Ed Bishop (born George Victor Bishop on 11 June 1932 in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, New York, USA and died on 8 June 2005 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England), was an American film, television, stage and radio actor based in Britain.
Bishop is best known for his television roles working for producer Gerry Anderson, most notably his performance as Commander Ed Straker in the science fiction series, UFO, which was produced in 1969 and broadcast during 1970-1971. Bishop also provided the voice of Captain Blue for Anderson's Supermarionation puppet series, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Both series have become cult favorites. In UFO, he dyed his dark hair blond for the role of Straker, though he eventually started wearing a blond wig instead. Bishop kept one of the wigs he wore in UFO as a souvenir and was also given the Certina wristwatch he wore on the show, and before his death, said that he planned to pass it on to his eldest grandson. Bishop was the only cast member of UFO to appear in every episode of that series.
After graduating in Theatre Arts from Boston University, he won a Fulbright Scholarship to study for two years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, from which he graduated in 1959 and almost immediately found work in the British theatre and film industries. He adopted the first name "Edward" at this time for professional reasons. His first Broadway stage performance was in David Merrick's production of The Rehearsal in 1962, though he returned to Britain in 1964.
Bishop made his film acting debut in a small role in Stanley Kubrick's 1962 adaptation of Lolita (as an ambulance driver), and he had small roles in the James Bond films You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever. Some of his other better known films include Saturn 3, Twilight's Last Gleaming, Whoops Apocalypse (he also appeared in the TV series version), and 2001: A Space Odyssey (where he played the Captain of the Aries 1B space-station-to-moon shuttle, in a role which first featured dialogue: the dialogue was later cut from his scenes). In 1963 he played an American astronaut going to the moon in the movie The Mouse on the Moon. Bishop also provided vocal work for the animated version of Star Trek and for Full Fathom Five, a Doctor Who audio drama produced by Big Finish Productions. On radio, he played the private eye Philip Marlowe in six adaptations of Raymond Chandler's stories, the last of them produced almost a decade after the others, as the rights had previously been unavailable.
Bishop continued to act on film, TV and radio, usually in British and European productions, and was a frequent guest at science fiction conventions. He was also politically active, participating in the March 2004 British protest against the Iraq war.
Ed Bishop was married three times:
Bishop died five days after the death of one of his UFO co-stars, Michael Billington. The cause of death was a chest infection contracted while undergoing tests for an undisclosed blood disorder. He lies buried in the churchyard of the Parish Church of Saint Lawrence in Napton, Warwickshire. His grave is adjacent to that of his son Daniel, who was killed in a car accident on 18 January 1988, aged 20.
His life and work was honoured at the British Academy Television Awards in May 2006.
Born as George Victor Bishop in 1932. He changed his name to Edward when he became a professional actor, as there was already an actor named George Bishop (I). Raised in Peekskill, New York through high school. Served in the US Army 1952-1954, worked as a disc jockey on Armed Forces Radio at St Johns' Newfoundland. Planned for a career in Business Administration and went back to school at Boston University. Decided he didn't like Business Administration and enrolled in Boston University Theater Division (1956). Graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. Won a scholarship to study drama at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1960. Started his professional acting career in July 1961. Married his second wife, the economist Hillary Preen at Caxton Hall in 1962. Met Hillary in Trafalgar Square when he was visiting places of interest in London. They had four children, who were born in 1964 (Daniel, who later died in a car crash), 1967 (Georgina), 1968 (Jessica) and 1971 (Serina). He later lived with his third wife, Jane Skinner, in a little village in Warwickshire, where he bought a large old house in 1980. Became a grandfather in 1994.
