Bates, Alan (1934-2003), an English actor, gained fame for his performances on stage and in motion pictures in both the United Kingdom and the United States. As a stage actor, Bates appeared in both classical and modern roles. He was nominated for an Academy Award as best actor for his performance in The Fixer (1968).
Bates was born on Feb. 17, 1934, in Allestree, Derbyshire, England, and educated at nearby Belper Grammar School. He became an actor after completing his national service (compulsory military service) in the Royal Air Force. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and spending a year with the Midland Repertory Company in Coventry, England, he made his London debut in 1955 in The Mulberry Bush. He gained attention for his performances in Look Back in Anger (1956), Long Day’s Journey into Night (1958), and The Caretaker (1960). He later starred in the modern plays In Celebration (1969), Butley (1971), Otherwise Engaged (1975), and Melon (1987). Meanwhile, he was playing major roles in the plays of William Shakespeare and Anton Chekhov and other classical playwrights. Bates made his motion-picture debut in The Entertainer in 1960.
Bates’s movie appearances included A Kind of Loving (1962), Zorba the Greek (1964), Georgy Girl (1966), Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), Women in Love (1969), The Go-Between (1971), A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (1972), Butley (1973), An Unmarried Woman (1977), Quartet (1981), Duet for One (1987), We Think the World of You (1988), Losing Track (1991), Grotesque (1995), Arabian Nights (2000), and Gosford Park (2001).
Bates’s television work included An Englishman Abroad (1983), for which he won a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award; and A Pack of Lies (1988). He was knighted in 2003. Bates died later that year, on December 27.
