You might remember English actor Julian Glover for his role as Walter Donovan, the villain of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." A Nazi collaborator who wants the Holy Grail to achieve immortality, he meets a grisly end when he chooses ... poorly.
In his native England, Glover was a renowned member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In Hollywood, though? He's a 6'2 British man, so, of course, he plays the heels, even in his later roles like Pycelle on "Game of Thrones." (Who knows if he'll show up in "3 Body Problem" with his former co-stars.)
"Last Crusade" was not Glover's first rodeo with Lucasfilm; he had a much smaller role in "The Empire Strikes Back" as Imperial General Veers. The general only shows up in the film's first act, but he leads the At-at assault on the Hoth Rebel base (with some insert shots of him riding in the...
In his native England, Glover was a renowned member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In Hollywood, though? He's a 6'2 British man, so, of course, he plays the heels, even in his later roles like Pycelle on "Game of Thrones." (Who knows if he'll show up in "3 Body Problem" with his former co-stars.)
"Last Crusade" was not Glover's first rodeo with Lucasfilm; he had a much smaller role in "The Empire Strikes Back" as Imperial General Veers. The general only shows up in the film's first act, but he leads the At-at assault on the Hoth Rebel base (with some insert shots of him riding in the...
- 4/20/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Veteran British actor Michael Culver, best known for portraying Captain Needa in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Major McBryde in A Passage to India, has died. He was 85. As per The Hollywood Reporter, Culver passed away on Tuesday, February 27, according to his representatives at Alliance Agents. No other details or cause of death were given. Born June 16, 1938, in London, England, Culver came from an acting family, with his father, mother, brother, and aunt all having theatrical careers. His own acting career began by performing at the Old Vic, Dundee Rep, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He would go on to star in several recurring roles on British television, including as Squire Armstrong in The Adventures of Black Beauty (1972–74), Major Erwin Brandt in the BBC drama Secret Army (1977–78), Ralph Saroyan in The House of Eliott (1992) and Prior Robert in Cadfael (1994–98). Culver also had guest roles in The Sweeney,...
- 3/14/2024
- TV Insider
Michael Culver, the veteran British actor who portrayed the doomed Captain Needa in The Empire Strikes Back and a bigoted police inspector in David Lean’s A Passage to India, has died. He was 85.
Culver died Feb. 27, according to Alliance Agents, which represented him for the past decade. No other details were immediately available.
Culver also appeared on lots of British television over the years, from The Befrienders, Secret Army and The Adventures of Black Beauty to The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Game Set and Match, The House of Eliott and the Derek Jacobi-starring Cadfael.
In Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Culver’s character, as captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, loses track of the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo during a pursuit.
Needa takes full responsibility and apologizes to Darth Vader, who then kills him (“Apology accepted, Captain...
Culver died Feb. 27, according to Alliance Agents, which represented him for the past decade. No other details were immediately available.
Culver also appeared on lots of British television over the years, from The Befrienders, Secret Army and The Adventures of Black Beauty to The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Game Set and Match, The House of Eliott and the Derek Jacobi-starring Cadfael.
In Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Culver’s character, as captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, loses track of the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo during a pursuit.
Needa takes full responsibility and apologizes to Darth Vader, who then kills him (“Apology accepted, Captain...
- 3/13/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Star Wars actor Michael Culver has died at the age of 85.
According to a statement from Culver’s agency, he passed away on February 27th. No cause of death has been revealed.
“We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver,” Alliance Agents shared in a statement also noting his “career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes, A Passage to India, Secret Army and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise.
Culver played a small role as Captain Needa in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In the 1980 film, the character goes to Darth Vader to take responsibility for failing to capture the rebels. After the scene cuts, Culver is seen falling to the floor after Vader uses the Force to choke the life out of him. “Apology accepted, Captain Needa,” Vader quips.
Born in London on June 16th,...
According to a statement from Culver’s agency, he passed away on February 27th. No cause of death has been revealed.
“We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver,” Alliance Agents shared in a statement also noting his “career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes, A Passage to India, Secret Army and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise.
Culver played a small role as Captain Needa in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In the 1980 film, the character goes to Darth Vader to take responsibility for failing to capture the rebels. After the scene cuts, Culver is seen falling to the floor after Vader uses the Force to choke the life out of him. “Apology accepted, Captain Needa,” Vader quips.
Born in London on June 16th,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
If the original "Star Wars" established Darth Vader as one of the most fearsome and instantly iconic villains of all time, then "The Empire Strikes Back" was the one tasked with showing us why he was worthy to continue wearing that crown moving forward -- and that wouldn't have been possible without one hapless supporting character who, despite a minimum of screen time, ended up taking on a life of his own among the passionate fanbase.
Actor Michael Culver sadly passed away at the age of 85 this past February (as only recently reported by Independent), leaving behind a legacy that spanned years of theater work, a significant role in the "Return of Sherlock Holmes" drama series, his memorable performance in David Lean's Oscar-winning "A Passage to India," and, of course, one of the most famous character deaths in all of fiction. As the doomed Imperial Captain Lorth Needa, Culver portrayed...
Actor Michael Culver sadly passed away at the age of 85 this past February (as only recently reported by Independent), leaving behind a legacy that spanned years of theater work, a significant role in the "Return of Sherlock Holmes" drama series, his memorable performance in David Lean's Oscar-winning "A Passage to India," and, of course, one of the most famous character deaths in all of fiction. As the doomed Imperial Captain Lorth Needa, Culver portrayed...
- 3/13/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Star Wars actor Michael Culver has died aged 85.
The British actor played a small but famous role in Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back as Captain Needa, whose failure to capture the fleeing Millennium Falcon results in Darth Vader force-choking him to death aboard a Star Destroyer.
“We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver,” said his agency, Alliance Agents, in a statement reported by several websites. The actor passed away on February 27, Alliance Agents added.
The agency noted Culver’s was “a career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes, A Passage to India, Secret Army and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise.”
Culver had largely stopped acting in the early 2000s to concentrate on political activism, unusually becoming more outspoken as he got older. He was a major...
The British actor played a small but famous role in Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back as Captain Needa, whose failure to capture the fleeing Millennium Falcon results in Darth Vader force-choking him to death aboard a Star Destroyer.
“We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver,” said his agency, Alliance Agents, in a statement reported by several websites. The actor passed away on February 27, Alliance Agents added.
The agency noted Culver’s was “a career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes, A Passage to India, Secret Army and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise.”
Culver had largely stopped acting in the early 2000s to concentrate on political activism, unusually becoming more outspoken as he got older. He was a major...
- 3/13/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
'Star Wars' actor Michael Culver has died aged 85.The star, best known for his role as Captain Lorth Needa in the 1980 film 'The Empire Strikes Back', passed away last month after a long illness – his agent has revealed.His character was strangled by Darth Vader in the sci-fi flick in one of the popular franchise's most memorable death scenes.Aside from 'Star Wars', Culver had a major part in the historical epic 'A Passage to India' as the bigoted police inspector Major McBryde.He also had two uncredited roles in the James Bond films 'From Russia With Love' and 'Thunderball'.A statement from the actor's agents read: "We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver."A career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in 'Sherlock Holmes', 'A Passage to India', 'Secret Army' and...
- 3/13/2024
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
The entertainment industry received sad news this morning as it was announced that actor Michael Culver has passed away at the age of 85 after a prolonged illness. His agents released a statement confirming the news.
We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver. A career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘A Passage to India,’ ‘Secret Army’ and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. Michael largely gave up acting in the early 2000s to concentrate his efforts on his political activism. It’s been an honor to have represented Michael for for the last decade and to have taken him to some of the best ‘Star Wars’ events in the UK and Europe. A real highlight was taking Michael to Celebration in Chicago in 2019. He was lost for words when he saw...
We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver. A career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘A Passage to India,’ ‘Secret Army’ and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. Michael largely gave up acting in the early 2000s to concentrate his efforts on his political activism. It’s been an honor to have represented Michael for for the last decade and to have taken him to some of the best ‘Star Wars’ events in the UK and Europe. A real highlight was taking Michael to Celebration in Chicago in 2019. He was lost for words when he saw...
- 3/13/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Fiction Horizon
The world of entertainment was shaken this morning when the news broke that actor Michael Culver has died following a long health battle at the age of 85. His agents went public with the following statement:
We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver. A career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘A Passage to India,’ ‘Secret Army’ and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. Michael largely gave up acting in the early 2000s to concentrate his efforts on his political activism. It’s been an honor to have represented Michael for for the last decade and to have taken him to some of the best ‘Star Wars’ events in the UK and Europe. A real highlight was taking Michael to Celebration in Chicago in 2019. He was lost for words when he saw...
We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver. A career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘A Passage to India,’ ‘Secret Army’ and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. Michael largely gave up acting in the early 2000s to concentrate his efforts on his political activism. It’s been an honor to have represented Michael for for the last decade and to have taken him to some of the best ‘Star Wars’ events in the UK and Europe. A real highlight was taking Michael to Celebration in Chicago in 2019. He was lost for words when he saw...
- 3/13/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Comic Basics
Despite Daniel Craig successfully taking over the role of James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), Eon Productions has now put the immortal series on a backburner because of a potential take-over of MGM. Whether another Bond film will be produced under the partnership remains to be seen, and even if the series kick-starts once more, there’s no guarantee that Craig will return as the world’s most famous secret agent.
The past 40 years has seen a number of actors who have contributed to more than one film. So with this imposed hiatus, it's worth taking a look at those performers who have been in the most 007 movies.
Making her debut in the first 007 outing Dr No (1962), the durable Canadian actress Lois Maxwell made 14 appearances as Secretary Jane Moneypenny, forever flirting with 007 when he returns home from another world-saving assignment. Ian Fleming always regarded Maxwell, who died in 2007, as the perfect Moneypenny because,...
The past 40 years has seen a number of actors who have contributed to more than one film. So with this imposed hiatus, it's worth taking a look at those performers who have been in the most 007 movies.
Making her debut in the first 007 outing Dr No (1962), the durable Canadian actress Lois Maxwell made 14 appearances as Secretary Jane Moneypenny, forever flirting with 007 when he returns home from another world-saving assignment. Ian Fleming always regarded Maxwell, who died in 2007, as the perfect Moneypenny because,...
- 12/21/2010
- Shadowlocked
Seen on PBS.s Mystery! in the late 1990s and based on the best-selling books by Ellis Peters, Cadfael: The Complete Collection has arrived on DVD from Acorn Media, and M&C is giving away a copy autographed by Sir Derek Jacobi! Featuring all 13 episodes from the acclaimed series, Cadfael: Complete Collection sees Jacobi (I, Claudius; Gosford Park; Hamlet) in the role of Brother Cadfael, a warrior turned monk who solves crimes in war-torn medieval England. Filled with pitch-perfect period detail, the award-winning series also features stars Julian Firth (Sylvia) and Michael Culver (A Passage to India) and offers a riveting glimpse into the past. Once a Crusader, now a man of the cloth, the worldly but humble...
- 11/4/2010
- by Patrick Luce
- Monsters and Critics
COLOGNE, Germany -- Germany's long-running advertising slump is forcing local action genre producers to set their sights on the world markets if they want to survive. The country's stunt and action producers have gained a reputation internationally for action sequences in locally produced cop shows and TV movies such as Alarm for Cobra and The Blood of the Templers. Now German action producers say the economy is dictating that they expand into English-language productions. A German made-for-TV movie, Good Girl, Bad Girl, which wrapped production in Cologne last week, is a perfect example of the trend. It was shot in English with British actors Graham McTavish, Nick Brimble and Michael Culver alongside German TV stars Julia Stinshoff and Hendrik Duryn. The drama is part of the production group Action Concept's growing slate of English-language actioners, which also includes Dark Ride, a Speed-style chaser featuring Charmed star Drew Fuller, and martial arts title Lasko, starring Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy).
- 9/12/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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