Michael Sheard

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Michael Sheard

Michael Sheard (18 June 1938 ¹ - 31 August 2005) was a Scottish actor who featured in a large number of films and television programmes.

Star Wars fans know him as Admiral Ozzel from The Empire Strikes Back, whereas those of Grange Hill will remember his performance as the terrifying deputy headmaster Mr Maurice Bronson. In 1983, he played Herr Grunwald, the German manager of a building site in the first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He portrayed Adolf Hitler five times, including in The Tomorrow People (1978) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). In the early 1990s he was also the original actor to play solicitor Marcus Christie in EastEnders. In 1980 he had a major supporting role in Stephen Poliakoff's esteemed BBC television play Caught on a Train.

He made appearances in six stories in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, with the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Seventh Doctors. More recently he appeared with Eighth Doctor Paul McGann, in 'The Stones of Venice — a Doctor Who audio drama produced by Big Finish Productions.

He wrote several memoirs including Yes, Mr Bronson: Memoirs of a Bum Actor (ISBN 1840240075) published in 1997, Yes, Admiral (ISBN 1840241039) published in 1999, Yes, School's Out! (ISBN 9076953422) published 2001 and Yes, It's Photographic! published in 2004.

He died 31 August 2005, aged 67, at his home on the Isle of Wight. He had been suffering from cancer. A few weeks previously (9 August 2005) he appeared via telephone on the Iain Lee show on LBC and talked about his many appearances in film and television.

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