John Stride R.I.P.

John Stride, who starred as solicitor David Main on the TV show The Main Chance and appeared in such movies as A Bridge Too Far (1977), died on April 20 2018 at the age of 81.

John Stride was born on June 11 1936 in London. He won scholarships to Alleyn’s School in Dulwich, where he discovered acting. Against this parent's wishes, he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He made his professional debut on stage in 1957 in Look Back in Anger at Liverpool Playhouse. He made his debut on the West End in Five Finger Exercise in 1959. Later in the year he appeared at the Old Vic in As You Like It, Richard II, and Henry V. He saw success playing Romeo in Franco Zefirrelli's stage version of Romeo and Juliet, playing opposite Dame Judi Dench as Juliet. On Broadway he appeared in Macbeth, played Romeo again in Romeo and Juliet, and appeared in The Lady of the Camellias.

John Stride made his film debut in Sink the Bismark! in 1960. In the Sixties he appeared in the movie Bitter Harvest (1963).  He made his television debut in an episode of ITV Play of the Week in 1959 and that same year appeared in an episode of Rendezvous. He starred in the TV series The Scarlet and the Black and on the TV series The Main Chance. He guest starred on such shows as Knock on Any Door, Love Story, Thirty-Minute Theatre, Detective, The Root of All Evil?, BBC Play of the Month, W. Somerset Maugham, and ITV Saturday Night Theatre. He was a storyteller on Jackanory.

In the Seventies he continued to star on The Main Chance and later in the decade starred on the TV show Wilde Alliance. He guest starred on such shows as Once Upon a Time, Heil, Caesar!, Play for Today, and ITV Playhouse. He appeared in the mini-series Love Among the Artists. He appeared in the films The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971), Something to Hide (1972), John Keats: His Life and Death (1973), Juggernaut (1974), Brannigan (1975), The Omen (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), and Oh Heavenly Dog (1980).

In the Eighties he starred in the TV show Diamonds. He appeared on such shows as Lytton's Diary, Agatha Christie's Poirot and TECX. He appeared in the mini-series Number 10, Imaginary Friends, and Chelworth. He appeared in the film Hanna's War (1988). In the Nineties he starred on the TV show Growing Rich. He appeared on the TV shows The Mixer and Alleyn Mysteries. He appeared in the mini-series The Old Devils.

John Stride was a very talented actor. This can be seen in his performance as David Main, the solicitor whose nonchalant attitude is at odds with his more constrained partner in Leeds, in the TV show The Main Chance. Over the years he played a number of roles that were quite different from David Main, including Alun Weaver in The Old Devils, Henry VIII in the TV movie The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight, Keats in the film John Keats: His Life and Death, and Malcolm on stage in Macbeth. He was both versatile and capable of giving great depth to the various characters he played.