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Bruce Boa

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Bruce Boa
Born
Andrew Bruce Boa

(1930-07-10)10 July 1930
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Died17 April 2004(2004-04-17) (aged 73)
Surrey, England
OccupationActor
Years active1958–1997
SpouseCherry Boa
Children3
RelativesMarion Woodman (sister)

Andrew Bruce Boa (10 July 1930 – 17 April 2004) was a Canadian actor, who found success playing the token American in British films and television, usually playing military types. Boa's most recognizable film role is in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) as General Carlist Rieekan.[1] On television, his most notable role is probably as the brash, plain-speaking American guest, Mr. Harry Hamilton, in the Fawlty Towers episode "Waldorf Salad".[citation needed]

Early life

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Bruce Boa was born on 10 July 1930 in Port Stanley, Ontario,[2][non-primary source needed] the second of three children of Ila (née Phinn) and Andrew Boa, a clergyman. His older sister was Jungian analyst and author Marion Woodman, and his younger brother was Fraser Boa, also a Jungian analyst, who died in 1992.[3] Boa attended the University of Western Ontario, graduating in 1952 with a degree in theology, then spent a brief period playing professional football for the Calgary Stampeders in 1952.[4]

After travelling through Central America and Europe, he began his acting career in England in 1956 and settled there permanently in the 1960s. In a 1959 interview, when he was aged 29, he said he had also written poetry, a novel and film scripts, and hoped to make a living combining writing and acting.[5]

Career

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Boa's film credits include Man in the Middle (1964), The Adding Machine (1969), Who? (1973), The Cherry Picker (1974), The Omen (1976), Silver Bears, Superman, Carry On Emmannuelle (1978), A Touch of the Sun, The London Connection, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979), Silver Dream Racer (1980), Ragtime (1981), Octopussy (1983), Return to Oz (1985), and Screamers (1995).[6] He also played the Marine colonel in Full Metal Jacket (1987) who chastises Matthew Modine's character over having a peace pin on his lapel while having "Born To Kill" written on his combat helmet.[7]

On television, he appeared in Thriller (1975), in 1977 Come Back, Little Sheba, an episode of Laurence Olivier Presents, opposite Laurence Olivier and Joanne Woodward.[8] Other television credits include: Fawlty Towers, The Avengers, Out of the Unknown, The Champions, The Troubleshooters, The Saint, Ace of Wands, Special Branch, The Onedin Line, Z-Cars, The New Avengers, The Professionals, The Omega Factor, Dempsey & Makepeace, Astronauts, Hart to Hart, Remington Steele, Howards' Way, the 1979 miniseries A Man Called Intrepid, the 1988 television film The Bourne Identity, Tales of the Unexpected, As Time Goes By, Road to Avonlea, Kavanagh QC, Bulman and Warship.[9]

Death

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Boa died from cancer on 17 April 2004 in Surrey, England.[10]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1960 Man in the Moon Roy Film debut
1964 Man in the Middle Major Lawson
1967 The Mini-Affair American Newman
1969 Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? Car Salesman Uncredited
The Adding Machine Detective
1970 The Revolutionary Guest at Party
1974 The Cherry Picker Dr. Softman
Who? Miller
1976 The Omen Thorn's Aide
1977 Silver Bears American Banker
1978 Carry On Emmannuelle US Ambassador
Superman Joint Chief of General Staff Extended Version, Uncredited
1979 The London Connection Colonel
Unidentified Flying Oddball Air Force Officer Uncredited
A Touch of the Sun Jim Coburn
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square Morgan Stanfield
1980 The Ninth Configuration Sergeant in Combat Shack
The Empire Strikes Back General Carlist Rieekan
Silver Dream Racer 2nd TV Reporter
1981 Ragtime Jerome
1982 A Woman Called Golda Mr. Macy TV movie
1983 Octopussy General Peterson
1984 Scream for Help Surgeon
The Razor's Edge Henry Maturin
1985 Water US Advisor
The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission US Colonel TV movie
Return to Oz Policeman
John and Yoko: A Love Story Houston Lawyer TV movie
1986 The American Way Colonel Parker
1987 Full Metal Jacket POGE Colonel
Ping Pong American Tourist
1988 Hawks Byron Deckermensky
1989 Slipstream Guard Supervisor
Murder Story Corrigan
1990 The Serpent of Death Bartlet
1991 White Light Clay Avery
Deadly Betrayal: The Bruce Curtis Story Al Podgis TV movie
1993 For the Moment Mr. Anderson
The Neighbor Bishop
1995 Screamers Secretary Green Final film

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1962 The Avengers Bob Slade 1 episode
1963 The Saint Jack Williams Episode: The Sporting Chance Season 2, ep. 13 [11]
The Third Man Insp. McDonald 1 episode
1964

_______ 1965

The Sullavan Brothers

____________ The Saint

Ashley

___________ Hamilton

1 episode

_________ Episode -Sibao

1966 Out of the Unknown K.G. Bullen 1 episode
1973 The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Freeling Poignton 1 episode
1975 Thriller Hanley Episode: Good Salary – Prospects – Free Coffin
1977 The New Avengers Mahon 1 episode
1978 The Professionals John Jerry Patterson 1 episode
Lillie Joaquin Miller 1 episode
1979 Fawlty Towers Mr Hamilton Episode: "Waldorf Salad"
1981–83 Astronauts Beadle 13 episodes
1983 Philip Marlowe, Private Eye Don Luigi Episode: The Pencil
Hart to Hart William Eady Episode: Passing Chance
1984 The First Olympics: Athens 1896 President Francis Patton TV Mini-series
Remington Steele Wallace Carlisle Episode: Maltese Steele
Ellis Island Doctor Moore TV Mini-series
1986 Dempsey & Makepeace Coltrane Episode: The Burning (2-part) Season 3, ep. 1&2
1986–90 Howards' Way Robert Hudson 3 episodes
1988 Tales of the Unexpected Mr. Groober 1 episode
The Bourne Identity Senator Crawford TV Mini-series
1992–93 Road to Avonlea Mr. Harrison 2 episodes
1993 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Ambassador Kerens Episode: Vienna, November 1908
1994 Scarlett Minister 1 episode
1995 As Time Goes By Young Rocky 1 episode
1997 Kavanagh QC Governor Stamford Cotton 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ Phillips, Michael Scott (18 May 2018). Quite Quite Fantastic! The Avengers for Modern Viewers. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781532375163.
  2. ^ Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Seventh Census of Canada, 1931; Folder Number: T-27260; Census Place: Elgin West, Ontario, Canada; Page Number: 4
  3. ^ Carey, Benedict (19 July 2018). "Marion Woodman, Explorer of the Feminine Mind, Dies at 89". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "Bruce Boa". StatsCrew.com. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  5. ^ Hack, Sylvia (12 November 1959). "Canadian Trying His Talents". The Gazette. Montreal, Canada – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Bruce Boa". BFI. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Full Metal Jacket (1987)". BFI. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016.
  8. ^ "Come Back Little Sheba (1977)". BFI. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Bruce Boa". aveleyman.com.
  10. ^ Lentz, Harris M. (2008). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2004: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. pp. 46–47. ISBN 9780786452095.
  11. ^ "ShoutFactoryTV : Watch The Saint Episode : The Saint: S2 E13 – The Sporting Chance". shoutfactorytv.com.
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