Wilfrid Hyde-White (May 12, 1903 – May 6, 1991) was an English character actor.
Born in Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire, England, he studied at Marlborough College and later at RADA, making his stage debut in London in 1922. He worked steadily on the stage, including a tour of South Africa in 1932 before making his film debut, credited as "Hyde White" in 1934. He appeared in the George Formby comedy Turned Out Nice Again in 1941 and after a memorable supporting role in The Third Man (1949), he became a fixture in British films of the 1950s. Two-Way Stretch (1960) probably shows best the more roguish side to some of the characters he played in this period.
From 1962 to 1965 he also starred in the BBC radio comedy The Men from the Ministry.
He later found success in the United States, and is probably best-known there for playing "Colonel Pickering" in the 1964 film of My Fair Lady. In the 1970s he featured in the US TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and The Associates.
He continued to act upon the stage, and played opposite Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in Caesar and Cleopatra and Antony and Cleopatra in 1951. He also appeared on Broadway and was nominated for two Tony Awards as best actor.
He was married to actress Blanche Glynne, and later to Ethel Drew. His son is the actor Alex Hyde-White. He died of congestive heart failure, in Woodland Hills, California, on May 6, 1991 (6 days before his 88th birthday), survived by his wife and son.
British character actor of wry charm, equally at home in amused or strait-laced characters. A native of Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire, he attended Marlborough College and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. His stage debut came in 1922, and by 1925 he was a busy London actor. He married actress Blanche Glynne (real name: Blanche Hope Aitken) and in 1932 toured South Africa in plays. Alleged to have been spotted by George Cukor during a performance in Aldritch, Hyde-White (with or without Cukor's help) made his film debut in 1934. He often appeared under the name Hyde White in these early films. He continued to act upon the stage, playing opposite Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in "Caesar and Cleopatra" and "Antony and Cleopatra" in 1951. With scores of films to his credit, he will always be remembered for one, My Fair Lady (1964), in which he played Colonel Pickering. Active into his ninth decade, Hyde-White died six days before his 88th birthday. He was survived by his second wife, Ethel, and three children.
