Donald Pleasence
British actor (1919–1995)
- Born
- 5 October 1919, Worksop
- Died
- 2 February 1995
- Citizenship
- United Kingdom
- Occupation
- actor, screenwriter, television actor
- Films here
- 2
Donald Henry Pleasence ( PLEZ-ənss; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He was known for his "bald head and intense, staring eyes," and played more than 250 stage, film, and television roles across a nearly 60-year career.
Pleasence began his career on stage in the West End before having a screen career, which included starring in a 1954 BBC adaptation of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, before playing numerous supporting and character roles, developing a reputation for playing "nervy, unstable characters" including Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe in The Great Escape (1963), the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967), SEN 5241 in THX 1138 (1971), and the deranged Clarence "Doc" Tydon in Wake in Fright (1971). He also maintained an acclaimed career on the Broadway stage.
Filmography (martial arts films)
| Year | Film | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | You Only Live Twice | Cast |
| 1979 | Jaguar Lives! | Cast |
Frequent collaborators
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q314914 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.