Jack Hedley (né Jack Hawkins, changed to avoid confusion with his namesake) (born 1930 in London) is an English actor, best known for his performances on television.
In the 1960s, Hedley appeared in many British films, notably Lawrence of Arabia, The Scarlet Blade (1963) and Of Human Bondage (1964). He played the title role in the 1960 series The World of Tim Frazer. As a result he became a major star and had to be smuggled in and out of buildings. He was later noted for his leading roles in BBC dramas such as Lt. Colonel Preston in Colditz and Who Pays the Ferryman?. The latter series instigated a vast increase of tourism to NE Crete in which it was filmed (Elounda / Agios Nikolaos and Neapoli), with 'teletourists' 'doing the Ferryman trail'. The resulting influx of tourism (together with the popularity of Michael J. Bird's other 70s serial 'The Lotus Eaters'- filmed in Agios Nikolaos, Crete) has had a dramatic effect on this area, on its economy and people.
Hedley has captured the market in upper/middle class gentlemen, for which he is best known. Although his CV would belie this reputation. He has a much broader range, playing squaddies, prisoners, Italians, Australians...Perhaps the actor's natural British diffidence led to difficulties in his off-screen relationship with Betty Arvaniti (his co-star in Who pays the Ferryman) and also his on-screen daughter, played by Maria Sokali.
He also appeared in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only as Sir Timothy Havelock. (He also voiced Havelock's parrot.) Also he played Corrigan Blake in the Alun Owen play You Can't Win 'Em All which led to a Corrigan Blake series (which John Turner took the role of Blake in).
Other TV appearances include: The Saint, Gideon's Way- The Alibi Man, Softly, Softly, Dixon of Dock Green, The Buccaneers, Return of the Saint, One By One, Remington Steele, Only Fools and Horses (A Royal Flush), Allo Allo and Dalziel and Pascoe Series 3 episode Child's Play, Kate and the TV movie version of Brief Encounter.
He also was the voice of the parrot in For Your Eyes Only
