You boy! R.I.P.

August 31, 2005 4:58 AM

Michael Sheard , who as Mr Bronson in Grange Hill will forever haunt my childhood memories has died aged 65. Aside from Grange Hill, he appeared in numerous films but is probably best known for being throttled by Darth Vader in Empire Strikes Back.
posted by bap98189 (26 comments total)

Loved His portrayal of Bronson.

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posted by bouncebounce at 5:01 AM on August 31, 2005

What a shame. He certainly played a blinder as Mr. Bronson.
posted by jack_mo at 5:15 AM on August 31, 2005

"You have failed me for the last time, Admiral."

In Grange Hill, he was the bad guy that kept trying despite the setbacks. All these years later, I still remember his love/hate relationship with his toupee.

Sad that he's gone.
posted by veedubya at 5:27 AM on August 31, 2005

If he hadn't brought the fleet out of hyperspace too quickly the empire totally would have knocked out those pesky rebels at Hoth.
posted by furtive at 5:37 AM on August 31, 2005

Great actor.

The guy seems to get strangled a lot. He also got strangled by Laurence Scarman, instrument of Sutekh the Destroyer in the Doctor Who episode "Pyramids of Mars". /Geek

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posted by unreason at 5:37 AM on August 31, 2005

Odd that he was so young. I'd have thought he'd be at least 75-80, given his character's presumed "age" in Grange Hill twenty years ago.

The best one was where the school was on the field trip in Wales, he took the boys cross-country running, sprained his ankle and Roland had to run off to get help... at least, that's how I remember it. It might have been another character entirely.
posted by tapeguy at 5:42 AM on August 31, 2005

Wow, I never knew he was in Star Wars. He was in Grange Hill when I used to watch it as a kid. Wasn't it Danny that he persecuted beyond belief? A shame he's gone.
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posted by TheDonF at 5:48 AM on August 31, 2005

Great man and excellent actor. I think he was the only actor to appear with every Doctor Who bar Chris and Neil. Looking at his IMDb profile he seemed to play everybody, particular Germans.
posted by feelinglistless at 5:49 AM on August 31, 2005

I never saw Grange Hill but will remember him as Oberstleutnant Koerner in Enemy at the Door. I think he was also in an early episode of Doctor Who.

RIP Mr Sheard.
posted by ceri richard at 5:59 AM on August 31, 2005

Wasn't it Danny that he persecuted beyond belief?

Yeah, Danny Kendall was his nemesis, but they had a grudging respect for each other, and when Danny was found dead in the back of that car, I think I remember Mr. Bronson shedding a quiet tear. I used to think Danny Kendall was so cool. Nearly as cool as Zammo.
posted by jack_mo at 6:24 AM on August 31, 2005

A few years ago I had him pointed out to me in the local pub as "the guy who got strangled by Darth Vader".
Strange way to be remembered.
posted by Joeforking at 6:35 AM on August 31, 2005

Odd. I have few memories of Danny Kendall, but I still vividly remember the tartan rug that he died on in the back of Mr Bronson's Austin Maestro.
posted by derbs at 6:35 AM on August 31, 2005

Jude Wanniski died, too.
posted by Kwantsar at 7:10 AM on August 31, 2005

Oh wow.

I forgot he was in Last Crusade, too.
posted by grabbingsand at 7:18 AM on August 31, 2005

he seemed to play everybody, particular Germans.

Well, at least that little Austrian fellow with the funny mustache.

Who's going to be the go-to guy for Hitler now, I wonder.
posted by briank at 7:42 AM on August 31, 2005

Yeah, Kwantsar, I can see how those two things are related. As somebody, who watched Grange Hill through the depths of the 80s depression, the death of the lead cheerleader for Reaganomics does strike a chord.

/sarcasm
posted by veedubya at 7:46 AM on August 31, 2005

Interesting that he played Admiral Kendall in Star Wars and then he was up against Danny Kendall in Grange Hill. I'll never forget that bit in GH when his wig went floating away in the swimming pool.
posted by TheDonF at 7:46 AM on August 31, 2005

I never saw Grange Hill, but . for his death by strangulation in Star Wars.
posted by OmieWise at 7:58 AM on August 31, 2005

Interesting that he played Admiral Kendall in Star Wars and then he was up against Danny Kendall in Grange Hill. I'll never forget that bit in GH when his wig went floating away in the swimming pool.

But will you forget that bit where he wasn't called Admiral Kendall in Empire Strikes Back?
posted by biffa at 8:05 AM on August 31, 2005

Apology Accepted.

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posted by hal9k at 8:09 AM on August 31, 2005

Grange Hill for those not from the UK.
posted by TheDonF at 8:11 AM on August 31, 2005

Admiral Ozzel, we hardly knew ye....
posted by elf_baby at 8:24 AM on August 31, 2005

I met Michael Sheard a few years back. I was competing in a Netrunner tournament at some gaming con. Sheard was there to sell his autobiography, but he was very good about going round the various tables to find out what all us young whippersnappers were up to with these funny cards.
posted by salmacis at 8:53 AM on August 31, 2005

I love you roland.
posted by sgt.serenity at 8:58 AM on August 31, 2005

Who would have thought Mr Bronson starred in this?!
posted by patricio at 10:52 AM on August 31, 2005

Mr Bronson appeared around the time I was due to go to secondary school. He put the shits up me when I saw how he was running his class, especially asking student to recite passages from a book without reffering to the book in question.

A friend interviewed him when he came to a local Star Wars convention. Unfortunately I couldn't make it, but apparently he was a really nice fella.
posted by Navek Rednam at 1:46 PM on August 31, 2005