Tristram Jellinek, actor; born August 28, 1933, died November 4, 1995
TRISTRAM Jellinek, the actor and antique dealer, has died in London at the age of 62. Some of his outstanding stage performances were with the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre.
Born in London to a father of Czech origin and an English mother, he was brought up mainly in the home counties, and after two years' service with the RAF won a scholarship to RADA. His first jobs were in repertory in Harrogate and Eastbourne and he later appeared in a variety of plays at Richmond, Leatherhead, and Hornchurch, playing everything from a Japanese denizen of The Teahouse of the August Moon to Simple Simon in Mother Goose.
In 1959 he appeared in the West End in The Visit, directed by Peter Brook, and in 1964 in Oblomov with Spike Milligan and Joan Greenwood. Despite such successes and regular television work, he was diverted by his early fascination with antiques. His shop in Kensington was a favourite haunt of collectors.
His Scottish connection was through the Citizens' Theatre, for whom he played many roles over the past nine years on his return to acting. These included the upright but dull husband Karenin in Anna Karenina in 1987 and Pawnie in Noel Coward's The Vortex in 1988 (this production transferred to the Garrick Theatre, London, in 1990).
The same year he played the Chaplain in Mother Courage, with Glenda Jackson in the title role. The following year he was Sir Anthony Absolute in the Citizens' highly successful production of The Rivals.
His last role with the company was as the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos. He appeared in this at this year's Edinburgh Festival in August and at the Citizens' the following month. In keeping with the courage with which he faced his last illness, he missed only two performances, playing the part till six weeks before he died.
Giles Havergal, director of the Citizens', singles out two qualities in Jellinek's work: ``Whether in comedy or much more serious stuff he was always extraordinary clear; nothing was fudged. The other thing was his fantastic timing.'' He recalls Jellinek as a great character, ``very waspish and funny, but with a tremendously kind heart.''
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