Nigel Bruce Height, Weight, Age, Wife, Children

Nigel Bruce Height, Weight, Age, Wife, Children

by
Nigel Bruce Quick Info
Height 6 ft 0 in
Weight 88 kg
Date of Birth February 4, 1895
Zodiac Sign Aquarius
Date of Death October 8, 1953

Nigel Bruce was a British actor who found acclaim as a character actor in such roles as Major Giles Lacy in Rebecca (1940), Gordon Cochrane ‘Beaky’ Thwaite in Suspicion (1941), Postant in Limelight (1952), Duke of Rudling in Lassie Come Home (1943), Joseph Sedley in Becky Sharp (1935), Dr. Angus McLean in Bwana Devil (1952), Lord Albert Esketh in The Rains Came (1939), etc. However, his most prominent role was playing Dr. John H. Watson in 14 movies from the Sherlock Holmes film series (1939-1946) alongside Basil Rathbone as the titular character.

Born Name

William Nigel Ernle Bruce

Nick Name

Willie

Nigel Bruce as seen in the 1937 film The Last of Mrs. CheyneyNigel Bruce as seen in the 1937 film The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (Trailer Screenshot / Wikimedia / Public Domain)

Age

He was born on February 4, 1895.

Died

Nigel passed away on October 8, 1953, at the age of 58 years in California from a heart attack.

Sun Sign

Aquarius

Born Place

Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

Nationality

British

 

Education

Bruce studied at The Grange School located in Stevenage and, from 1908 to 1912, at the Abingdon School located in Abingdon-on-Thames.

Occupation

Actor

Family

  • Father – Sir William Waller Bruce (10th Baronet of Stenhouse)
  • Mother – Angelica Lady Bruce
  • Siblings – Sir Michael Bruce (Older Brother) (11th Baronet of Stenhouse, Author, Adventurer)
  • Others – Christopher Plummer (Second Cousin Brother)

Build

Average

Height

6 ft 0 in or 183 cm

Weight

88 kg or 194 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Nigel Bruce had dated –

  • Violet Pauline Shelton (1921-1953) – He was happily married to the British actress Violet Pauline Shelton a.k.a. Violet Campbell from May 21, 1921, until his death on October 8, 1953. The couple was blessed with 2 daughters named Jennifer Bruce and Pauline Bruce.

    • (From left to right) Nigel Bruce, Evelyn Ankers, and Basil Rathbone as seen in the 1942 film Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror(From left to right) Nigel Bruce, Evelyn Ankers, and Basil Rathbone as seen in the 1942 film Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (Unknown (Universal Pictures) / Wikimedia / Public Domain)

    Race / Ethnicity

    White

    He was of Scottish descent.

    Hair Color

    Dark Brown

    Eye Color

    Blue

    Sexual Orientation

    Straight

    Distinctive Features

    • Frequently played buffoonish, upper-class English gentlemen
    • He was addicted to pipe smoking, both on and off screen.
    • Played the role of Dr. John Watson along with Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes

    Nigel Bruce as pictured in the Abingdon School first XI cricket team in 1912Nigel Bruce as pictured in the Abingdon School first XI cricket team in 1912 (Unknown Author / Wikimedia / Public Domain)

    Nigel Bruce Facts

  • He was gravely wounded while fighting in the British army during World War I and suffered permanent damage to his legs as a result.
  • In the Sherlock Holmes film series, his character Dr. Watson was seemingly older than Basil Rathbone‘s Sherlock Holmes. In reality however, he was around 3 years younger to Rathbone. Moreover, both the actors shared a great friendship off-screen as well with Rathbone calling Bruce with the nicknames ‘Bunny’ and ‘Willy’.
  • Interestingly, his cousin Christopher Plummer ended up playing Sherlock Holmes in the 1979 thriller, Murder by Decree opposite James Mason‘s Watson.
  • During his lifetime, Bruce was working on his autobiography titled Games, Gossip and Greasepaint. However, it never got published as he died before completing the book. Nevertheless, several extracts from his autobiography were published in The Sherlock Holmes Journal.
  • He had the good opportunity of appearing in 3 groundbreaking films during his long career. His film Becky Sharp (1935) was the first feature film released in full Technicolor, Bwana Devil (1952) became the first 3-D feature film ever released, and The Rains Came (1939) won the first Academy Award in the ‘Best Special Effects’ category.

    • Featured Image by Trailer Screenshot / Wikimedia / Public Domain

     

    Leave a Comment