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Jack Hedley

The thespian Jack Hedley, who died in December 2021 at age 92, will be most remembered by terror film fans for his role as a down-at-heel cop in the extremely grisly 1982 Lucio Fulci gore epic The New York Ripper. Or perhaps even from his appearance alongside Bette Davis in Hammer's The Anniversary. On the other hand, he appeared in Colditz (1972-74) as Lieutenant-Colonel John Preston, senior British officer at the Germans' castle fortress whose escape-proof reputation is put to the test by allied prisoners of war.
An even more iconic role came his way when playing a former soldier in Who Pays the Ferryman? (1977), the widower Alan Haldane, who sells his boat business and returns to the Greek island of Crete, where he had once been a hero among resistance fighters. 
He was born Jack Hawkins in London, and said he never knew his father. His mother, Dorothy Withill, had grown up in poverty but went on to make a fortune by founding Direct Mail, an office services business. Jack later took his cousin Hedley Hawkins's forename as his own professional surname not to be confused with the film star Jack Hawkins – another actor who attracted military roles on screen.

Known For

Credits

Cast Credits

Remington Steele (1982)
Guest starring as G.W. Wainright
Return of the Saint (1978)
Guest starring as Colonel Dyson
Colditz (1972)
Starring as Lt. Col. John Preston
Play for Today (1970)
Guest starring as James
  • Episode 2x01: Traitor (Oct 14, 1971)
Special Branch (1969)
Guest starring as Hon. James Bancroft
  • Episode 3x09: Threat (Jun 6, 1973)
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