Michael Gough

Michael Gough (born Nov. 23, 1916, Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States [now Malaysia]—died March 17, 2011, England) was a British character actor who was known for his roles in horror films as well as for his portrayal of Batman’s butler Alfred Pennyworth in four Batman films.

Gough was born to British parents in Malaya, and he grew up in England after his family’s return to that country when he was six years old. He attended the University of London’s agricultural college before deciding to pursue a career in acting, and in 1936 he began training and performing at the Old Vic theatre. In 1937 Gough made his Broadway debut in the drama Love of Women, and the following year he made his London debut in The Zeal of Thy House. He graced the stage numerous times, with a theatre career spanning more than five decades, save for a break during World War II, when he served in the army. Notable roles included turns as Laertes in Hamlet (1951) and as Ernest in Bedroom Farce (1977, 1979)—the latter of which earned him a Tony Award (1979).

Though he acted in more than 70 feature films, Gough did not begin his movie career until he was in his 30s. He made his big-screen debut in 1948, when he appeared in the dramas Anna Karenina, Blanche Fury, and Saraband for Dead Lovers. In addition, he began working on television in 1946, and he later had recurring roles on such notable shows as Doctor Who and The Avengers. In 1956 he won his first BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award, for best television actor.

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Gough maintained simultaneous careers on stage, screen, and TV throughout much of the late 20th century. Perhaps best known for his often-overacted horror roles, Gough appeared in such films as Horrors of the Black Museum (1959), Berserk (1967), and Satan’s Slave (1976; U.S. title Evil Heritage, 1979). He also portrayed Arthur Holmwood in famed horror studio Hammer Films’ Horror of Dracula (1958) and the evil Lord Ambrose D’Arcy in that studio’s The Phantom of the Opera (1962).

In 1989 Gough first played Alfred in Tim Burton’s Batman. He reprised the role in Burton’s Batman Returns (1992) and then in Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997), both of which were directed by Joel Schumacher. Gough continued to work with Burton into his 90s, appearing in Sleepy Hollow (1999) and providing the voice of the underworld’s Elder Gutknecht in the animated film Corpse Bride (2005) and the voice of the Dodo Bird in Alice in Wonderland (2010).