David Bailie was born in 1937 in South Africa, where he spent his early years before moving to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) with his family in 1952. After completing his education, Bailie worked in a bank and then for Central African Airlines before making his first trip to England in 1958 to explore his acting ambitions.
In 1960, Bailie moved to England and landed his first small role in the film Flame in the Streets (1960). He then appeared in Arthur Koppits "Oh Dad Poor Dad Mama's hung you in the Closet and I'm Feeling so Sad" (1961) alongside Stella Adler. He also played a juvenile lead in Weekly Repertory in Barrow-in-Furness, despite being inexperienced.
Recognizing the need for formal training, Bailie auditioned for a bursary to RADA, but was only accepted as a fee-paying student, which he couldn't afford. He eventually sent for the last of his standby money and paid for the first term, and was later given free tuition by John Fernald.
At RADA, Bailie met Terry Hands, who had left a year earlier to form the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. After leaving RADA, Bailie joined the Everyman Theatre, where he played a range of roles, including Tolen in The Knack, Becket in Murder in the Cathedral, and MacDuff in Macbeth.
Bailie then joined the National Theatre, where he played minor roles and understudied Sir Laurence Olivier in Love for Love. Terry Hands, who had by now joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) at Stratford-upon-Avon, invited Bailie to join the RSC as an associate artist.
As an associate artist with the RSC, Bailie portrayed a range of roles, including Florizel in A Winter's Tale, Valentine in Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Leslie in The Madness of Lady Bright. He also worked with Stomu Yamashta at his Red Buddha Theatre, performing in the show "Raindog".
In the 1970s, Bailie appeared in a number of TV series, including The Robots of Death: Part One (1977). He then took a break from acting to run a furniture-making business from 1980 to 1989.
Bailie returned to acting in 1990, after having to restart his career due to a cancer diagnosis. He appeared in a number of films, including Cutthroat Island (1995),The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999),and Gladiator (2000).
Bailie is perhaps best known for his role as Cotton, a speechless pirate who uses a parrot to communicate, in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He has also worked as a radio actor, playing the mad scientist Taren Capel in Doctor Who, and has developed skills in photography, video making, and property development.
In his personal life, Bailie has been married twice and has two children. He lives in London and is still active in the entertainment industry, although he has scaled back his acting work in recent years.
