Biography

Barry Morse

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Born in London's East End, Barry's career began when he won a full scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the age of 15. Upon graduation, he followed with successful stage runs in London's West End and in theatrical productions throughout the United Kingdom, and appeared on the BBC's earliest live television broadcasts in the late 1930s. Barry relocated to Canada in the early 1950s, working in live theatre, on CBC Radio, and in the premiere CBC-TV broadcasts. While a staple in many of the anthology and dramatic series of the 1950s and 1960s, he is probably best known in North America for his TV roles as "Lt. Philip Gerard" in The Fugitive (1963) and as "Prof. Victor Bergman" in Space: 1999 (1975). A journalist once determined that Barry had played more than 3,000 roles on the stage, screen, and radio in a career spanning eight decades.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anthony Wynn

Born of humble surroundings, he claims he left school at age 14 to escape beatings by his teachers who tried to force the left handed student to write with his right hand.
His friend and co-author of his autobiography, Robert E. Wood, said: "Little old ladies would come up to him in airports and whack at him with their purses, shouting, 'Why didn't you leave that man alone?".
The final broadcast of The Fugitive (1963) made TV history. It was seen by more than 72% of viewers, a record that stood untouched until "Dallas" and the J.R. shooting some 13 years later.
Following his debut in the classic television series The Fugitive (1963) as Lt. Gerard - the relentless pursuer of the falsely accused Dr. Richard Kimble - he was given the moniker "The most hated man in America."
Read Victor Hugo's Les Miserables when he was told that it had inspired The Fugitive. This helped him model his portrayal of Lt. Gerard after his inspiration, Inspector Javert.

The whole of my career, such as it has been, has been an attempt to explore and enlarge whatever natural gifts I may have, and by the day-to-day practice of those natural gifts, to try to expand and polish them. I like investigating and, if possible, creating, or least examining, all sorts of human characteristics. To that extent, my favorite role is always the next one.
Of his role as "Lt. Gerard" on TV's The Fugitive (1963): I grew very used to having elderly ladies thrash at me with their handbags and say 'You rotten mean man! Why don't you leave that nice doctor alone?'.
[on live radio drama] Sometimes you had to die more slowly or more quickly, depending on how much time was left.

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