David Bailie
Biography
David Bailie was a South African actor who worked extensively in British theater, television, and film. He moved to Britain in 1960 after being cast in Flame in the Streets (1961), then trained at RADA and joined Liverpool's Everyman in 1964. He performed with the National Theatre and became an associate artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1965, appearing opposite Judi Dench in The Winter's Tale. On television, he played the villain Dask in a 1977 Doctor Who serial, The Robots of Death. His later films included Cutthroat Island (1995), The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), and Gladiator (2000). He was perhaps best known as Cotton, the mute pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Dead Man's Chest (2006), and At World's End (2007). He also appeared in Kaldor City and Big Finish audio dramas and worked as a professional photographer.
83years old at death
- Born Springs
- Died London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
- Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
Movie Career
- Films
- 8
- Career span
- 60 years1959 to 2019
Genres
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Getting ready for a role
David Bailie appeared as Cotton in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, starting with The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003. Cotton had no lines in the three movies, so Bailie proposed a storyline to director Gore Verbinski and writer Terry Rossio in which the character could speak, but it was not included.
First role
Bailie got a job as a juvenile lead in weekly repertory in Barrow-in-Furness by bluffing his way in, and he was afraid his lack of experience would be noticed.
Early training
David Bailie tried three times for a bursary to RADA, but each attempt ended with him accepted only as a fee-paying student. He used the last of his standby money, left in Rhodesia, to pay for his first term in 1963, then persuaded John Fernald to give him free tuition for two more years.
Big break
Bailie went back to London and tried out for Sir Laurence Olivier, who accepted him into the National Theatre. There he took minor parts and understudied Olivier in plays such as Love for Love.
A change of course
Bailie worked with Stomu Yamashta at the Red Buddha Theatre during the early 1970s. He was cast as the lead in Raindog, a show that required singing, dancing, martial arts and gymnastics, and he later admitted the job was too demanding for him.
David Bailie movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest2006 Action, Adventure, Fantasyas Cotton
IMDb rating 7.4837K votes
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl2003 Action, Adventure, Fantasyas Cotton
IMDb rating 8.11.3M votes
Most often with
Gore Verbinski directed three of these films. Eight actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Johnny Depp's page
Jonathan Pryce's page
Keira Knightley's page
Orlando Bloom's page
Kevin McNally's page
Mackenzie Crook's page
Gore VerbinskiDirector, 3 films, 2003 to 2007
All films by Gore Verbinski
Also three films together2 more actors
- Lee ArenbergPirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
- Jack DavenportPirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.