100 Heroes: Ian Charleson
The gay man who became a renowned actor.
A respected actor on both stage and screen, Ian Charleson was one of the first widely-known people in the UK to die as a result of AIDS-related illness.
Early life
Born in 1949, Charleson grew up in Edinburgh.
An accomplished singer, he began performing in amateur theatrical groups as a teenager.
He went to university in Edinburgh where he continued to pursue his passion for acting.
Career
After graduating from university in 1970, Charleson was selected to join the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
He made his professional debut in 1972 in a production at The Old Vic theatre in London.
Charleson became one of the leading theatre actors of his generation, but he also had two standout film roles that established his reputation internationally. He played leading roles in both Chariots of Fire (1981) and Ghandi (1982).
Charleson's final performance was in the title role of Hamlet at the National Theatre.
Personal life
Although he didn't speak publicly about his sexuality, it was widely known within the entertainment industry that Charleson was a gay man.
He was diagnosed with HIV in 1986. He died from AIDS-related illness in 1990, aged 40.
Charleson requested that it be announced after his death that he had died of AIDS, to publicise the condition. His was the first show-business death in the United Kingdom openly attributed to complications from AIDS.
