John Nolan, the veteran character actor who appeared in two Batman movies and the CBS drama Person of Interest, has died.
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The Stratford-Upon-Avon reported that the British theater legend, who is also the uncle of filmmakers Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, passed away on April 11 at the age of 87.
After spending two years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the London native landed the title role in the 1970 BBC miniseries Daniel Deronda. The series was an adaptation of George Eliot’s 1876 novel.
John Nolan was a frequent collaborator with his nephew, Christopher Nolan. He portrayed Wayne Enterprises board member Douglas Fredericks in Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), which both starred Christian Bale. He also appeared in his nephew’s films Following (1998) and Dunkirk (2017).
In 2013, he joined the cast of the Jonathan Nolan-created series Person of Interest during its second season. He played the mysterious John Greer, a former MI6 agent in charge of Decima Technologies and the Samaritan AI. Per IMDb, Nolan appeared in 28 episodes, remaining with the show until its fifth and final season.
John Nolan’s Impressive Career Included Many TV and Film Appearances
Born on May 22, 1938, John Francis Nolan was the younger brother of Christopher and Jonathan’s late father, Brendan Nolan. He studied acting at the Drama Centre in London and toured Ireland with a traveling theater company. Early in his career, he was cast as Romeo opposite Francesca Annis’s Juliet at the Richmond Theatre in London.
Before his time with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), he joined the Royal Court Company. His work with the RSC included playing Clitus in Julius Caesar and roles in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Indians, and The Relapse, all directed by Trevor Nunn. He later became a member of Nunn’s innovative ensemble company at the National Theatre.
Nolan also starred as scientist Geoff Hardcastle in the first two seasons (1970-71) of the BBC environmental drama Doomwatch. He also played Nick Faunt in the 1973 romantic Depression-era ITV miniseries Shabby Tiger.
His film credits also included Bequest to the Nation (1973), Terror (1978), and The World Is Full of Married Men (1979). He also appeared on television in series such as The Prisoner, The Sweeney, General Hospital, Target, Return of the Saint, Enemy at the Door, and Silent Witness.
He is survived by his wife, actress Kim Hartman, whom he married in 1975. Other survivors include their children, Miranda and Tom; his grandchildren, Dylan and Kara; and his aforementioned nephews.