Michael Pennington, Shakespearean actor, dies at 82
moviesMay 11, 20261527
Michael Pennington, the British stage and screen actor who founded the English Shakespeare Company, died aged 82. He was best known for his landmark 1980 Hamlet, directed by John Barton, and maintained a long association with the Royal Shakespeare Company across a 50-year career. Pennington also appeared in the Star Wars franchise and in numerous film and television roles; actress Miriam Margolyes said she was "sad beyond measure" at his death. His work as an interpreter of Shakespeare and as a company founder reshaped British theatre practice and kept landmark productions in the repertory for new audiences.
