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July 12, 2015 9:29 AM   Subscribe

Roger Rees has passed away at the age of 71. Mr. Rees, who most recently starred in The Visit on Broadway with Chita Rivera, won the Olivier and Tony Awards for Nicholas Nickleby. Among his many memorable roles on television, Rees created the roles of Robin Colcord on Cheers and Lord John Marbury on The West Wing. He is survived by his husband, and partner of more than 30 years, Rick Elice. posted by roomthreeseventeen (39 comments total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
i love his work so much and i somehow took for granted that he'd live forever. i am just now watching straight through the west wing for the first time so i'm feeling extra awed by his talent.

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posted by nadawi at 9:32 AM on July 12, 2015 [3 favorites]


I had no idea he was that old.
posted by dirigibleman at 9:36 AM on July 12, 2015


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posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 9:38 AM on July 12, 2015


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Luckily, Evan Drake is still alive, so Rebecca has another option.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:43 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]


I first saw him in, and will always think of him as, Nicholas Nickleby. An amazing performance in an amazing play.

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posted by That's Numberwang! at 9:51 AM on July 12, 2015 [6 favorites]


I'm ashamed to say I never knew his name, but, man, was he ever one of those faces that made you stop and watch whatever show he was on. I always enjoyed his performances.

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posted by Thorzdad at 9:58 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]


Lord Marbury was such a well-drawn character considering how little screen time he actually got. He chewed up the scenery.

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posted by dry white toast at 10:01 AM on July 12, 2015 [9 favorites]


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posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:01 AM on July 12, 2015


As an American kid in the 1980s I mostly knew him from Cheers, but I liked him in everything he showed up in. He'll always be the definitive Fred (nephew of Ebenezer Scrooge) for me.

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posted by usonian at 10:06 AM on July 12, 2015 [6 favorites]


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He'll always be Lord John Marbury* to me, but he had a one-episode role in My So-Called Life that was also nuanced and perfect.

*I am John, Lord Marbury, Earl of Croy, Marquess of Needham and Dolby, Baronet of Brycey, England's ambassador to the United States, and a terrorist is a terrorist even if he wears a green necktie and sings "Danny Boy". Yes, you may call me John.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:26 AM on July 12, 2015 [13 favorites]


Seconding usonian; I've seen him in various things over the years, but he's the true Fred to me.
posted by worldswalker at 10:33 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]


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posted by scaryblackdeath at 10:38 AM on July 12, 2015


I don't much believe in an afterlife, but man do I hope Roger Rees and John Spencer are there revising their "Leo is exasperated with Lord Marbury" bit.

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posted by dogwalker at 10:48 AM on July 12, 2015 [27 favorites]


Thir may be an insult to his memory, but I mostly know him from playing the Sheriff in Robin Hood: Men in Tights. God, I love everything about that movie, and he was hilarious in it.
posted by olinerd at 10:52 AM on July 12, 2015 [3 favorites]


The words of Lord John, as is so often the case, are apt here: "as has been said by kings and queens, I am not a lesser observer."

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posted by Augenblick at 10:53 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]


He was deliciously evil in his season of Warehouse 13.

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posted by pxe2000 at 11:03 AM on July 12, 2015 [3 favorites]


I don't much believe in an afterlife, but man do I hope Roger Rees and John Spencer are there revising their "Leo is exasperated with Lord Marbury" bit.

I think you mean Gerald.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:05 AM on July 12, 2015 [24 favorites]


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posted by theora55 at 11:21 AM on July 12, 2015


Fuck. I recall his more recent appearances on Elementary, but he'll always be Lord John Marbury. A talented actor, very subtle in his nuances.


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posted by Fizz at 11:33 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]


I met him in 1989. He was very kind to me--a high school theater geek Nickelby fan--and even let me shoot photographs of him in his dressing room. (He was performing in Tom Stoppard's Hapgood in Los Angeles.) When I asked him what was next for him, he told me he was thinking he'd like to do an American sitcom. A tremendous actor and, judging from our brief encounter, a lovely and generous guy as well. RIP.
posted by dontoine at 11:38 AM on July 12, 2015 [9 favorites]


I was just thinking about him the other day -- mostly remembering Nicholas Nickleby. So amazing.
posted by Malla at 11:41 AM on July 12, 2015


The first role in which I recall seeing him was playing Carl Lumbly's sidekick on the short-lived 1994 sci-fi/action series M.A.N.T.I.S.

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posted by audi alteram partem at 12:25 PM on July 12, 2015 [3 favorites]


He is first on my (very short) list of Celebrities I Have Seen on the Subway. Amazing talent, and always seemed like he would be a lovely person to know.
posted by Mchelly at 12:41 PM on July 12, 2015 [2 favorites]


"It's 'Your Lordship,' as a matter of fact, but it couldn't possibly make the least difference."

One of the all-time great line readings, balancing perfectly between pompous, cluelessly irreverent, and deathly serious.

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posted by Etrigan at 12:44 PM on July 12, 2015 [7 favorites]


I would love to have see him in The Real Thing and Hapgood.

(And Navelgazer, thanks for mentioning the My So-Called Life episode - I had forgotten that, and it was great.)

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posted by kristi at 1:19 PM on July 12, 2015


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posted by Smart Dalek at 1:44 PM on July 12, 2015


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posted by allthinky at 1:50 PM on July 12, 2015


A . for Robin Colcord, a . for Nickleby, a . for the Sheriff, and a * for Lord John.

[British Ambassador Lord John Marbury joins the President and First Lady at her birthday gala celebration]
BALJM: Abigail!
POTUS: Now it's a party.
FLOTUS: Oh. Yes, your Lordship.
LJM: Your breasts are magnificent.
FLOTUS: Oh. Um... thank you, John.
LJM: May I inquire, Mr. President - the first thing that attracted you to Abigail - was it her magnificent breasts?
FLOTUS: It was.
POTUS: You know John, there are places in the world where it might be considered rude to talk about the physical attributes of another man's wife.
BALJM: My god. Really?
POTUS: Yeah.

So delicious.
Clearly I'm going to have to pick back up my West Wing posts on Fanfare.
posted by ApathyGirl at 3:15 PM on July 12, 2015 [5 favorites]


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posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:57 PM on July 12, 2015


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posted by rtha at 4:16 PM on July 12, 2015


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posted by Fibognocchi at 4:36 PM on July 12, 2015


Man, I had no idea he was that old. He must have been about 60 on The West Wing...

One of my all time favorite character actors even though I've only seen him in about 30 minutes of total screen time.

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posted by mmoncur at 5:23 PM on July 12, 2015


He will always be Lord John Marbury to me. Two particular West Wing remembrances:

1. I would always crack up hysterically (still do) whenever I heard him bellow from outside the room: "GERALD!"

2. His quip about diplomacy is still one I quote often in meetings to try and lighten up a tense argument.

POTUS: "Diplomacy, John. The job of statesmen."
LORD JOHN: "And I thought it was drinking and dancing."

Brilliant!
posted by zooropa at 5:46 PM on July 12, 2015


I was obsessed with the RSC "Nicholas Nickleby" when I was a teenager. Very sad to hear of Rees' passing.
posted by holborne at 7:39 PM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]




I didn't get to see Nicholas Nickleby live, but I saw the RSC Mini-Series and Rees is remarkable. I am so glad he got to live his whole life doing the thing he loved. Too young for such a great talent.
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:57 AM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]


A friend of mine who's done a bit of acting was in an episode of Boston Common back in the day, which also had Roger Rees in it. And he says that Mr. Rees was so kind to him, and really made him feel like he belonged on the set. Roger Rees was a class act.
posted by theatro at 7:01 AM on July 13, 2015


I just watched "The Wake Up Call", The West Wing Season 6 episode 14 -- I think it's Rees' last appearance on the show -- and I have to post one more quote.

[Lord John Marbury walks in to the Oval Office]

PRES: John! Thank God. Kate Harper, may I introduce --

LJM: I'm Lord John Marbury, the hereditary Earl of Sherworn, the great-great-grandson of the former Viceroy. I have served as the Queen's Minister in India and the Queen's Minister in Pakistan and I am presently the British Ambassador to the United States... Oh, and I have an uncle who once performed in the London Opera Company's production of The Mikado in the role of Nanki Poo.

KH: It's a pleasure.

LJM: Yes, Isn't It.

Not only does he perform that ridiculous line with a perfect mixture of pride and sarcasm, he also does it while managing to be a completely serious character who argues with the President about Iran and nuclear war.

It was indeed a pleasure, Roger. We'll miss you.
posted by mmoncur at 2:27 AM on July 14, 2015 [1 favorite]


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posted by Ignorantsavage at 8:04 PM on July 14, 2015


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