LONDON — Oliver Reed, the feisty, hard-drinking British actor who was as well-known for his antics off-screen as he was for his performances onscreen, died Sunday in Malta. He was 61.
Reed, who was on the Mediterranean island filming “The Gladiator,” died on the way to the hospital about 15 minutes after taking ill in a bar in Valetta, Malta, police said.
An autopsy will be performed today, but Reed’s death is not considered suspicious, police said.
Reed’s screen credits ranged from Ken Russell’s 1969 film “Women in Love,” which featured nude wrestling and the first screen scene showing a bare penis, to the family musical “Oliver!” and “Castaway,” the story of a man who spends a year alone with woman on a desert island.
In later years, his acting was overshadowed by the drunken binges and bar brawls that over 40 years had become the stuff of British tabloid legend.
Popular on Variety
Born Feb. 13, 1938, in Wimbledon, south London, Reed made his screen debut in 1960 and landed his first leading role in 1961 in “The Curse of the Werewolf.”
He quickly became typecast as a villain, perhaps best remembered for his portrayal of violent hard-drinking rogue Bill Sykes in “Oliver!”
His 1986 role in “Castaway,” based on the true story of adult magazine editor Gerald Kingsland, had him cavorting nude around a desert island with Amanda Donohoe as the young blonde who answered an ad to become his girl Friday.
He lived in Ireland with his wife, Josephine, whom he met when he was 42 and she was 16. Reed is survived by his wife and a daughter, Sarah.
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety
Meta Announces Ban on Russian State Media, Citing Deceptive Influence Operations
Netflix vs. YouTube: The Post-Streaming Wars Era’s Archrivalry
Australia Proposing to Ban Children From Social Media, Joins Wave of Asian Government Crackdowns on Platforms
Generative AI & Licensing: A Special Report
Most Popular
Luke Bryan Reacts to Beyoncé’s CMA Awards Snub: ‘If You’re Gonna Make Country Albums, Come Into Our World and Be Country With…
Donald Glover Cancels 2024 Childish Gambino Tour Dates After Hospitalization: ‘I Have Surgery Scheduled and Need Time Out to Heal’
‘Joker 2’ Ending: Was That a ‘Dark Knight’ Connection? Explaining What’s Next for Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker
‘Love Is Blind' Creator Reveals Why They Didn’t Follow Leo and Brittany After Pods, if They'll Be at Reunion (EXCLUSIVE)
Rosie O'Donnell on Becoming a 'Big Sister' to the Menendez Brothers, Believes They Could Be Released From Prison in the ‘Next 30 Days’
‘That ’90s Show’ Canceled After Two Seasons on Netflix, Kurtwood Smith Says: ‘We Will Shop the Show’
Coldplay’s Chris Martin Says Playing With Michael J. Fox at Glastonbury Was ‘So Trippy’: ‘Like Being 7 and Being in Heaven…
Why Critically Panned ‘Joker 2’ Could Still Be in the Awards Race for Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix
Dakota Fanning Got Asked ‘Super-Inappropriate Questions’ as a Child Actor Like ‘How Could You Have Any Friends?’ and Can ‘You Avoid Being a Tabloid…
Charli XCX Reveals Features for ‘Brat’ Remix Album Include Ariana Grande, Julian Casablancas, Tinashe and More
Must Read
- Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 2 weeks
- TV
Menendez Family Slams Netflix’s ‘Monsters’ as ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Riddled With Mistruths’: ‘The Character Assassination of Erik and Lyke Is Repulsive…
- TV
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 to Air on CBS After Paramount Network Debut
- TV
50 Cent Sets Diddy Abuse Allegations Docuseries at Netflix: ‘It’s a Complex Narrative Spanning Decades’ (EXCLUSIVE)
- Shopping
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Sets Digital and Blu-ray/DVD Release Dates
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9mhnqFjp%2BgpaVfo7K4v46oo6Kulad6s7HEnWRqaWFsgXqFlGxpaA%3D%3D