Denis Lawson

Denis Stamper Lawson, born on 27 September 1947 in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, grew up in the small town of Crieff after his family moved there when he was three. He is the son of Phyllis Neno (née Stamper), a merchant, and Laurence Lawson, a watchmaker, and he attended Crieff Public School before moving on to Morrison's Academy as a day pupil. After failing an initial audition for RADA, he studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, supplementing his training by selling carpets and performing amateur theatre in Dundee. Lawson's professional debut came in 1969 with a small role in a West End production of The Metamorphosis, and he quickly established himself on television with appearances in The Merchant of Venice (1973) opposite Laurence Olivier and the cult series Rock Follies (1976). Denis Lawson is perhaps best known internationally for portraying the Rebel pilot Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy (1977‑1983), a role he revisited in voice work for the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II video game and later in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). His television accolades include a BAFTA‑ and Primetime Emmy‑nominated performance as John Jarndyce in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House (2005). On stage he earned three Laurence Olivier Award nominations, winning in 1983 for his lead in the musical Mr Cinders, and he has starred in productions such as La Cage Aux Folles and Pal Joey. Lawson's personal life includes his son Jamie with actress Diane Fletcher, his brief marriage to the late Sheila Gish (2004‑2005), and his current marriage to Karen Prentice (since 2017). He remains active in film, television, theatre, and voice work, contributing to a career that spans over five decades.