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Nigel Hawthorne was born in Coventry, England on April 5th 1929. At the tender age of three, he moved to Cape Town, South Africa with his parents and siblings, where he attended Catholic schools, and later the University of Cape Town. He would also make his theatrical debut here in "The Shop at Sly Corner" in 1950. He returned to England in 1951.

Hawthorne has done extensive theatre work from the 1950's to the present. He did an award-winning performance in "Shadowlands", and received the Olivier Award for the role he created in "The Madness of George III". His last stage performance was the title role of "King Lear" for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

His portrayal of Sir Humphrey Appleby in the BBC political satire "Yes [Prime] Minister" in the 1980's was what won him international acclaim. He is perhaps best known for his role of George III in "The Madness of King George", which he performed both on stage and film, and for which he earned several awards. Hawthorne has starred in numerous acclaimed films, among them "Richard III" and "Twelfth Night".

Nigel Hawthorne lived in Hertfordshire, England, with his long-time partner, writer Trevor Bentham. He was heavily involed with charities, especially small theatre companies, organizations securing the welfare of children, medical research and humanitarian aid. On a more personal note, he enjoyed staying in shape, liked long walks (which I'm sure made him popular with his handful of dogs) and enjoyed swimming and a good game of tennis.

Hawthorne held an honourary MA from Sheffield University and two honourary doctorates. One from the University of Hertfordshire and the other from Keele University. In 1987 he received the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) for services to theatre, film and television. In the 1999 New Year's Honours List, he was awarded his well-deserved knighthood.

Sir Nigel Hawthorne died from a heart attack on December 26th 2001, after having battled cancer for 18 months. May he rest in peace.