Keith Baxter (actor)

Born in Newport, Monmouthshire, in 1933, the son of a Merchant Navy sea captain, he was christened Keith Stanley Baxter-Wright and lived for a time in Romilly Road, Barry, Glamorgan. He was educated at Newport High School and Barry Grammar School. His early introduction to the stage was from his interest in making model theatres and stage scenery. He studied at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, during which period he shared a flat with classmate Alan Bates. He made his film debut in the 1957 remake of The Barretts of Wimpole Street and appeared uncredited as a detective in the British horror classic Peeping Tom (1960).

In 1960, Orson Welles selected Baxter to portray Prince Hal in his stage production Chimes at Midnight, which combined portions of the Shakespearean plays Henry IV, Part I, Henry IV, Part II, Henry V, Richard II, and The Merry Wives of Windsor and brought the comic figure of Falstaff to the forefront of a primarily tragic tale. Baxter repeated his performance in the 1965 film version. Additional film credits include Miss Ba (1957), Ash Wednesday (1973), Golden Rendezvous (1977), Berlin Blues (1988) and Killing Time (1998).

In 1961, Baxter made his Broadway debut as King Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons. Other New York City stage credits include The Affair (1962), Avanti! (1968), Sleuth (1970), Romantic Comedy (1980), and The Woman in Black (2001).

• The Red Devil Battery Sign, Roundhouse & Phoenix Theatre 1977
• Time and the Conways 1988–89
• Rope, Chichester Festival Theatre then Wyndham's Theatre 1994
• Dangerous Corner, Chichester Festival Theatre 1994 & Whitehall Theatre 1995
• Gaslight
• After October 1996–97
• Silhouette

Baxter has regularly directed shows at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington D.C., including:[1]

• The Country Wife (2000)
• The Rivals (2003)
• Lady Windermere's Fan (2003)[2]
• The Imaginary Invalid (2008)
• The Rivals (2009)
• Mrs. Warren's Profession (2010)[3]
• An Ideal Husband (2011)[4]
• The Importance of Being Earnest

Baxter was signed for the role of Octavian "Augustus" Caesar opposite Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra in the 1963 film of the same name. Taylor's bout of pneumonia soon after filming began, which temporarily shut down filming. By the time she recovered, Baxter had other commitments and Roddy McDowall assumed the role. Baxter eventually co-starred with Taylor in the film Ash Wednesday (1973). He also later played Mark Antony opposite Maggie Smith's Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra at Canada's Stratford Festival in 1976.[5]

Baxter's television work includes appearances in Gideon's Way, The Avengers, Hawaii Five-O, Thriller(1976) and the 1998 mini-series Merlin.

Baxter is the author of My Sentiments Exactly, memoirs.[6] He has written several plays including: 56 Duncan Terrace, Cavell, and Barnaby and the Old Boys.

In 1971 he recorded an LP of several of the short stories of Saki for Caedmon Records under the title Reginald on House-Parties, and Other Stories.[7]

He is an Associate Member of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

• 1971 Drama Desk Award for Sleuth
• 1962 Theatre World Award for A Man for All Seasons

• Keith Baxter at IMDb
• Keith Baxter at the Internet Broadway Database
• Keith Baxter at Internet Off-Broadway Database
• selected plays directed by Keith Baxter Bristol University Theatre Archive