Keith Michell (1926-2015) started acting in his native Australia, but he moved to the U.K. in 1949 to study theater and further his career. He had success with many Shakespeare roles and London musicals, as well as on Broadway in the U.S. Michell started getting TV and film parts, which lead to his most famous turn as King Henry VIII first on the BBC and then on the big screen. He’s certainly my favorite Henry onscreen, especially because he’s the rare one who portrays the full life of the king from Renaissance golden boy all the way to corpulent despot. Michell won both an Emmy and a BAFTA for that performance. Let’s check out the rest of his historical costume resume!
Colonel St. Gerard in Dangerous Exile (1957)
Sir Paul Deverill in The Gypsy and the Gentleman (1958)
Jason Caldwell in The Hellfire Club (1961)
Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights (1962)
Malcolm Marsh in Seven Seas to Calais (1962)
Mark Antony in The Spread of the Eagle (1963)
Robert Browning in Robert and Elizabeth (1965)
John Churchill in Soldier in Love (1967)
Sir Robert Chiltern in “An Ideal Husband,” BBC Play of the Month (1969)
King Henry VIII in The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970)
King Henry VIII in Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972)
At the Shows (1972)
Jacob in The Story of Jacob and Joseph (1974)
Older David in The Story of David (1976)
Marc Antony in “Julius Caesar,” The BBC Television Shakespeare (1979)
Pontius Pilate in The Day Christ Died (1980)
Maj. Gen. Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance (1982)
Robin Oakapple / Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd in Ruddigore (1983)
Don Alhambra del Bolero in The Gondoliers (1983)
Edward Quayle in My Brother Tom (1986)
Captain James Cook in Captain James Cook (1988)
Colonel Wilson in The Deceivers (1988)
King Henry VIII in The Prince and the Pauper (1996)
Is Keith Michell your favorite Henry VIII onscreen? Or is there another frock flick role you remember him best for?
Best Henry VIII ever! I will die on this hill! Thanks so much for this MCM.
The BEST Henry the VIIIth – accept no substitutes!
He was also the definititive Young Jolyon in the 1967 Forsyte Saga.
You’re confusing him with Kenneth More.
Yes, he is the best Henry VIII. No one else comes close to him..
Prior to Damian Lewis and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keith Mitchell was about the only other Henry VIII whom I remember, although it’s been so long since the miniseries aired, I really can’t recall anything about it at this point.
‘It is I, Don Quixote, the Man of la Mancha’. How could you leave that out? He had the most incredible singing voice.
I don’t think I’ve seen any of these, but I feel like I’ve seen him in something – maybe something sci-fi or contemporary.
Is it just me or does he look a bit like Sean Bean?
He does; something about the eyes. I hope Sean lives as long as Keith Michell.
He was in a bunch of episodes of Murder, She Wrote as Dennis Stanton, a friend of Jessica’s. His stories were used to give Angela Lansbury a break from the grind of doing a weekly series. :)
Are you thinking of Brian Blessed who has also portrayed Henry VIII in a few different productions? He played Prince Vultan in Flash Gordon where he wears wings and flies.
I don’t think so – I’ve seen Brian Blessed in a lot of things.
Best Henry VIII – that series still stands tall. Never knew there was a movie version and that he sang!
There’s been many a Henry VIII onscreen, many of them iconic performances, but they all better bend the knee to Mr Michell for they already come up short of his glory and they can’t afford to be shorter by a head!
On a less half-witty note, I am deeply offended by the fact that Mr Michell was handsome, a talented actor AND could sing: did the man have three fairy godmothers?😄
Also, is it just me or does he look a bit like Mr Jack Gleason from GAME OF THRONES in some of these stills?
If you haven’t seen his episode on the Julie Andrew’s show do yourself a favor and look it up on YouTube. It’s fantastic!
It’s just my age, but I remember him for singing ‘Captain Beaky’ on Top Of The Pops. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SE08AXk0jU
I once had a cassette of Keith Michelle
The selfish giant and other fairy tales by Oscar Wilde, wish I could still get it.