Bruce Boa

Bruce Boa was born on 10 July 1930 in Calgary, Alberta, the second of three children of Ila (née Phinn) and Andrew Boa, a clergyman. His older sister was Jungian analyst and author Marion Woodman, and his younger brother was Fraser Boa, also a Jungian analyst, who died in 1992.[3] Boa attended the University of Western Ontario, graduating in 1952 with a degree in theology, then spent a brief period playing professional football for the Calgary Stampeders in 1952.[4]

After travelling through Europe, he began his acting career in England in 1958, and settled there permanently in the 1960s. In a 1959 interview he stated that he was also writing novels and film scripts;[5] however, it would appear these works were not published or filmed.

Boa's film credits include Man in the Middle (1964), The Adding Machine (1969), Who? (1973), The Cherry Picker (1974), The Omen (1976), Silver Bears, Superman, Carry On Emmannuelle (1978), A Touch of the Sun, The London Connection, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979), Silver Dream Racer (1980), Ragtime (1981), Octopussy (1983), Return to Oz (1985), and Screamers (1995).[6] He also played the Marine colonel in Full Metal Jacket (1987) who chastises Matthew Modine's character over having a peace pin on his lapel while having "Born To Kill" written on his combat helmet.[7]

On television, he appeared in Thriller (1975), in 1977 Come Back, Little Sheba, an episode of Laurence Olivier Presents, opposite Laurence Olivier and Joanne Woodward.[8] Other television credits include: “Fawlty Towers” the extremely popular UK tv comedy starring John Cleese and set in a hotel in Torquay,The Avengers, Out of the Unknown, The Champions, The Troubleshooters, The Saint, Ace of Wands, Special Branch, The Onedin Line, Z-Cars, The New Avengers, The Professionals, The Omega Factor, Dempsey & Makepeace, Astronauts, Hart to Hart, Remington Steele, Howards' Way, the 1979 miniseries A Man Called Intrepid, the 1988 television film The Bourne Identity, Tales of the Unexpected, As Time Goes By, Road to Avonlea, Kavanagh QC, Bulman and Warship.[9]

Boa died from cancer on 17 April 2004 in Surrey, England.[10] He was survived by his British wife Cherry and their three children. He was also good friends with John Cleese.

• Bruce Boa at Find a Grave
• Bruce Boa at IMDb
• Bruce Boa BFI