photo: http://www.nndb.com/people/611/000032515/dp2.jpeg
Biography
Sir Donald Pleasence (October 5, 1919 - February 2, 1995) was an English actor. His high work rate in international cinema earned him the distinction of being the most prolific film actor at the time of his death with over 500 screen credits. He was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, the son of a stationmaster.
Pleasence's acting career began in a 1939 production of Wuthering Heights, but was soon interrupted by his service in the Royal Air Force and a year in a German prisoner-of-war camp. He had been a conscientious objector at first, but later joined the Royal Air Force. He was shot down and taken prisoner and tortured by his captors. At another stage of his captivity he produced and acted in plays in prisoner of war camp.
He returned to acting after the war, and critics began to call him the "Man with the Hypnotic Eye". Perhaps because of this, and his bald head and quiet but intense voice, he specialised in insane and evil characters, including Heinrich Himmler and the Bond villain Blofeld. In his latter years he became known to a younger generation as Dr. Loomis in Halloween. His trademark voice may be credited to elocution lessons he had as a child.
Pleasence was married four times and had five daughters. He was married to Miriam Raymond 1941-1958 and had Angela and Jean. His 1959-1970 marriage to actress and singer Josephine Martin Crombie produced Lucy and Polly. He was married to Meira Shore 1970-1988 and they had Miranda. His last marriage to Linda (maiden name unknown) lasted until his death in 1995.
Donald Pleasence as Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice
Donald Pleasence was knighted in 1994. He died in St. Paul de Vence, France from complications from heart valve replacement surgery.
Filmography
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995).....Dr. Samuel J. 'Sam' Loomis
Fatal Frames (1996).....Professor Robinson
Safe Haven (1995).....The Sailor
Arabian Knight (1995) (voice)
Signs and Wonders (1995) (TV).....Cornelius Van Damm
Guinevere (1994) (TV).....Merlin
The Big Freeze (1993).....Soup slurper
Femme Fatale (1993) (TV).....Victor Harty
The Hour of the Pig (1993).....Pincheon
Diên Biên Phu (1992).....Howard Simpson
Shadows and Fog (1992).....Doctor
Avvoltoio può attendere, L' (1991).....The Art Collector
Miliardi (1991).....Ripa
American risciò (1990).....Reverend Mortom
Edgar Allan Poe's Buried Alive (1990).....Doctor Schaeffer
Donne armate (1990).....Dreyfuss
Moi, général de Gaulle (1990) (TV).....Winston Churchill
A Caribbean Mystery (1989) (TV).....Jason Rafiel
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989).....Dr. Sam Loomis
River of Death (1989).....Heinrich Spaatz
Paganini Horror (1989).....Mr. Pickett
Ten Little Indians (1989).....Mr. Justice Lawrence Wargrave
Angel Hill: l'ultima missione (1988).....Colonel B. Abrams
Casablanca Express (1988).....Col. Bats
The House of Usher (1988).....Walter Usher
Hanna's War (1988).....Captain Thomas Rosza
The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (1988) (TV).....Dr. Absalon
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) Dr. Sam Loomis
Nosferatu a Venezia (1988).....Don Alvise
Commander, Der (1988).....Henry Carlson
Delitto poco comune, Un (1988).....Inspector Datti
Animali metropolitani (1987).....Prof. Livingstone
Django 2: il grande ritorno (1987).....Gunn
Naso di cane (1987) (TV)
Scoop (1987) (TV).....Lord Copper
Spettri (1987).....Professor Lasky
Warrior Queen (1987).....Clodius Flaucus, ruler of Pompeii
Prince of Darkness (1987).....Father Loomis
Ground Zero (1987).....Prosper Gaffney
Double Target (1987).....Senator Blaster
Basements (1987) (TV).....Mr. Kidd (segment "The Room")
Into the Darkness (1986).....David Beckett
Onora il padre (1986) (TV).....Aldo Rossi
Cobra Mission (1985)......Father Lenoir
To Kill a Stranger (198).....Col. Kostik
Sotto il vestito niente (1985).....Commissioner Danesi
The Treasure of the Amazon (1985).....Klaus von Blantz
Arch of Triumph (1985) (TV).....Haake
The Corsican Brothers (1985) (TV).....The Chancellor
Phenomena (1985).....Prof. John McGregor
Black Arrow (1985) (TV).....Sir Oliver Oates
A Breed Apart (1984).....J.P. Whittier
Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie (1984).....Victor Frankenstein/Old Baron Frankenstein
The Ambassador (1984).....Minister Eretz
Master of the Game (1984) (TV), Salomon Van der Merwe
Warrior of the Lost World (1983).....Prossor
Where Is Parsifal? (1983).....Mackintosh
The Devonsville Terror (1983).....Dr. Warley
Witness for the Prosecution (1982) (TV).....Mr. Myers
Alone in the Dark (1982).....Dr. Leo Bain
The Barchester Chronicles (1982) (TV), Rev. Septimus Harding
Computercide (1982) (TV).....George Dettler
Race for the Yankee Zephyr (1981).....Gilbert Carson
Halloween II (1981).....Dr. Sam Loomis
Escape from New York (1981)......U.S. President
The Monster Club (1980).....Pickering
Blade on the Feather (1980) (TV).....Professor Jason Cavendish
Puma Man (1980).....Kobras
Jaguar Lives! (1979).....Gen. Villanova
The French Atlantic Affair (1979) (TV), Max Dechambre
All Quiet on the Western Front (1979) (TV).....Kantorek
Better Late Than Never (1979) (TV).....Colonel Riddle
Dracula (1979).....Dr. Jack Seward
Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (1979).....Dr. Steiner
Homme en colère, L' (1979).....Albert Pumpelmeyer
Gold of the Amazon Women (1979) (TV).....Clarence Blasko
Halloween (1978).....Dr. Sam Loomis
Centennial (1978) (TV), Samuel Purchase
Ordre et la sécurité du monde, L' (1978).....Rothko
Power Play (1978).....Blair
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978).....B.D. Hoffler
The Bastard (1978) (TV).....Solomon Sholto
Tomorrow Never Comes (1978).....Dr. Todd
Liens du sang, Les (1978).....James Doniac
"The Dark Secret of Harvest Home" (1978) (TV), Narrator
The Defection of Simas Kudirka (1978) (TV) Captain Vladimir Popov
Night Creature (1977).....Axel MacGregor
Telefon (1977).....Nicolai Dalchimsky
Oh, God! (1977).....Doctor Harmon
The Uncanny (1977).....Valentine De'ath
Jesus of Nazareth (1977) (TV), Melchior
The Eagle Has Landed (1976).....Heinrich Himmler
The Last Tycoon (1976).....Boxley
The Passover Plot (1976).....Pontius Pilate
Trial by Combat (1976).....Sir Giles Marley
Meriel, the Ghost Girl (1976) (TV).....George Livingston
Goldenrod (1976).....John Tyler Jones
Land of the Minotaur (1976).....Father Roche
I Don't Want to Be Born (1975).....Dr. Finch
Hearts of the West (1975).....A.J. Neitz
Journey Into Fear (1975).....Kuvetli
Escape to Witch Mountain (1975).....Lucas Deranian
The Count of Monte Cristo (1975) (TV).....Danglars
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974).....Erich Count von Plasma
Malachi's Cove (1974).....Malachi
Loba y la Paloma, La (1974).....Martin Zayas
Altrimenti ci arrabbiamo (1974).....The Doctor
The Cafeteria (1974) (TV).....Aaron
The Black Windmill (1974).....Cedric Harper
From Beyond the Grave (1973).....Jim Underwood (segment "An Act of Kindness")
Thirty-Minute Theatre: The Joke (1973) (TV).....Bendel
The Mutations (1973).....Professor Nolter
Tales That Witness Madness (1973).....Dr. R.C. Tremayne
Columbo: Any Old Port in a Storm (1973) (TV).....Adrian Carsini
The Rainbow Boys (1973).....Ralph Logan
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1973) (TV).....Fred Smudge
Death Line (1972).....Inspector Calhoun
Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972).....Thomas Cromwell
Wedding in White (1972).....Jim Dougall, Sr.
Innocent Bystanders (1972).....Loomis
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1972).....The Baron
The Jerusalem File (1972).....Major Samuels
Kidnapped (1971).....Ebenezer Balfour
Play for Today: Skin Deep (1971) (TV).....Gerry Muddiman
Wake in Fright (1971).....'Doc' Tydon
Play for Today: The Foxtrot (1971) (TV).....Tom
THX 1138 (1971).....SEN 5241
Soldier Blue (1970).....Isaac Q. Cumber
Arthur! Arthur! (1969).....Arthur
The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969).....The Prospector
Mr. Freedom (1969).....Dr. Freedom
Creature of Comfort (1968).....James Thorne
The Other People (1968).....Elsa's father
Will Penny (1968).....Preacher Quint
Thirty-Minute Theatre: The News-Benders (1968) (TV).....J.G.
The Diary of Anne Frank (1967) (TV).....Mr. Dusseli
You Only Live Twice (1967).....Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Eye of the Devil (1967).....Pere Dominic
The Night of the Generals (1967).....Maj. Gen. Kahlenberg
Thirty-Minute Theatre: Taste (1967) (TV)
Matchless (1966).....Gregori Andreanu
Wednesday Play: The Head Waiter (1966) (TV) The Head Waiter
Fantastic Voyage (1966).....Dr. Michaels
Cul-de-sac (1966).....George
The Hallelujah Trail (1965).....'Oracle' Jones
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965).....The Dark Hermit - Satan
The Great Escape (1963).....Flight Lt. Colin 'The Forger' Blythe
The Caretaker (1963).....Mac Davies/Bernard Jenkins
Dr. Crippen (1962).....Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen
What a Carve Up (1962).....Everett Sloane
Lisa (1962).....Sgt. Wolters
Spare the Rod (1961).....Mr. Jenkins
The Wind of Change (1961).....Pop
The Horsemasters (1961) (TV).....Capt. Pinski
No Love for Johnnie (1961).....Roger Renfrew
The Hands of Orlac (1961).....Graham Coates
The Big Day (1960).....Victor Partridge
A Story of David (1960).....Nabal
Suspect (1960).....Parsons, alias Bill Brown
The Cupboard (1960) (TV).....Fred Watson
Circus of Horrors (1960).....Vanet
Sons and Lovers (1960).....Mr. Puppleworth
Hell Is a City (1960).....Gus Hawkins
The Battle of the Sexes (1959) (as Donald Pleasance).....Irwin Hoffman
The Flesh and the Fiends (1959).....William Hare
The Shakedown (1959).....Jessel Brown
Killers of Kilimanjaro (1959).....Captain
The Scarf (1959) TV Series....Det. Insp. Harry Yates
Heart of a Child (1958).....Spiel
Look Back in Anger (1958).....Hurst
The Two-Headed Spy (1958).....General Hardt
The Man Inside (1958).....Organ-grinder
The Wind Cannot Read (1958).....Doctor
A Tale of Two Cities (1958).....John Barsad
Barnacle Bill (1957).....Bank teller
Man in a Moon (1957) (TV)
Manuela (1957).....Evans
The Man in the Sky (1957).....Crabtree
1984 (1956).....R. Parsons
The Black Tent (1956).....Ali
One (1956) (TV).....Burden
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955) TV Series Prince John (1955-58)
The Moment of Truth (1955) (TV)
Value for Money (1955).....Limpy
The Beachcomber (1954).....Tromp
Orders Are Orders (1954).....Cpl. Martin
Television
His first role was on television, as Syme in the BBC's highly-acclaimed 1954 adaptation of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, which starred Peter Cushing - another actor who would go on to find fame in many horror film roles.
He hosted the 1981 Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live with music guest Fear
