60 Facts About Michael Crawford

Michael Crawford's acclaimed performance in the latter earned him both the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical and Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

Michael Crawford has received international critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his acting career, which has included many film and television performances as well as stage work on both London's West End and on Broadway.

Michael Crawford has published the autobiography Parcel Arrived Safely: Tied With String.

Michael Crawford was brought up by his mother, Doris Agnes Mary Pike, and her parents, Montague Pike and his wife, Edith, in what Michael Crawford described as a "close-knit Roman Catholic family".

Michael Crawford's maternal grandmother was born in County Londonderry, Ireland, and lived to be 99 years old.

Sixteen months after Smith's death, Michael Crawford was born, the result of a short-lived relationship, and given his mother's surname, which was that of her first husband.

Michael Crawford attended St Michael's, a Catholic school in Bexleyheath which was run by nuns whom Crawford later described as not being shy in their use of corporal punishment.

Michael Crawford made his first stage appearance in the role of Sammy the Little Sweep in his school production of Benjamin Britten's Let's Make an Opera, conducted by Donald Mitchell, which was then transferred to Brixton Town Hall in London.

Michael Crawford auditioned, unsuccessfully, for the role of Miles in Britten's The Turn of the Screw - the role being given to another boy soprano, David Hemmings; but it appears that Crawford's audition sufficiently impressed Britten as in 1955 he hired him to play Sammy, alternating with David Hemmings, in another production of Let's Make an Opera, this time at the Scala Theatre in London.

Michael Crawford participated in the recording of that opera made that same year, conducted by the composer.

Michael Crawford remembers that it was while working in this production that he realised he seriously wanted to become an actor.

Michael Crawford went on to perform in a wide repertoire.

Michael Crawford appeared as the cabin boy John Drake in the television series Sir Francis Drake, a 26-part adventure series made by ITC starring Terence Morgan and Jean Kent.

Michael Crawford made his film debut in 1958 with leading roles in two children's films, Blow Your Own Trumpet and Soapbox Derby, for The Children's Film Foundation in Britain.

In 1961 Michael Crawford appeared in an episode of One Step Beyond called "The Villa" in which he played a character experimenting with strobe lights.

Michael Crawford appears in the only surviving episode of the 1960 British crime series Police Surgeon alongside Ian Hendry.

Michael Crawford was cast and shared top billing with Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau.

Michael Crawford's performance led to an invitation to star in a BBC television comedy series about a childlike and eternally haphazard man who causes disaster everywhere he goes.

Michael Crawford was not the first choice for the role of Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.

Originally, the part had been offered to comedy actor Ronnie Barker but after he and Norman Wisdom had turned it down, Michael Crawford took on the challenge, adopting a similar characterisation to that which he used when playing Brian Runnicles.

Michael Crawford said he had always been a fan of comedians such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy, as well as the great sight gags employed in the days of silent film, and saw Some Mothers as the ideal opportunity to use such humour himself.

Michael Crawford performed all of his own stunts during the show's run, and never used a double.

The part was demanding, requiring proficiency in both song and dance, and in preparation for the role, Michael Crawford began taking both more seriously, studying singing under the tutelage of vocal coach Ian Adam and spending hours perfecting his dancing capabilities with choreographer Onna White.

Billy gave the many fans of Michael Crawford's portrayal of Frank Spencer an opportunity to see him in a broadly similar role on the stage, and was a considerable hit.

Michael Crawford pursued another role on a very short-lived ITV sitcom, Chalk and Cheese, as the slovenly, uncouth Dave Finn.

Michael Crawford abandoned the show during its first series and returned to theatre work.

Michael Crawford trained at the Big Apple Circus School in New York City to prepare for the ambitious stunts, learning to walk the tight-rope, juggle and slide down a rope from the rafters of the theatre.

Michael Crawford earned his first Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical on the London stage.

In 1986 this production, with a new cast, though still headed by Michael Crawford, was recorded for television and broadcast by the BBC.

Michael Crawford's Barnum is one of the longest runs by a leading actor.

In 1984, at the final preview of Starlight Express, Michael Crawford happened to run into the show's creator, Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Michael Crawford informed Crawford that he was working on a new project based on a Gaston Leroux novel and wanted to know whether he was interested.

Michael Crawford said he was, but the show was still in the early planning stages, and nothing had been decided.

Michael Crawford was turned off by that, supposing the songwriter had chosen to do a "rock opera"-inspired spectacle in lieu of a more traditional operatic musical.

Many critics were sceptical; Michael Crawford was still largely pigeonholed as the hapless Frank Spencer, and questions were asked about Michael Crawford's ability to manage such a vocally and dramatically demanding role.

Michael Crawford then was replaced in London by Dave Willetts as he continued on to Broadway in 1988.

Michael Crawford played the role for two and a half years and over 1,300 performances, winning an Olivier Award, a Tony Award, a New York Drama Desk Award, and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Achievement in Theatre.

At the gala, Michael Crawford was presented with a birthday cake.

On 29 April 1990, after three and a half years and over 1,300 performances later, Michael Crawford left the show for the final time.

Early into the run, Michael Crawford suffered an accident during a performance and left the show to recover from his injury, which resulted in an early hip replacement operation.

In 2001, Michael Crawford sang Baby Mine from Disney's Dumbo on its 60th anniversary VHS and DVD.

Michael Crawford had a short comeback to Broadway as the Count von Krolock in the short-lived musical Dance of the Vampires.

Michael Crawford originated the role of Count Fosco in Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White, which opened at the Palace Theatre, London in September 2004.

Michael Crawford spent several months recuperating and was thus unable to reprise the role on Broadway.

Michael Crawford learned he was suffering from the post-viral condition myalgic encephalomyelitis, which debilitated him for six years.

Michael Crawford later moved to New Zealand briefly, both to be near his daughter and her family in Australia and to convalesce from his illness.

In 2006, Michael Crawford attended the Gala Performance of the stage version of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre to celebrate the show's becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history.

Michael Crawford was delighted with it, stating this was the first time he had been an audience member of any of the shows he had done.

On 23 October 2010, Michael Crawford attended the celebratory 10,000th performance of The Phantom of the Opera in London alongside composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Michael Crawford spoke of his own memories of the first performance 24 years ago, and was then presented, along with Lloyd Webber, with a special cake to commemorate the landmark achievement.

Michael Crawford stated on This Morning: Sunday, on 14 August 2011, that he had signed on for a further six months in the show.

Michael Crawford left the production on 5 February 2012; the same day as co-star Danielle Hope played her final performance as Dorothy.

Michael Crawford starred in the new West End musical The Go-Between which premiered on 27 May 2016 at Apollo Theatre.

Michael Crawford appeared in the 60th anniversary performance of Britten's Noye's Fludde in London in 2018, performing the Voice of God, and recalled in a BBC Radio 3 interview Benjamin Britten's valuable support in his early career.

Michael Crawford has performed many concert tours in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, beginning with The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1992.

Michael Crawford has done various Michael Crawford International Fan Association exclusive concerts around the US.

Since the late 1980s, Michael Crawford has affiliated himself with various charities, particularly for the good of children.

Michael Crawford is a patron of the Lighthouse Foundation in Australia, and has been President of the Sick Children's Trust since 1987.

Michael Crawford has two daughters with Gabrielle, born in 1966 and 1968.

Michael Crawford was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1988 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 New Year Honours for charitable and philanthropic services, particularly to children's charities.