John Woodvine, who has died aged 96, was a proud Tynesider and stalwart of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a resilient and formidable actor on stage and television for more than 70 years.
Built like a barn door, but somehow lean and sculptured with it – like a presidential carving on Mount Rushmore – he exuded a quiet authority in every role he played, not least because of his rich and powerful baritone voice, immense reserves of pent-up emotion and a rare quality of absolute stillness.
