Ian Charleson (August 11, 1949 – January 6, 1990) was a Scottish actor in whose honour the annual Ian Charleson Awards were established in 1991 to reward the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors aged under 30. The Royal Free Hospital's Ian Charleson Day Centre for people with HIV, in London NW3, is also named in his memory.
Born and brought up in Edinburgh, Charleson attended the Royal High School and then went on to attend the University of Edinburgh. He initially studied architecture but switched to an MA degree after cultivating an interest in acting. After graduating from Edinburgh he won a place at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). His best-known role was as the athlete Eric Liddell in the film Chariots of Fire (1981). Other notable film appearances were his film debut Jubilee (1977), Gandhi (1982, in the role of C. F. Andrews), and Dario Argento's horror classic Opera.
Charleson, who was gay, died of AIDS-related causes at the age of 40. He died while playing Hamlet in Richard Eyre's production at the Olivier Theatre. He is buried in Portobello Cemetery, Edinburgh. Sir Ian McKellen said that Charleson played Hamlet so well it was as if he had rehearsed the role all his life[citation needed].
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