Alan Howard Biography

Fast Facts

• Was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1998
• Counted among his family the comic actor Arthur Howard, the actress Fay Compton and the novelist Sir Compton Mackenzie
• Got his start at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry when it opened in 1958
• Made his first appearance at the Royal Shakespeare Company as Orsino in "Twelfth Night․"
• Although he rarely appeared in films, his notable screen roles included Michael in "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" and Tom French in "The Secret Rapture․"
• During his more than 16 years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, he played every Shakespearean king, and also played Oberon and Theseus in Peter Brook's famous 1970 production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream․"
• Best known as a Shakespearean actor who performed for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre
• Was the voice of the Ring in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy