William Devlin (actor)

William Devlin (5 December 1911 – 25 January 1987)[1] was a Scottish actor who appeared widely in films and television in a screen career that lasted from 1937 until 1967.

[5] His first stage appearance was with Nancy Price in the play Nurse Cavell by C. S. Forester and C. E. Bechhofer Roberts.

A noted Shakespearean actor, Devlin first played King Lear aged 22.

He was one of the youngest actors to undertake a major portrayal of what was considered the most difficult of Shakespearean roles; critic James Agate wrote of Devlin's performance at the Westminster Theatre, "His understanding of the text and his sense of beauty are everywhere apparent".

[5] Devlin retired from acting in 1967, but reprised his King Lear role in Episode 6 ("Protest and Communication") of Kenneth Clark's 1969 BBC-TV series Civilisation.