Oliver Tobias

Swiss-British actor and director (b. 1947) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oliver Tobias Freitag (born 6 August 1947) is a Swiss-British actor and stage director.[1] He is known for portraying George Berger in the West End production of the musical Hair, and to television audience for playing the title character in the 1970s ITV series Arthur of the Britons,

Born
Oliver Tobias Freitag

(1947-08-06) 6 August 1947 (age 78)
Yearsactive1968–present
Spouse
Arabella Zamoyska
(m. 2001)
Quick facts Born, Alma mater ...
Oliver Tobias
Tobias in 1969
Born
Oliver Tobias Freitag

(1947-08-06) 6 August 1947 (age 78)
Alma materEast 15 Acting School
Years active1968–present
Spouse
Arabella Zamoyska
(m. 2001)
Children2
Websitewww.olivertobias.co.uk (Archive from 2018)
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Early life

Born in Zürich, Switzerland, he is the son of the Austrian-Swiss actor Robert Freitag and the German actress Maria Becker. He came to the United Kingdom at the age of eight and trained at East 15 Acting School, London.

Career

In 1968, Tobias appeared in the original London production of Hair, playing the prime rebel role of Berger.[2] The following year, he starred in, directed, and choreographed the rock opera in Amsterdam and, in 1970, directed a production in Tel Aviv.

Tobias's first role was in the feature film Romance of a Horsethief, co-starring with Yul Brynner, Serge Gainsbourg and Eli Wallach.[3] He then co-starred with Charlotte Rampling in the Jacobean tragedy 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, a film directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi. He became popular as Arthur in the TV series Arthur of the Britons (1972). Peter Weir then directed him in the TV series Luke's Kingdom.[4]

Many other successful films followed, including The Stud in 1978 in which he co-starred with Joan Collins. In 1981, he starred in the British television series Dick Turpin's Greatest Adventure, where he played the character Noll Bridger, a Colonial North American. Tobias also starred in Smuggler (1981) a children's drama series, set in Cornwall in 1801. Tobias also appeared as the Devil in the promotional video for Ultravox's 1982 hit "Hymn". Tobias became a frontrunner for the role of James Bond in Octopussy (1983) when Roger Moore intended to retire from the role, but Moore ultimately returned to the role.[5]

In 1991, Tobias starred alongside Charles Gray in the sci-fi movie "Firestar – First Contact" for Ice International Films. In 1996, Tobias played Rebecque, an aide to the Prince of Orange (Paul Bettany), in Sharpe's Waterloo. In 1998, he played Bassa Selim in Mozart in Turkey. In 2000, he starred in the West End musical La Cava. Three years later, he portrayed Percival Brown in the 50th-anniversary production of The Boy Friend and the next year toured in the rock musical Footloose. In 2005, he finished shooting the film An Airfield in England. He has been acting in a variety of roles for German and Swiss TV and has recently reprised the role of Bassa Selim in Mozart's Seraglio at the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari, Italy. Tobias is famous for his voiceover work and was the narrator on the opening track of DJ Shadow's 2006 album The Outsider.

Personal life

In 2001, he married Arabella Zamoyska, with whom he has two sons.

Filmography

Film

More information Hair, Role ...
1968HairRoleThe Musical
1969Arthur? Arthur!Peter "Bobo" Jackson
1970Romance of a HorsethiefZanvill Kradnik
1971'Tis Pity She's a WhoreGiovanni
1974The God KingGeneral Miara
1975Arthur of the BritonsKing Arthur
1978The StudTony Blake
1979Arabian AdventurePrince Hasan
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square"Foxy"
1983The Wicked LadyKit Locksby
1985Mata HariCaptain Georges Ladoux
1986Operation NamRichard Wagner
1987Johann Strauss: The King Without a Crown [de]Johann Strauss
1988The ChoiceUnknown
1991L'ultima metaCliff Gaylor
Firestar: First ContactCaptain Bremner
1993NexusTarn
1995VendettaColonel de Piemonte
Savage HeartsCountry Gent
1996Past Into PresentHimself
1997BreedersPolice Lieutenant Moore
Diana & MeHimself
1998The Brylcreem BoysHans Jorg Wolff
CandyThe Man
Mozart in TurkeyBassa Selim
1999Grizzly FallsGenet
Darkness FallsThe Money Dealer
Alec to the Rescue!Professor James Richards
2001Journey of a Lifetime, Europe and the Middle EastNarrator
2003Half-EmptyLead
Don't Look Back!Tom Johnson
2004MethodTeddy
2005An Airfield in EnglandWriter / Director
2015Dad's ArmyWilhelm Canaris
The Honourable RebelHimself
2016Open My EyesGunter Meinertzhagen
2017When the Devil Rides Out"Doc" Antler
2020Conjuring: The Book of the DeadDr. Klien
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Television

More information Year, Title ...
YearTitleRoleNotes
1972–1973Arthur of the BritonsKing Arthur24 episodes
1974Luke's KingdomLuke Firbeck13 episodes
1975ThrillerAlan SmerdonEpisode: "Won't Write Home Mom - I'm Dead"
1977Jesus of NazarethJoelTV Mini-Series
1980SmugglerJack Vincent13 episodes
1985Robin of SherwoodBertrand de NivelleEpisode: "Lord of the Trees"
The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesCaptain Jack CrockerEpisode: "The Abbey Grange"
1986Mountain Men: A Dangerous Kind of LoveMelchior AndereggTV movie
AdventurerJack Vincent12 episodes
1988BoonJonathan Hillary2 episodes
1989Der SchattenspielerUnknown
1990CluedoCount Henri de BeauchampEpisode: "Countdown"
The Paper ManIan Harris3 episodes
1992–1993Flash - Der Fotoreporter"Flash"6 episodes
1992Glückliche ReiseLeibwächter MathiasEpisode: "Sri Lanka"
1993DonauprinzessinRick Reimers12 episodes
Das TraumschiffStefan ReinkingEpisode: "Hongkong"
1994Broken LullabyCount BorodinTV movie
EurocopsCrookEpisode: "Drei Mädchen"
1995The Knock IIAlan Montfort6 episodes
1997Sharpe's WaterlooColonel RebecqueTV movie
Real WomenCallun
2000Klinik unter PalmenDr. Rudolfo Garcia3 episodes
2001Der BestsellerMiguel GonzalesTV movie
2002Holby CityJim FrostEpisode: "Every Cloud..."
2005Unter weißen SegelnYussuf AraziEpisode: "Abschiedsvorstellung"
2006Mord in bester GesellschaftComissario Santa CruzEpisode: "Mord in bester Gesellschaft"
2006AbschiedsmorgenFather
2008Hunkeler macht SachenThomas GarzoniTV movie
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References

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