Thomas Gareth

Gareth Daniel Thomas (12 February 1945 – 13 April 2016) was a Welsh actor. He is best known for his role as Roj Blake in the BBC science fiction television series Blake's 7, but appeared in many other films and television programmes, including Shem in the ITV sci-fi series Star Maidens and Adam Brake in the fantasy series Children of the Stones.

Thomas was born 12 February 1945, in Wales. The younger of two sons of Kenneth, a barrister who had been a junior at the Nuremberg trials, and his wife, Olga (nee Noake). He attended the The King's School, Canterbury, then trained at RADA and became an Associate Member. Before his acting career, Thomas played rugby. Thomas made many television appearances included The Avengers, Coronation Street, Z-Cars, Special Branch, Sutherland's Law, Public Eye, Who Pays the Ferryman?, Bergerac, By the Sword Divided, The Citadel, Knights of God, Boon, London's Burning, Casualty, Taggart, Heartbeat, Sherlock Holmes, How Green Was My Valley, Torchwood and Midsomer Murders.

Thomas also appeared on stage in many productions. His appearances include RSC productions of Twelfth Night, Othello and Anna Christie; English Shakespeare Company productions of Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2 and Henry V; and King Lear, Educating Rita, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Crucible, Equus and Déjà Vu. In 2010 Thomas gave an acclaimed performance as Ephraim Cabot in Desire Under the Elms at the New Vic Theatre. In 2000 Gareth was the first subject of MJTV's interview/drama CD series The Actor Speaks. He talked about his character Blake in Blake's 7 in one of the interviews. From 1999 to 2005, Thomas took part in 12 of 14 CD episodes of MJTV's original audio comedy sci-fi drama series Soldiers of Love, playing camp Welsh TV host Hywel Hammond and villain of the piece Aaron Arkenstein.

In 2001 he appeared in Storm Warning, an audio drama based on Doctor Who by Big Finish Productions. He also played the part of Kalendorf in the Big Finish Productions Dalek Empire series. In 2006 he appeared as a guest star in the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood, in the episode "Ghost Machine". In 2012, Thomas returned to the role of "Roj Blake" in Big Finish Productions' Blake's 7: The Liberator Chronicles, a series of dramatic readings which take place during Series One before the death of Olag Gan. Thomas stars as "Blake" in Counterfeit by Peter Anghelides and False Positive by Eddie Robson. In 2013 he appeared as Brother Cadfael in Middle Ground Theatre Company's adaption of The Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters. He was twice nominated for a BAFTA, for his performances in Stocker's Copper (BBC Play for Today) (1972) and Morgan's Boy (1984).

Morgan’s Boy was his favourite television role, but it was Blake’s 7 that won the bigger audiences. Thomas's first wife, Sheelagh, was a make-up artist; the marriage ended in divorce, as did his second marriage. After many years living in the Scottish Borders, Thomas moved to Surrey in 2009. He died of heart failure on 13 April 2016, and is survived by his third wife, Linda and his son, Glyn.

Filmography

• 1967 - Quatermass and the Pit - Workman - British science fiction horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker.
• 1972 - The Ragman's Daughter - Tom - Crime–drama romantic film directed by Harold Becker.
• 1973 - Super Bitch - Trenchcoated Detective - (Italian: Si può essere più bastardi dell'ispettore Cliff?, lit. Can anyone be more bastard than Inspector Cliff?) Italian directed by Massimo Dallamano.
• 1974 - Juggernaut - Liverpool Joiner - Crime suspense film directed by Richard Lester.
• 1993 - Sparrow - Corrado - (Italian: Storia di una capinera) Italian drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
• 2008 - Imaginary Summer - Starring role - Drama film directed by Rebecca Coley.
• 2010 - Made in Romania - Gary Devane - Comedy film directed, produced, and written by Guy J. Louthan.