John Fraser (actor)

One of his earliest roles was as Inigo Jollifant in the second film version of J. B. Priestley's The Good Companions (1957).[3] Later, Fraser had leading roles in films such as El Cid, Tunes of Glory, The Trials of Oscar Wilde (playing Lord Alfred Douglas), Roman Polanski's Repulsion, Isadora and Schizo.[1] He made appearances on television series including Danger Man (1964), Randall and Hopkirk (1969), Columbo (1972), Doctor Who (1981) and The Bill (1995).[4][5]

In 2004, he published his autobiography, Close Up, in which he wrote frankly about his gay life and friendships.[6] In the book, Fraser wrote that actor Laurence Harvey was gay and that his long-term lover was his manager James Woolf.[7] Of Dirk Bogarde, Fraser wrote, "Dirk's life with [Anthony] Forwood had been so respectable, their love for each other so profound and so enduring, it would have been a glorious day for the pursuit of understanding and the promotion of tolerance if he had screwed up the courage ... to make one dignified allusion to his true nature. Self-love is no substitute for self-respect."[7]

Fraser died from oesophageal cancer on 6 November 2020, at the age of 89.[2][8][9][10][11]

• Fraser, John (2004). Close Up. Oberon. ISBN 1-84002-504-2.
• Fraser, J. (1986). In Place of Reason. Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-40718-0.
• Fraser, J. (1978). The Bard in the Bush. Granada. ISBN 0-246-11014-7.
• Fraser, J. (1969). Clap Hands If You Believe in Fairies. Collins. ISBN 0-00-221116-5.

• John Fraser at IMDb
• The Guardian obituary