November 8, 2024

Star Trek, Doctor Who Actor Maurice Roeves Dies at 83

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Scottish actor Maurice Roëves is dead at 83. The actor appeared in the 1984 Doctor Who serial “The Caves of Androzani” as Stotz opposite Peter Davison as the Fith Doctor. He also appeared in a sixth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, playing a Romulan captain in “The Chase” in 1993, making him one of only a handful of actors to appear in both venerated sci-fi franchises. He co-starred in the BBC “s 1987 miniseries Tutti Frutti. His Hollywood movie appearances include a role in Judge Dredd opposite Sylvester Stallone and playing Colonel Edmund Munro in The Last of the Mohicans.

Roëves agent, Lovett Logan, broke the news of his client’s death by sending a statement to the Edinburgh Evening News. He wrote, “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the passing of our wonderful client, Maurice Roëves. Maurice had a hugely successful career in both theatre and screen, which spanned several decades, starting in his home country of Scotland and moving to London and the United States. “He was loved by his legions of fans for many of his performances, including Vincent Diver in Tutti Frutti, Stotz in Doctor Who, Romulan Captain in Star Trek, and Colonel Edmund Munro in The Last of the Mohicans. Maurice loved nothing more than being on set with his fellow actors and worked right up until the end, recently being seen in the BBC series The Nest at the start of this year.

“As well as being a truly dedicated and gifted actor, he was also a real gentleman and a delight to have as a client. We will miss him greatly and our thoughts and love go out to Vanessa and his family.”

Roëves attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, now known as the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. While there, he earned a gold medal for acting. After graduation, he found work at the Citizens Theatre as an Assistant Stage Manager, finding time to play small parts on stage while tending to the theater.

His first significant role was playing Lorenzo in a performance of William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, which earned him a fan following. It was this performance that attracted the attention of Disney talent scouts, leading to his first film role in 1966’s The Fighting Prince of Donegal. Roëves continued to work in theater, performing in Macbeth at the Royal Court in London as Macduff opposite Alec Guinness in the title role.

Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images

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