Nicholas Weston, a classically-trained London-born character actor, graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1961. Inspired by Michael Croft, co-founder of the National Youth Theatre, Weston pursued his passion for acting after serving in the Royal Artillery.
Weston's theatrical debut came in the early 1960s in London's West End, followed by his first appearance with the Royal Shakespeare Company seven years later in Macbeth. He has since appeared in 29 of Shakespeare's 37 plays, taking on iconic roles such as Laertes in Hamlet, Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Balthazar in The Merchant of Venice, and Alonso in The Tempest.
Weston has also directed plays for various London theatres and authored a memoir, "Covering Shakespeare: An Actor's Saga of Near Misses and Dogged Endurance," published in 2014.
In television, Weston began with a small role in the BBC's An Age of Kings (1960),a Shakespearean adaptation. He then played Romeo to Jane Asher's Juliet in 1962, before moving on to more mainstream projects. His early film credits include Becket (1964),Witchcraft (1964),and The Masque of the Red Death (1964),where he starred alongside Vincent Price.
Weston has also made guest appearances in various TV shows, including UFO (1970),Dixon of Dock Green (1955),Special Branch (1969),Minder (1979),and The Bill (1984). He is notable for his roles in two Doctor Who (1963) serials, The Massacre and Warrior's Gate.
In his later years, Weston has focused on writing, publishing the novel "Dodger Down Under" in 2013, a Dickensian pastiche continuing the story of Jack Dawkins, the 'artful dodger' from Oliver Twist. He followed this with a sequel, "Dodger treads the Boards," in 2015. A review praised the book for its "wondrously inventive" storytelling and Weston's "uncanny grasp of time and place."
Weston is a lifelong supporter of Chelsea football club and resides in the central London district of Pimlico.
