Malcolm Tierney


Malcolm Tierney was an English actor who appeared in many film and television roles.

Early life

Tierney's father, Ernest, was a boilermaker and trained draughtsman, from Warrington, who worked at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. His mother, Agnes, née Kennedy, worked in the cotton mills.
He attended St Mary's Roman Catholic School in Failsworth and studied design at the Manchester School of Art. While working as a textile designer and printmaker, he became involved in amateur dramatics at the Little Theatre, in Bolton, which had been set up by John Wardle, father of the drama critic Irving Wardle, whose wife, Norma, became a mentor to Tierney. As a result, he began a scholarship with the Rose Bruford Training College of Speech and Drama, in Sidcup, Kent, in 1958 and landed his first acting job in 1962.

Career

His roles included the part of Tommy McArdle in Brookside between 1984 and 1987, Charlie Gimbert in Lovejoy, Geoffrey Ellsworth-Smythe in A Bit of a Do, Patrick Woolton in House of Cards and Chief Const. Raymond in Dalziel and Pascoe. In science fiction, he appeared as an Imperial officer in Star Wars in 1977 and the Doctor Who serial The Trial of a Time Lord in 1986. He also appeared in Braveheart as the English sheriff who executes the wife of William Wallace, and is then subsequently executed by Wallace.
He appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1974–75 and 2005. In 1974 he played Claudio in Measure for Measure. In 2007 he played Dr Hugo Eckener in the docudrama , which was about the crash of the airship Hindenburg and the investigation after it. This was aired for the 70th anniversary of the disaster.
In 2008 he played Captain Smith of the RMS Titanic in the docudrama Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship.

Personal life

Tierney once shared a flat with Tom Baker who is best known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor in the BBC TV show Doctor Who. In 1979, Tierney married Andrea Schinko, an Austrian artist who survives him with their two daughters; Elsa, an artist and Anna, an actress.

Death

Malcolm Tierney died of pulmonary fibrosis, seven days shy of his 76th birthday. Vanessa Redgrave wrote in his obituary of a "loving man" and a "brilliant actor".

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1968Last of the Long-haired BoysJason Trigg
1969All Neat in Black StockingsPhotographer
1971Family LifeTim
1973The 14Mr Michael
1976The Eagle Has LandedGerman OfficerUncredited
1977Star WarsLt. Shann Childsen Uncredited
1978The Medusa TouchDeacon
1980McVicarFrank
1987Little DorritBar
1993In the Name of the FatherHome Office Official
1995BraveheartMagistrate
1997The SaintRussian doctor
1998L.A. Without a MapJoy's Dad
2000ShinerFleming
2002The Final CurtainEstate Agent
2012Great ExpectationsJudge
2014The SmokeProfessor Arlo Greene

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1967Love on the DoleLarry Meath
1977PoldarkMonk Adderley
1979Crime and PunishmentZametovTV serial
1980–1981The Spoils of WarRichard WarringtonTV serial
1984BrooksideTommy McArdle
1986Doctor WhoDolandThe Trial of a Time Lord, 4 episodes
1986–93LovejoyCharlie Gimbert28 episodes
1989A Bit of a DoGeoffrey Ellsworth-Smythe / Spragg5 episodes
1990House of CardsPatrick Woolton
1998–99Dalziel and PascoeChief Constable Raymond
2001HeartbeatLawsonEpisode: Home to Roost
2002Holby CityWally SandsEpisode: All My Sins
2008DoctorsHoward MilnesEpisode: Mummy Dearest