Biography

1959 · Golspie, Scotland, UK

James Evander Munro Yuill

Became gravely ill with meningitis during the filming of the final series of Wycliffe (1993). He says he owes his life to Jack Shepherd with whom he was sharing a house while on location, and who rushed him to hospital in the middle of the night. When the production company sacked Yuill "for insurance reasons" as a result of the meningitis, and refused to reinstate him even though he made a full recovery, the rest of the cast and crew felt so betrayed that they decided not to make any more episodes once filming of the current series had finished.

He has appeared in seven films directed by Kenneth Branagh: Henry V (1989), Beaucoup de bruit pour rien (1993), Frankenstein (1994), Hamlet (1996), Peines d'amour perdues (2000), La flûte enchantée (2006) and Comme il vous plaira (2006).

C!ose friend and colleague of Sir Kenneth Branagh, after meeting as students at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He has appeared in several of Branagh's stage and film productions.

Along with Richard Briers, he is one of only two actors other than Kenneth Branagh himself to appear in all five Shakespearean films that Branagh has directed: Henry V (1989), Beaucoup de bruit pour rien (1993), Hamlet (1996), Peines d'amour perdues (2000) and Comme il vous plaira (2006).