JACK WILD
Name: Jack Wild
Born. 30 September 1952 Royton, Lancashire, England
Died: 2 March 2006 Tebworth, Bedfordshire, England
Jack Wild (30 September 1952 – 2 March 2006) was an English actor who achieved
fame for his roles in both stage and screen productions of the Lionel Bart
musical Oliver!. For the latter performance (playing the Artful Dodger), he
received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 16,
but the Oscar went to Jack Albertson for his performance in The Subject Was
Roses. Jack Wild appeared with actor Mark Lester in two films: Oliver! (1968)
and Melody (1971).
Wild was born into a working-class family in Rossendale, Lancashire, and moved
south with his parents when he was still an infant. He was educated at the
independent Barbara Speake Stage School in Acton, London, and had to supplement
his parents' modest incomes by working, in order to pay his school fees.
It was at the premiere of the 1968 film version of Oliver! that he met brothers
Sid and Marty Krofft, who thought Wild would make a good lead for a show they
were developing called H.R. Pufnstuf. Wild starred in this American family TV
series that launched in 1969, and also in the movie Pufnstuf. He also embarked
on a recording career, cutting one album for Capitol Records and two for Buddah
Records in the early 1970s.
Excessive drinking at an early age derailed Wild's career. Sobering up in 1988,
he returned to the big screen in a few minor roles, such as in the 1991 Kevin
Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He was also reported to be
developing a TV situation comedy with Suzi Quatro around the same time, but
those plans never materialised in an actual series. For the most part, though,
Wild spent the remainder of his career working in theatre.
Wild died on 2 March 2006, aged 53, after a long battle with oral cancer, which
he claims was caused by his alcoholism and smoking. Diagnosed with the disease
in 2000, he underwent surgery in July 2004 and had part of his tongue and both
vocal cords removed. Because of this surgery, he had lost his speech and had to
communicate through his wife, Clare Harding, whom he had met in a stage
production of Cinderella; Jack played one of the ugly stepsisters.
Name: Jack Wild
Born. 30 September 1952 Royton, Lancashire, England
Died: 2 March 2006 Tebworth, Bedfordshire, England
Jack Wild (30 September 1952 – 2 March 2006) was an English actor who achieved
fame for his roles in both stage and screen productions of the Lionel Bart
musical Oliver!. For the latter performance (playing the Artful Dodger), he
received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 16,
but the Oscar went to Jack Albertson for his performance in The Subject Was
Roses. Jack Wild appeared with actor Mark Lester in two films: Oliver! (1968)
and Melody (1971).
Wild was born into a working-class family in Rossendale, Lancashire, and moved
south with his parents when he was still an infant. He was educated at the
independent Barbara Speake Stage School in Acton, London, and had to supplement
his parents' modest incomes by working, in order to pay his school fees.
It was at the premiere of the 1968 film version of Oliver! that he met brothers
Sid and Marty Krofft, who thought Wild would make a good lead for a show they
were developing called H.R. Pufnstuf. Wild starred in this American family TV
series that launched in 1969, and also in the movie Pufnstuf. He also embarked
on a recording career, cutting one album for Capitol Records and two for Buddah
Records in the early 1970s.
Excessive drinking at an early age derailed Wild's career. Sobering up in 1988,
he returned to the big screen in a few minor roles, such as in the 1991 Kevin
Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He was also reported to be
developing a TV situation comedy with Suzi Quatro around the same time, but
those plans never materialised in an actual series. For the most part, though,
Wild spent the remainder of his career working in theatre.
Wild died on 2 March 2006, aged 53, after a long battle with oral cancer, which
he claims was caused by his alcoholism and smoking. Diagnosed with the disease
in 2000, he underwent surgery in July 2004 and had part of his tongue and both
vocal cords removed. Because of this surgery, he had lost his speech and had to
communicate through his wife, Clare Harding, whom he had met in a stage
production of Cinderella; Jack played one of the ugly stepsisters.