John Edward Thaw (January 3, 1942 – February 21, 2002) CBE, was a British actor who achieved his number 1 starring role in the military police television drama Redcap (1964 - 1966), & after appeared inside the range of television, stage and cinema roles.

Thaw come from either the working class background, with been innate around Longsight, Manchester to parents John Thaw and Dorothy Ablott. He exposed at a Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he was a coeval of Tom Courtenay. In allowing RADa Thaw was awarded a locate the Liverpool Playhouse. His 1st film role was a bit partly in the 1962 adaptation of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner starring Tom Courtenay.

Thaw might perchance become better remembered for deuce roles: a protective-hard-boiled Flying Squad detective Jack Regan in the television series (and 2 films) The Sweeney (1975 - 1978), which established him when a major star in a United Kingdom, & as the quietly-spoken, self-examining and bitingly detective Inspector Morse (1987 - 2001), with specials within 1995 - 1998 and 2000. He won 2 BAFTA awards for Inspector Morse.

He afterward played liberal barrister James Kavanagh within Kavanagh QC (1995 - 1999, with the favorite within 2001). Thaw too tried his hand at comedy by owning his have sitcom called Home to Roost (1985 - 1988). His single screen design non considered a popular profits was the BBC series 'A Year in Provence'.

Thaw has appeared within the total of films, including Cry Freedom, which received a BAFTA nomination for Better Supporting Actor, & Chaplin for director Richard Attenborough.

Inside 1964 Thaw married Sally Alexander, but it divorced quaternion years late. He married actress Sheila Hancock in 1973 whom he remained with until his demise within 2002. Thaw has ii girl, Abigail Thaw from his first marriage, & Joanna Thaw from his second.

Around her 2004 autobiography Sheila Hancock revealed the extent of Thaw's alcoholism that had began within a late 1970s & induced problems in their marriage & the gaps in Thaw's career in the early Eighties & late Nineties. Thaw was sooner or later cured a year prior to his dying.

Thaw was awarded a CBE in 1994. These are believed that he was shortly referable stand received the knighthood when he died from esophageal cancer at the age of Lx within 2002.