Joss Ackland was a British character actor known for his performances in such films as “The Mighty Ducks,” “Lethal Weapon 2,” and “White Mischief.”
- Died: November 19, 2023 (Who else died on November 19?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Devon, England, of natural causes at the age of 95.
- We invite you to share condolences for Joss Ackland in our Guest Book.
Joss Ackland’s legacy
Ackland’s acting career spanned eight decades, beginning in the 1940s on the British stage. By the 1960s, he was appearing widely on British TV in such shows as “David Copperfield,” “The Troubleshooters,” and “The Avengers.” His TV career continued for decades, with highlights including the 1979 BBC adaptation of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “Z-Cars,” “Hogfather,” and “Shadowlands,” as well as guest appearances in such shows as “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” and “Midsomer Murders.”
For British audiences, Ackland may have been best known for the 1987 film “White Mischief,” dramatizing the true story of a 1941 murder in Kenya’s Happy Valley community of British expats. Ackland starred as Sir Henry “Jock” Delves Broughton, who was accused of murder but later found innocent. In addition to appearing in many other British films, Ackland also had a Hollywood career. In “Lethal Weapon 2,” he played the South African villain Arjen Rudd, and he had a prominent role in “The Hunt for Red October” as Soviet ambassador Andrei Lysenko. In “The Mighty Ducks,” Ackland played Hans, the friend and mentor of hockey coach Gordon Bombay, played by Emilio Estevez; he returned for the sequel “D3: The Mighty Ducks.” His many other movies included a voice role in “Watership Down,” as well as “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey,” “A Kid in King Arthur’s Court,” “Surviving Picasso,” “K-19: The Widowmaker,” and “Prisoners of the Sun.”
A highlight of Ackland’s long stage career was originating the role of Juan Perón in “Evita.” His other theatrical successes in London included starring roles in “A Little Night Music” and “King Lear.”
Tributes to Joss Ackland
Full obituary: The Guardian
