James Hazeldine

Acting

James Hazeldine

Born 1947-04-04 · Salford, Lancashire, England

British actor James Hazeldine was a well-known face both on British Television and on Stage. Best known for his role as Mike "Bayleaf" Wilson in the ITV drama, London's Burning (1988), many real-life firefighters thought Bayleaf was the character who closely and accurately portrayed your average real-life firefighter, a credit to his acting abilities. A meticulous performer, he was well-known for researching every part he played, and firmly believed that by accurately portraying a character the audience would feel much more involved in and enveloped by the performance. He played the role continuously for seven years from the serial's inception in 1988. (The character's sobriquet stemmed from a culinary bent for complex recipes). In a career spanning three decades, he also guested in such series as 'Boon' and 'Miss Marple', and, in the late 1980s, played the manager of the electrics company in Central's early-evening situation comedy, Young, Gifted and Broke (1989). In 1995, Hazeldine's character was written out of London's Burning of the actor's own volition, but he remained with the programme as a director. In years to come, he expanded his directing talents to encompass other UK drama serials, among them TV's The Knock (1994) and Heartbeat (1992). His acting CV also included sporadic film appearances, such as Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982). Although renowned as a television performer, he was also a respected stage actor, having trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company and, at one time, acted on Broadway alongside Glenda Jackson. He was rehearsing for his role as Sigmund Freud in a new stage play, 'The Talking Cure', when he became ill. In 2002 he appeared in the controversial drama, Shipman, which re-enacted events surrounding the murderous killing spree of Dr Harold Shipman, Britain's most prolific serial killer. Hazeldine assumed the role of Detective Inspector Stan Egerton, the man charged with leading the investigation into the deranged doctor's crimes. Determined that the dramatization should be as authentic as possible, Hazeldine even met with the retired policeman to ensure a realistic portrayal of the diligent law enforcer. Ironically, while the Shipman drama was in production, the real-life Mr. Egerton died suddenly and prematurely of a coronary disorder. James Hazeldine died on 18 December 2002, aged 55. There will never be anyone quite like him again, British Television mourned the loss of a truly great actor, director and personality.

Acting credits

Pink Floyd: The Wall poster
7.9

A troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.

Pink Floyd: The Wall

1982

Emma poster
6.6

Emma Woodhouse is a congenial young lady who delights in meddling in other people’s affairs. She is perpetually trying to unite men and women who are utterly wrong for each other. Despite her interest in romance, Emma is clueless about her own feelings, and her relationship with gentle Mr. Knightley.

Emma

1996

The Medusa Touch poster
6.8

A French detective in London reconstructs the life of a man lying in hospital with severe injuries with the help of journals and a psychiatrist. He realises that the man had powerful telekinetic abilities.

The Medusa Touch

1978

The Ruling Class poster
6.4

When the Earl of Gurney dies in a cross-dressing accident, his schizophrenic son, Jack, inherits the Gurney estate. Jack is not the average nobleman; he sings and dances across the estate and thinks he is Jesus reincarnated. Believing that Jack is mentally unfit to own the estate, the Gurney family plots to steal Jack's inheritance. As their outrageous schemes fail, the family strives to cure Jack of his bizarre behavior, with disastrous results.

The Ruling Class

1972

The Lady of the Camellias poster
9.0

The doomed love story between Marguerite Gautier, a French courtesan frequented by high-class gentlemen, who is suffering from tuberculosis, and a young gentleman Armand Duval who's new in town.

The Lady of the Camellias

1976

Nicholas and Alexandra poster
7.0

Tsar Nicholas II, the inept last monarch of Russia, insensitive to the needs of his people, is overthrown and exiled to Siberia with his family.

Nicholas and Alexandra

1971

Miss Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage poster
6.6

Faced with two false confessions and numerous suspects after a despised civil magistrate is found shot in the local vicarage, Detective Inspector Slack reluctantly accepts help from Miss Marple.

Miss Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage

1986

My Friend Walter poster
7.0

Bess Throckmorton, a farmer's daughter from Devon, encounters an ancient relative who soon reveals himself to be the ghost of Sir Walter Raleigh, determined to escape the Tower of London once and for all and return to Devon. When Sir Raleigh learns that a pair of dastardly brothers have designs on his ancestors' farm, he devises a plan to thwart them.

My Friend Walter

1992

The National Health poster
7.0

Peter Nichols adapted his own hit play to the screen, based on his experiences in hospitals. A riotous black comedy that's as timely today as ever, it contrasts the appalling conditions in a overcrowded London hospital with a soap opera playing on the televisions there. In an ingenious touch, the same actors appear in the "real" story as well as the "TV" one, thus blurring the distinctions even further. Jack Gould directs such outstanding British actors as Lynn Redgrave, Colin Blakely, Eleanor Bron, Jim Dale, Donald Sinden, Mervyn Johns, and, in only his second film, Bob Hoskins. The renowned Carl Davis composed the score.

The National Health

1973

Everybody Say Cheese poster
8.0

Comedy play about a seaside photographer, Henry Hunter, who goes to Margate every year to work, staying with his friends Frank and Hylda. However, he is getting older, and his trade is dying out as people have their own instamatic cameras.

Everybody Say Cheese

1971

The Corsican Brothers poster
6.5

In the 18th century were born two siamese brothers on Corsica who paradoxically carry different feelings of hate and reconciliation in their blood.

The Corsican Brothers

1985

On the Palm poster
NR

Fledge needs a job. He'll take anything. And when Dawlish gives him strange errands to run, for cash in hand, strictly 'on the palm', it's a welcome change from the dole. Until he finds himself digging dirt on an old friend....

On the Palm

1987

Harold Shipman: Doctor Death poster
6.7

James Bolam portrays serial killer Dr. Harold Shipman in this made-for-TV drama. The film follows the story of Shipman, a general practitioner who throughout his career is believed to have killed as many as 250 of his patients. When the high death rate of his practice was investigated, it was discovered that he had given lethal doses of diamorphine to a vast number of his patients. He was put on trial where he was convicted of 15 murders and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Harold Shipman: Doctor Death

2002

Stardust poster
5.5

Jim MacLaine is now enjoying the nomadic 'gigs and groupies' life on tour with his band. When he achieves all his wildest dreams of international stardom, the sweet taste of success begins to turn sour.

Stardust

1974

Kisses at Fifty poster
5.0

A father leaves his grown-up family to move in with his lover in the south, alienating himself from his four children.

Kisses at Fifty

1973

Red Shift poster
7.7

Three men at three different times in history come to Mow Top hill in search of sanctuary from their troubles. A Roman soldier, a medieval rebel and a 1970s young man. Somehow they seem linked through an energy within the hill and an axe. Is history doomed to repeat itself or can loving another person free them?

Red Shift

1978

The Long Distance Piano Player poster
7.0

The first Play for Today is the story of one man's obsession (to win the world long distance piano playing record) and the battle for good (his wife) and evil (his agent) that rages around him.

The Long Distance Piano Player

1970

The Chester Mystery Plays poster
NR

Medieval Mystery Cycle first performed in Chester in the 14th century.

The Chester Mystery Plays

1976

Macbeth poster
6.4

Macbeth and his wife murder Duncan in order to gain his crown, but the bloodbath doesn't stop there, and things supernatural combine to bring the Macbeths down.

Macbeth

1983

Business as Usual poster
6.5

After seeing her husband fail in fighting a battle to keep his factory open, a manageress loses her job in a disagreement with the manager over sexual harassment of her staff. She accepts the advice of her father and joins his son, a left-wing organizer, and takes her plight to the union.

Business as Usual

1987

London's Burning: The Movie poster
8.5

It's Josie Ingham's first day at Blackwall Firestation but things aren't going so well being the only female firefighter in an all-male team. Not only does she have to prove to them that she can do the job, problems at home complicate her life even further. Outside, in the heart of the city, tensions are rising to the extreme, Blue Watch have a long night ahead.

London's Burning: The Movie

1986

Hero of the Hour poster
6.0

A security guard foils an armed robbery and becomes a national hero, but his new-found fame cannot appease his guilty conscience.

Hero of the Hour

2000

Sovereign's Company poster
7.5

Sovereign's Company is the story of a boy from an army family with a long tradition of honour and distinction, who goes to a military academy as an officer cadet and finds himself temperamentally unsuited to the life.

Sovereign's Company

1970

Ride, Ride poster
7.0

An art student encounters a mysterious girl at a psychedelic party. She insists he give her a ride home on his motorbike, when something very strange occurs.

Ride, Ride

1970