Frederick Treves

Frederick Treves BEM, born in Margate, Kent was an English character actor with an extensive repertoire, specialising in avuncular military and titled types.

During World War II he served in the Merchant Navy. On his first voyage his ship, the freighter Waimarama, was involved in the Operation Pedestal Convoy toMalta. The Waimarama was sunk on August 13, 1942, and Treves helped save several of his shipmates, including the only ships' officer to survive the sinking, 3rd Wireless Operator John Jackson. Treves, then 17 years old, received the British Empire Medal and the Lloyd's War Medal for his actions. After the War he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Treves was the great nephew of Frederick Treves, the surgeon who became famous for discovering Joseph Merrick, the "Elephant Man". In the David Lynch filmThe Elephant Man, the surgeon is played by Anthony Hopkins and Treves himself appeared in the character of 'Alderman'.

His over a hundred television credits included roles in The Cazalets, The Jewel in the Crown, A Dance to the Music of Time, The Politician's Wife, To Play the King, Lipstick on Your Collar, Bomber Harris, Trevor Griffiths' version of The Cherry Orchard, David Edgar's Destiny, The Naked Civil Servant and The Railway Children.

Treves also guested in many continuing dramas, such as Rosemary & Thyme, Monarch of the Glen, The Bill, The New Adventures of Black Beauty, Silent Witness, Kavanagh QC, Jeeves and Wooster, Inspector Morse, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Lovejoy, Yes, Prime Minister, Bergerac, Midsomer Murders, Follyfoot,Miss Marple, Minder, Z-Cars, The Avengers, Doomwatch and in the Doctor Who story Meglos.

His films included: Paper Mask, Defence of the Realm, Sunshine, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Afraid of the Dark, A Flame to the Phoenix, Nighthawks, The Elephant Man and Sweeney 2.

As well as screen appearances, he also had a wide stage and radio career, and appeared with the National Theatre from the late-70s in David Hare's Plenty,Bernard Shaw's The Philanderer, Arnold Wesker's Caritas, Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, and two Shakespeares - Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing(1981) and Menenius in Coriolanus (1984).

His eldest son is the actor Simon Treves.

Biography from the Wikipedia article, licensed under CC-BY-SA