Tomorrow’s Headline Today via Elliot Carver…Day 152 of Bond 365

Jonathan Pryce

Born this day in 1947

Elliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies

Jonathan Price was born in Carmel, Wales to a coal miner father and a small retail grocer mother. He was originally interested in art and attended an art school. However, his creative interests diverted to the area of drama. He changed his last name to Pryce when he joined Equity (British actors’ trade union) and with a scholarship in hand, he studied acting at the prestigious RADA in London. After graduation, Pryce joined the Liverpool Everyman Theatre where he eventually became the Artistic Director.

By the 1970s, Pryce was acting in the theatre and in 1972, IMDB lists his small screen debut as a Police Constable on the television series Doomwatch. His breakout role on the big screen was in 1976 with the film Voyage of the Damned, which told the story of the doomed SS St. Louis of 1939. Pryce was cast as Joseph Manasse and he was in excellent company: the film’s stars included Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Julie Harris, and Maria Schell. Apparently, Pryce was impressive as Mr. Dark in Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), as Sam Lowry in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil (1985) and as President Joan Peron in Evita (1996). Of course, he put out an excellent performance as Eliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) opposite Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond and Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin.

As I was looking through Pryce’s credits – over 100 acting credits by the way – I was amazed at how many films I’ve seen him in, which may have been small, but in no way less memorable. For example, his inclusion as James Lingk in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) was a tremendous part, or as Gabriel in De-Lovely (2004), the story about Cole Porter, played brilliantly by Kevin Kline. Thank goodness, Pryce does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. This year, he was in Wolf Hall as Cardinal Wolsey – I so want to see this!  - and as High Sparrow in Game of Thrones.

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