Earl Cameron, UK Film Pioneer, Dies at 102
Earl Cameron, renowned British actor, who acted in the 90’s classic Doctor Who has passed on. He was 102.
According to the Guardian, his agent who broke the sad news, said the iconic actor “passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his wife and family” on Friday in Kenilworth in Warwickshire.
Cameron‘s agent, however, did not provide further details about his death.
His significance to the current generation of black British actors was underlined by tributes on social media.
David Harewood described him as “a total legend”. Paterson Joseph wrote: “His generation’s pioneering shoulders are what my generation of actors stand on. No shoulders were broader than this gentleman with the voice of god and the heart of a kindly prince.”
Historian David Olusoga added: “A remarkable and wonderful man. Not just a brilliant actor but a link to a deeper history.”
In a statement, Cameron’s children said: “Our family have been overwhelmed by the outpourings of love and respect we have received at the news of our father’s passing.
“As an artist and as an actor; he refused to take roles that demeaned or stereotyped the character of people of colour. He was truly a man who stood by his moral principles and was inspirational.”
About the actor
He was born in Bermuda in 1917 as the youngest of six children. Cameron arrived in England in 1939 after joining the British merchant marine. After Britain entered World War II that same year, “it was almost impossible for a Black person to get any kind of job,” and he didn’t have any qualifications.
He stumbled into acting as a way to earn money during World War II and kept at it with repertory theater roles and training from the granddaughter of Ira Aldridge; an American who became a renowned Shakespearean actor in England, according to Cameron’s British Film Institute biography.
The actor was one of the first Black actors to perform in mainstream British films. He played supporting roles to enduring entertainment icons such as James Bond and the title character in Doctor Who before appearing in the U.N. thriller The Interpreter in his 80s.
Acting career
His break into movies also broke barriers for British cinema. Cameron was cast in one of the starring roles in Pool of London; a 1951 crime noir movie which was the first British film to feature an interracial relationship. His character, Johnny Lambert, is a merchant seaman who meets a white woman while on shore leave.
During the 1950s and 1960s, he supplemented his film work with frequent British TV roles; including two episodes of “Doctor Who” in 1966.
Cameron appeared in a number of major Hollywood and British films late in his life, including The Interpreter; with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn (2005); The Queen with Hellen Mirren (2006) and Inception (2010).
Queen Elizabeth II named him a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2009; for his contributions to British entertainment.
Earl Cameron was married twice; his first wife Audrey died in 1994, and he is survived by his second wife Barbara and children.
