Dudley Moore
| Dudley Moore CBE |
|
|---|---|
Moore at the 43rd Emmy Awards, 25 August 1991
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|
| Born |
Dudley Stuart John Moore 19 April 1935 Hammersmith, London, UK |
| Died | 27 March 2002 (aged 66) Plainfield, New Jersey, US |
| Cause of death | Progressive supranuclear palsy, pneumonia |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, musician |
| Years active | 1961–2002 |
| Spouse(s) |
Suzy Kendall (1968–72) Tuesday Weld (1975–80) Brogan Lane (1988–91) Nicole Rothschild (1994–98) |
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE (19 April 1935 – 27 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer.
Moore first came to prominence in the UK as one of the four writer-performers in the comedy revue Beyond the Fringe from 1960, and with one member of that team, Peter Cook, collaborated on the television series Not Only... But Also. The double act worked on other projects until the mid-1970s, by which time Moore had settled in Los Angeles to concentrate on his film acting.
His solo career as a comedy film actor was heightened by the success of hit Hollywood films, particularly Foul Play, 10 and Arthur. He received an Oscar nomination for the latter role.
Moore was born at the original Charing Cross Hospital in central London, the son of Ada Francis (née Hughes), a secretary, and John Moore, a railway electrician. His father was Scottish, from Glasgow. His mother stated that Dudley was 1/8th Jewish. Moore was brought up in Dagenham, Essex. He was notably short at 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) and was born with club feet that required extensive hospital treatment and, coupled with his diminutive stature, made him the butt of jokes from other children. His right foot responded well to corrective treatment and had straightened itself by the time he was six, but his left foot became permanently twisted and consequently his left leg below the knee was withered. This was something he remained very self-conscious of throughout his life.
Moore became a choirboy at the age of six. At age eleven he earned a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music, where he took up harpsichord, organ, violin, musical theory and composition. He rapidly developed into a highly talented pianist and organist and was playing the pipe organ at local church weddings by the age of 14. He attended Dagenham County High School where he received musical tuition from a dedicated teacher, Peter Cork, who became a friend and confidant to Moore and continued to correspond with him until 1994.
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