# Gary Bond
**Gary Bond** (Gary [James Bond](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-bond), 7 February 1940 – 12 October 1995) was an English actor and singer known for originating the role of Joseph in the 1972 London production of [Tim Rice](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-rice) and [Andrew Lloyd Webber](https://www.edgepedia.org/andrew-lloyd-webber)'s *Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat*, for playing the lead, John Grant, in the Australian film *Wake in Fright* (1971), and for a succession of West End musical and straight-play roles.[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 7 February 1940, Liss, Hampshire; 12 October 1995, Ealing, London, aged 55[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) |
| Training | Scholarship to the Central School of Speech and Drama after schooling at Churcher's College, Petersfield[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/bio/) |
| Signature musical role | Joseph in *Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat*, 1972, which moved from the Edinburgh Fringe to the Roundhouse and then a long West End run at the Albery Theatre[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) |
| Other Rice–Lloyd Webber role | Che Guevara in *Evita* from 1978, taking over from David Essex, initially opposite Elaine Page and later Marti Webb[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) • [4](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/hollywood/story/who-is-gary-bond-90037-2012-01-17) |
| Best-known film role | John Grant, a teacher stranded in an outback mining town, in *Wake in Fright* (1971)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/) |
| Early screen work | Private Cole in *Zulu* (1964), opposite Michael Caine and Stanley Baker; Pip in the BBC's *Great Expectations* (1967)[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) |
| Final stage role | George Dillingham in *Aspects of Love*, in the 1994 revival at the Piccadilly Theatre and on tour[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) |
## Early life and training
Bond was born in Liss, Hampshire, the son of a soldier, and was educated at [Churcher's College](https://www.edgepedia.org/churchers-college) in [Petersfield](https://www.edgepedia.org/petersfield). His father, who wanted a steady career for him, died in December 1955, when Bond was 16, leaving him free to pursue his ambition to act. He won a scholarship to the Central School of Speech and Drama.[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/bio/)
His first job came at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing, in *Not in the Book* (IMDb gives the title as *Not By The Book*), followed by *Doctor in the House*, in which he played the light-hearted Dr Simon Sparrow. A year later he appeared at the [Royal Court Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-court-theatre), London, as Pip in [Arnold Wesker](https://www.edgepedia.org/arnold-wesker)'s *Chips with Everything*, one of the theatrical landmarks of the 1960s; he was among the original British cast when the play was brought to New York.[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html)
## Stage career
Bond's good looks and debonair manner made him frequent casting in light comedy and romantic leads, including John Shand in J.M. Barrie's *What Every Woman Knows* (1967) and Giles Cadwallader in *The Man Most Likely To...* (1968). Invited to join the Prospect Theatre Company in 1968, he took classical roles as Sebastian in *Twelfth Night* and Sergius in Shaw's *Arms and the Man*, and in 1970 played Benedick in *Much Ado About Nothing* at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park.[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html)
**Musical theater.** His first success as a singer and dancer came in [Brian Epstein](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-epstein)'s revue *On the Level* at the Saville Theatre in 1966. The decisive hit was *Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat* in 1972, an early Rice and Lloyd Webber musical that opened to acclaim on the Edinburgh Fringe, moved to the Roundhouse in [Camden Town](https://www.edgepedia.org/camden-town), and then ran in the West End at the Albery Theatre; as the young biblical hero abandoned by his brothers, Bond established himself as a versatile musical performer.[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) His association with Rice and Lloyd Webber continued in *Evita*, where from 1978 he took over the role of [Che Guevara](https://www.edgepedia.org/che-guevara), who acts as both character and narrator, from the pop star David Essex; the show's American director Hal Prince admired his handling of the part. Afterward he gave concert performances of Lloyd Webber's songs with Marti Webb.[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html)
**Later theater.** He returned to straight plays in the 1980s: Otto in Coward's *Design for Living* opposite Maria Aitken at the [Globe Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/globe-theatre) (1982), *State of Affairs* (1983), *The Baccarat Scandal* at the Chichester Festival Theatre (1988), and the Count in a revival of Anouilh's *The Rehearsal* at the Garrick Theatre (1992). His last stage appearance was as the aging roué George Dillingham in *Aspects of Love*, in the revival at the Piccadilly Theatre and subsequently on tour.[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/)
## Screen work
Despite being photogenic, Bond did not build a large film and television career. His television debut came in 1963 in Granada's production of *War and Peace*, as a young suitor to Natalia, and his film debut followed in 1964 as Private Cole in *Zulu*, playing opposite [Michael Caine](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-caine) and [Stanley Baker](https://www.edgepedia.org/stanley-baker). For [BBC Television](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-television) he was Pip in *Great Expectations* (1967) and the young suitor in Anouilh's *Colombe*, and in 1968 he played a young Indian army colonel, Lt Clive Russell, in Thames Television's adventure series *Frontier*.[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/)
His most substantial film role was the lead in the Australian film *Wake in Fright* (1971), directed by [Ted Kotcheff](https://www.edgepedia.org/ted-kotcheff), in which he played John Grant, a bonded teacher who stops for one night in the rough outback mining town of Bundanyabba while traveling to Sydney. The film was restored and re-released to acclaim in 2009.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/) He also appeared in *Anne of the Thousand Days* (1969) with Richard Burton, and made cameo appearances in series including *Z-Cars*, *The Avengers*, *Hart to Hart*, and *Bergerac*; his last television appearance was in the 1990 *Bergerac* episode "All the Sad Songs".[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/gary-bond/) • [4](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/hollywood/story/who-is-gary-bond-90037-2012-01-17) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/)
## Personal life and death
For 16 years Bond shared his home with the American artist and illustrator E.J. Taylor, who sustained him through a long and painful illness.[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html) He had earlier been the companion of the actor Jeremy Brett from 1969 to 1976.[4](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/hollywood/story/who-is-gary-bond-90037-2012-01-17)
Having been diagnosed HIV positive, he died of AIDS at Ealing Hospital, West London, on 12 October 1995, at the age of 55, one month after Brett's death.[4](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/hollywood/story/who-is-gary-bond-90037-2012-01-17) • [6](https://theatricalia.com/person/4e0/gary-bond)
## References
1. [Derek Granger, "Obituary: Gary Bond", The Independent, 17 October 1995](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gary-bond-1578043.html)
2. [Gary Bond, IMDb biography and credits](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/)
3. [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/bio/](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093937/bio/)
4. ["Who is Gary Bond?", India Today, 18 January 2012](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/hollywood/story/who-is-gary-bond-90037-2012-01-17)
5. [Gary Bond, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/gary-bond/)
6. [Gary Bond, Theatricalia](https://theatricalia.com/person/4e0/gary-bond)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames A to B*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license