Donald Henry Pleasence OBE, (5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor, having accumulated over 200 screen credits throughout his long career. Although he often found himself typecast as villainous and/or psychopathic characters, Pleasence was perhaps best known for his work on two of cinema's most enduring franchises; the James Bond and Halloween series.
Pleasence was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, the son of Alice (née ...
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Donald Henry Pleasence OBE, (5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor, having accumulated over 200 screen credits throughout his long career. Although he often found himself typecast as villainous and/or psychopathic characters, Pleasence was perhaps best known for his work on two of cinema's most enduring franchises; the James Bond and Halloween series.
Pleasence was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, the son of Alice (née Armitage) and Thomas Stanley Pleasence, a stationmaster. He was brought up in the small village of Grimoldby, Lincolnshire, and attended Ecclesfield Grammar School, in Sheffield,Yorkshire. After leaving school, Pleasence became a railway clerk, whilst looking for a job as an actor.
His acting career began in a production of Wuthering Heights, but was interrupted by World War II. He was at first a conscientious objector, but later joined the Royal Air Force and served with 166 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command. His Avro Lancaster was shot down on 31...
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