Denis Lawson

Denis Stamper Lawson^[1] (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish actor. He is known for his roles as Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy (1977–1983) and as John Jarndyce in the television miniseries Bleak House (2005), the latter of which earned him BAFTA Award and Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He also appeared in the television series The Kit Curran Radio Show (1984–1986), Holby City (2002–2004, 2019), and New Tricks (2012–2015), and reprised the role of Antilles in the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). On the stage, he is a three-time Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical nominee, winning in 1983 for Mr Cinders.^[2]

Lawson was born on 27 September 1947 in Govan, Glasgow, but grew up in Crieff, Perthshire, after his family moved there when he was three years old.^[3] He is the son of Phyllis Neno (née Stamper), a merchant, and Laurence Lawson, a watchmaker.^[1] Lawson was educated at Crieff Public School (now called Crieff Primary School). After the 11-plus examination, he attended Morrison's Academy as a day pupil before attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, having first unsuccessfully auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He then sold carpets and did amateur theatre work for a year in Dundee before auditioning again at RADA in London and successfully at RSAMD in Glasgow.^[4]

Lawson began his acting career with a small role in a 1969 stage production of The Metamorphosis in London's West End. and has since starred in television dramas such as The Merchant of Venice (1973) opposite Laurence Olivier as Shylock, Rock Follies (1976) and Dead Head (1986).

Lawson played X-Wing pilot Wedge Antilles in all three films of the original Star Wars trilogy. In 1983, he played Gordon Urquhart in the film Local Hero. In 2001, he reprised the role of Wedge Antilles in voiceover form for the GameCube game Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and did the same for I Am Your Mother, an episode made by Aardman Animations for the Disney+ animated series Star Wars: Visions, in 2023.

He has appeared often on the West End stage, notably in the musical Mr. Cinders at the Fortune Theatre from 1983 to 1984.^[5]

In 1985, Lawson appeared in two episodes of Victoria Wood As Seen on TV; in one episode performing a spoof love song with Wood called So Pissed off with Love.

In 1999, Lawson directed a production of Little Malcolm & His Struggle Against the Eunuchs which was first staged at the Hampstead Theatre before transferring to the Comedy Theatre in London's West End starring his nephew Ewan McGregor in the lead role of Malcolm Scrawdyke.

He appeared on an episode of Loose Ends hosted by Ned Sherrin on BBC Radio 4 on 10 December 2005.

In 2005, he played the leading role of John Jarndyce in the critically acclaimed BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House, receiving an Emmy nomination. Two years later he played Peter Syme in the BBC One drama serial Jekyll, a modern version of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.^[6] Lawson also appeared as Captain "Dreadnought" Foster in ITV's dramatisations of C. S. Forester's Hornblower. He appeared in Robin Hood in which he played the Harold of Winchester.

He also appeared in the West End playing the character of Georges in the revival of the musical hit La Cage Aux Folles. No stranger to musical theatre, Lawson previously starred in the London revival of Pal Joey.

He starred as the lead in Above Their Station, a sitcom for the BBC written by Rhys Thomas about Community Support Officers; it was made as a pilot but never commissioned, being shown only as a one-off special.^[7] Lawson appeared alongside actress Helena Bonham Carter in the BBC Four movie based on the life of Enid Blyton, playing Kenneth Darrell Waters, a London surgeon who becomes Blyton's second husband. In July 2009 Lawson appeared as Alexander Fleming in a BBC Four drama called Breaking the Mould: The Story of Penicillin alongside Dominic West. Lawson played the part of Alice's grandfather in ITV1's supernatural crime thriller Marchlands which was shown in February 2011.

Lawson appeared at the Royal Court Theatre once more in The Acid Test by Anya Reiss in 2011.^[8]

Lawson replaced James Bolam in the BBC One series New Tricks in its ninth series in 2012.^[9]

Lawson has said he was asked to reprise his role as Wedge Antilles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but reportedly turned down the role because he believed it would have "bored" him.^[10] However, Lawson later said he actually declined to appear in The Force Awakens due to a scheduling conflict, and would have appeared in the film had he been available.^[11] Lawson returned to the role in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.^[12]

In 1973, he met actress Diane Fletcher in a stage production of Twelfth Night.^[13] They have a son together, Jamie (born 1979).^[14][15]

He met his wife, actress Sheila Gish, on the set of the 1985 film That Uncertain Feeling. They lived together for nearly 20 years before marrying in March 2004 in Antigua; she died of cancer a year later.^[16]

In 2017, he married Karen Prentice in Italy.^[17]

His nephew is actor Ewan McGregor,^[18] who went on to portray Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

• Denis Lawson at IMDb