# Tim Seely

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For the American comics artist, see [Tim Seeley](/source/Tim_Seeley).

**Timothy Ward Seely**[1] (10 June 1935 – 18 May 2024) was an English film, radio, television and theatre actor.

## Background

Seely was the son of the late Major Frank James Wriothesley Seely (1901–1956), and a great-grandson of [Sir Charles Seely, 1st Baronet](/source/Sir_Charles_Seely,_1st_Baronet). His mother was Vera Lilian Birkin, daughter of British [Colonel](/source/Colonel) Charles Wilfred Birkin (fourth son of a lace embroidery and tableware magnate of Nottingham, [Sir Thomas Isaac Birkin](/source/Birkin_baronets))[2][3] and his American wife, Claire Lloyd Birkin (*née* Howe). His aunt was [Freda Dudley Ward](/source/Freda_Dudley_Ward), a mistress of [King Edward VIII](/source/King_Edward_VIII) and wife of [William Dudley Ward](/source/William_Dudley_Ward).

Seely studied at London's [Royal Academy of Dramatic Art](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Dramatic_Art).[4]

Seely died on 18 May 2024, at the age of 88.[5][6]

## Career

In 1957, he made his theatre debut in the play *[Tea and Sympathy](/source/Tea_and_Sympathy_(play))* at the London [Comedy Theatre](/source/Comedy_Theatre). Seely played the young *Tom Lee*, who fell in love with the senior Laura, played by [Elizabeth Sellars](/source/Elizabeth_Sellars).[7] He played the same role in the adaptation at [New Shakespeare Theatre, Liverpool](/source/New_Shakespeare_Theatre,_Liverpool).[4] There he also played *Rodolfo* in [Arthur Miller](/source/Arthur_Miller)'s *[A View From the Bridge](/source/A_View_From_the_Bridge)*.[4] In 1958, he acted alongside [Maggie Smith](/source/Maggie_Smith) at the London [St Martin's Theatre](/source/St_Martin's_Theatre) in an adaptation of *The Stepmother*.[4]

Seely was member of the BBC Radio Drama Company, with which he acted the title role in *[Pericles, Prince of Tyre](/source/Pericles,_Prince_of_Tyre)*.[4] He also had roles in various Shakespeare plays, including as Baptista in *[The Taming of the Shrew](/source/The_Taming_of_the_Shrew)*, Capulet in *[Romeo and Juliet](/source/Romeo_and_Juliet)*, Polonius in *[Hamlet](/source/Hamlet)*, Leonato in *[Much Ado About Nothing](/source/Much_Ado_About_Nothing)* and the King of France in *[All's Well That Ends Well](/source/All's_Well_That_Ends_Well)*.[4]

In the late 1950s, he also took roles in film and television productions. One of his more prominent roles was as Midshipmen Ned Young in the 1962 version of *[Mutiny on the Bounty](/source/Mutiny_on_the_Bounty_(1962_film))*, where Seely appeared alongside [Marlon Brando](/source/Marlon_Brando) and [Trevor Howard](/source/Trevor_Howard).

## Filmography and television work

- 1958: *[Sally's Irish Rogue](/source/Sally's_Irish_Rogue)* – Luke Carey
- 1958–1960: *[Armchair Theatre](/source/Armchair_Theatre)* (television series, three episodes) – Albert Strachan / Seamus MacGonigal / Ralph
- 1959: *The Offshore Island* (TV Movie) – James Verney
- 1960: *[Please Turn Over](/source/Please_Turn_Over)* – Robert Hughes
- 1960: *[The Mystery of Edwin Drood](/source/The_Mystery_of_Edwin_Drood)* (television series, five episodes) – Edwin Drood
- 1962: *[Mutiny on the Bounty](/source/Mutiny_on_the_Bounty_(1962_film))* – Midshipman Edward 'Ned' Young
- 1963: *[The Human Jungle](/source/The_Human_Jungle_(TV_series))* – Lieutenant Grey
- 1979: *[Agatha](/source/Agatha_(film))* – Capt. Rankin
- 1979–1981: *[Play for Today](/source/Play_for_Today)* (television series, three episodes) – Andrew Oliphant, Father / Major / Captain Jennings
- 1985: *Laughterhouse* – Landowner
- 1985: *[Plenty](/source/Plenty_(film))* – Sir Charles Curry
- 1990: *[Strike It Rich](/source/Strike_It_Rich_(1990_film))* – Arnold
- 1991: *[King Ralph](/source/King_Ralph)* – King of England
- 1993: *[Lipstick on Your Collar](/source/Lipstick_on_Your_Collar_(TV_series))* (television series, two episodes) – Brigadier
- 1995: *[Annie: A Royal Adventure!](/source/Annie:_A_Royal_Adventure!)* (TV Movie) – The King
- 2004: *[Vanity Fair](/source/Vanity_Fair_(2004_film))* – Doctor
- 2006: *Tess: A Tale of Love and Darkness* (Short) – Old Man (final film role)

## See also

- [List of British actors](/source/List_of_British_actors)
- [List of Royal Academy of Dramatic Art alumni](/source/List_of_RADA_alumni)

## References

1. Michael Rhodes. "Actor Timothy Ward Seely has died on 18 May 2024, aged 88.". No. 1798048491782246531.

1. ["Bygones: The lace dynasty that made Nottingham"](http://www.nottinghampost.com/Bygones-lace-dynasty-Nottingham/story-12176136-detail/story.html). *[Nottingham Post](/source/Nottingham_Post)*. 13 April 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2015.[dead link]

1. Anonymous. Obituary for her cousin Bindy Lambton, or the former Countess of Durham, published in *The Daily Telegraph* on 18 February 2003. [\[1\]](https://web.archive.org/web/20060615032610/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$3VOZHCTQKYG2ZQFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?view=DETAILS&grid=&targetRule=10&xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F02%2F19%2Fdb1902.xml)

1. [unreliable source?] Staff (undated) ["Tim Seely"](http://www.calvertonvillage.com/Famouspeople.html#anchor_162). calvertonvillage.com. Retrieved 9 January 2013.

1. ["Timothy Ward Seely 1935–2024"](https://peeragenews.blogspot.com/2024/06/timothy-ward-seely-1935-2024.html). *Peerage News*. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.

1. ["Timothy Ward Seely"](https://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/marketplace/advert/seely-notices_57429). The Telegraph. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.

1. Staff (25 May 1957). ["'The Doll' Makes London History"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19570525&id=D1URAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ppUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6780,3549869). *[The Age](/source/The_Age)* (via [Google News](/source/Google_News)). Retrieved 10 January 2013. "...and Tim Seely, a 21-year-old actor straight from the [Royal Academy of Dramatic Art](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Dramatic_Art) as the boy."

## External links

- [Tim Seely](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0781624/) at IMDb

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tim Seely](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Seely) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Seely?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.