#iancharleson

[movietitlescollection]

[theaidsmemorial-blog]

#IanCharleson (August 11, 1949 – January 6, 1990) was a #Scottish stage and #filmactor. He is best known for role as Olympic athlete and missionary #EricLiddell, in the Oscar-winning 1981 film #ChariotsofFire. He is also well known for his portrayal of Rev. Charlie Andrews in the 1982 #Oscarwinning film #Gandhi. . Charleson, who was gay, was diagnosed with #HIV in 1986 and abandoned work for a year. His status was to remain a secret to all but his closest friends. In 1988 he was rushed to hospital with pneumonia. After extensive chemo and radiotherapy, he played the tough #dragqueen Greta at a one-off benefit performance of Bent in aid of #Stonewall. As the director Sean Mathias wrote, "the most gargantuan part of it from Ian's point of view was that here was a man with AIDS, his torso now covered by Kaposi's sarcoma, his face starting to distort and disfigure, dressed convincingly as a glamorous and roguish Dietrich-type woman, and the secret behind that portrayal was that he, the director and the costume designer were the only people who knew about his illness." Charleson died in #London due to septicemia brought on by #AIDS 6th January 1990 at the age of 40. He died 8 weeks after performing the title role in a run of #Hamlet, in #RichardEyre's production at the #OlivierTheatre. Charleson requested that it be announced after his death that he had died of #AIDS, in order to publicise the condition. Born in #Edinburgh, Charleson won a scholarship to attended #EdinburghsRoyalHighSchool. He also won a scholarship to the #UniversityofEdinburgh, which he attended from 1967–1970. Charleson made his film debut in #Jubilee (1977) directed by the late #DerekJarman. #whatisrememberedlives #theaidsmemorial #aidsmemorial #neverforget #endaids