
Person
William Squire
Acting · 1916–1989 · Neath - Glamorgan - Wales - UK
Biography
William Squire (29 April 1917 – 3 May 1989) was a Welsh actor of stage, film and television. Squire was born in Neath, South Wales, the son of William Squire and his wife Martha (née Bridgeman). As a stage actor, Squire performed at Stratford-upon-Avon and at the Old Vic, and notably replaced his fellow-countryman Richard Burton as King Arthur in Camelot at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway. One of his first film appearances was in the 1956 film Alexander the Great, which starred Burton in the title role. His varied screen roles included Thomas More in the 1969 film version of Maxwell Anderson's play Anne of the Thousand Days, Sir Daniel Brackley in the 1972 television adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Black Arrow, the voice of Gandalf in the 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings and the Shadow in the 1979 Doctor Whoserial The Armageddon Factor. Perhaps his best-known role was as Hunter, the superior of secret agent David Callan in the spy series Callan in the early 1970s; Squire took over the role from Derek Bond. In a set of Encyclopædia Britannica-produced educational films about William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Squire played the role of Macbeth. This was in keeping with his long career as a Shakespearean actor, which included roles in the classic 1960s TV series, An Age of Kings.
Known for

Doctor Who
The Shadow

Great Performances
Self

Play for Today
Arnold

ITV Playhouse
Max

Rumpole of the Bailey
Sir Daniel Derwent

All Creatures Great and Small
Roderick Perowne

The Champions
Duncan

Centre Play
Humphrey

Blake's 7
Kommissar

The Adventures of Robin Hood
Vef
Filmography
- 2016Callan: This Man AloneHimself (archive)
- 1988TestimonyKhatchaturyan
- 1988In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard BurtonSelf
- 1984PucciniGiacchi, the Doctor
- 1982The Ghost DownstairsNarrator
- 1982Marco PoloLocandiere
- 1982The Hound of the BaskervillesFrankland
- 1981The Life and Times of David Lloyd GeorgeDr Clifford
- 1979Doctor Who: The Armageddon FactorThe Shadow
- 1978Les MisérablesMagistrate
- 1978The Lord of the RingsGandalf (voice)
- 1978The Thirty Nine StepsHarkness
- 1978All Creatures Great and SmallRoderick Perowne
- 1978Blake's 7Kommissar
- 1977The Portable PhonographThe Actor
- 1976BuffetArnold
- 1976The XYY ManLaidlaw
- 1975Rumpole of the BaileySir Daniel Derwent
- 1975Prometheus: The Life of Balzac
- 1975SnookerHumphrey
- 1975The VenturersSir George Fielding
- 1973Centre PlayHumphrey
- 1972The Black ArrowSir Daniel Brackley
- 1971Jason King
- 1971Great PerformancesSelf
- 1970Play for TodayArnold
- 1969Anne of the Thousand DaysThomas More
- 1969Canterbury TalesChaucer
- 1969W. Somerset MaughamOwen Griffiths
- 1968Where Eagles DareThomas
- 1968The ChampionsDuncan
- 1968The Jazz AgeMr. Urquhart
- 1967ITV PlayhouseMax
- 1967Which of These Two Ladies Is He Married To?Alex
- 1967Callan
- 1967A Challenge for Robin HoodSir John
- 1967Half Hour StoryAlex
- 1965The Wars of the RosesDuke of Suffolk
- 1965The Wars of the RosesSuffolk / Buckingham
- 1963Doctor WhoThe Shadow
- 1963FestivalThe Rev Melvyn Thomas
- 1960An Age of KingsShallow / Epilogue
- 1958The Verdict Is YoursCounsel for Defence
- 1958Innocent SinnersFather Lambert
- 1958DunkirkCaptain (uncredited)
- 1958Pride and PrejudiceMr Bingley
- 1957The Film That Never Was
- 1956The Battle of the River PlateRay Martin
- 1956Armchair TheatrePaolo Bracchiana
- 1956The Man Who Never WasLt. Jewell
- 1956Alexander the GreatAeschenes
- 1955The Adventures of Robin HoodVef
- 1951The Long Dark HallSergeant Cochcran
- 1950Sunday Night TheatreHector
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