholm Mitchell Elliott English stage, film and television actor Date of Birth: 31.05.1922 Country: Spain

1. Early Life and Education
2. Military Service
3. Acting Career
4. Screen Adaptations and Television Appearances
5. Academy Award Nomination and BAFTA Wins
6. "Indiana Jones" Series
7. Personal Life and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Denholm Mitchell Elliott was born on May 31, 1922, in London, England. The son of Nina Mitchell and Myles Laymen Farr Elliott, he attended Malvern College and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.

Military Service

During World War II, Elliott joined the Royal Air Force, training as a wireless operator and navigator with 76 Squadron under the command of Leonard Cheshire. On the night of September 24, 1942, his four-engine Handley Page Halifax heavy bomber was shot down by anti-aircraft fire during a raid on German U-boat pens in Flensburg, Germany. The aircraft crashed into the North Sea near the island of Sylt; Elliott and two other crew members survived. He spent the rest of the war in a prisoner-of-war camp in Silesia, participating in amateur theatrical productions during his imprisonment.

Acting Career

Elliott made his film debut in the comedy "Dear Mr. Prohack" (1949). He went on to play character roles on television, often portraying weak or downtrodden characters, including the journalist Vernon Bayliss in the thriller "Defence of the Realm," the backstreet abortionist in the comedy "Alfie," and the hapless director in the dramedy "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz." Alongside Natasha Parry, he starred in the BBC comedy series "The Apollo of Bellac."

Screen Adaptations and Television Appearances

Elliott frequently appeared on television, notably in adaptations of Dennis Potter's plays: "Follow the Yellow Brick Road," "Brimstone and Treacle," and "Blade on the Feather" (1980). He also made appearances in "Thriller," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "The Wednesday Play," "The Persuaders!," and "Bangkok Hilton."

Academy Award Nomination and BAFTA Wins

In the 1980s, Elliott won three British Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his roles as Coleman in "Trading Places," Dr. Charles Swaby in "A Private Function," and Vernon Bayliss in "Defence of the Realm." He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in "A Room with a View" with Maggie Smith and Helena Bonham Carter.

"Indiana Jones" Series

Elliott became known to a wider audience when he took on the role of Dr. Marcus Brody in the adventure blockbusters "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989).

Personal Life and Legacy

Elliott was openly bisexual. He was married twice, first to British actress Virginia McKenna for a few months in 1954. His second wife was actress Susan Robinson, with whom he had two children: Mark and Jennifer. Jennifer committed suicide by hanging in 2003. In 1987, Elliott learned he had AIDS. He died of tuberculosis on October 6, 1992, in Ibiza, Spain, and was cremated. His widow Susan founded the Denholm Elliott Project charity in his memory; she died on April 12, 2007, in a fire at her London flat.