South Africa-born character actor Nigel Green appeared in British films from 1956. Typical Green roles of the 1950s and 1960s include Little John in The Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960) and Hercules in Jason and the Argonauts (1963); he was also more of a presence than a personality in the 1958 TV series William Tell. After an excellent showing in Zulu (1964), his film assignments improved noticeably; among his later characterizations were Nyland Smith in The Face of Fu Manchu (1965) and General Wolsely in Khartoum (1966). He is also listed in many reference works as having appeared as Tom Ayerton, aka "The Green Man," in Mysterious Island (1961), but his planned scenes were never filmed (Ayerton appears in the film only as a skeleton). Nigel Green died of an accidental barbiturate overdose at the age of 47.
by Hal Erickson
biography
