Lenard George Green (15 July 1931 – 19 June 2021), better known as Leon Greene, was an English actor and singer.

Leon Greene
Greene in The Devil Rides Out (1968)
Born	Lenard George Green (1931-07-15)15 July 1931[1] West Ham, London, England
Died	19 June 2021(2021-06-19) (aged 89)
Occupation	Actor, opera singer
Years active	1965–2001

At the age of 20, Greene joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and sang bass with them for just over a year. After leaving the D'Oyly Carte, he appeared in bass roles for several productions between 1954 and 1963 with the Sadler's Wells Opera.

In 1963, he moved on to musical comedy, appearing in the West End production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as the Roman captain Miles Gloriosus. He then reprised the role for the musical's 1966 film adaptation.

Among operatic roles were, at Sadler's Wells, one of the three Vagabonds in Die Kluge in 1959, roles in The Nightingale and Long Tom in Merrie England in 1960, Zuniga in Carmen in 1961, Private Willis in Iolanthe in 1962 (also recorded), Alaska Wolf Joe in The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny in 1963, The Cook in Love for Three Oranges in 1963 (New Opera Company). He sang Lilaque le Fils in Boulevard Solitude in a New Opera Company production at Sadler's Wells in 1963.[2]

Greene's portrayal of Sweeney Todd in a Half Moon Theatre production in 1985 was described as "the best, grisliest version" in relation to later productions.[3] He reprised Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Chichester Festival Theatre in the summer of 1986,[4] and the Baron for Scottish Opera and in the award-winning production of Candide at the Old Vic in 1988–89.[5]

In 1958 he was listed as the Publicity Manager of the London Opera Group, a professional touring opera company directed by Peter Glossop,[6] also singing the title role in Don Pasquale.

His films included A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967), The Devil Rides Out (1968), The Squeeze (1977), Flash Gordon (1980), and several Carry On comedies.

Greene died in June 2021 at the age of 89.[7]

Partial filmography

References

External links

• Leon Greene at IMDb