Many people forget that Bowie was also an actor. While fundamentally a musician, the natural performer garnered acting roles throughout his career as well. He appeared in over 30 films, TV shows, and theatrical productions. His acting career, however, was very particular and in a healthy way.
Bowie avoided starring roles and rather opted for smaller cameos and supporting roles. Many critics maintain that had he not pursued music, he would have been a very successful actor.
The Public Had No Idea
Sadly, Bowie passed away in 2016, two short days after his 69th birthday and the Blackstar album release. The singer died in his New York City apartment, 18 months after he had been diagnosed with liver cancer, without the public being aware.
Before his death, Bowie worked with Belgian theater director Ivo van Hove for his Off-Broadway musical 'Lazarus.' According to van Hove, Bowie couldn't attend some of the rehearsals due to the declining situation of his health. Still, he tried his best to keep working throughout.
After His Death…
Following his passing, thousands of fans gathered at impromptu street memorials in cities all over the world. After the news of his passing, sales from all his albums and singles soared. Bowie was determined to not have a funeral. Instead, his body was cremated in New Jersey. As specified in his will, his ashes were dispersed in Bali, Indonesia, in a Buddhist ceremony.
Even Bowie’s close collaborators were unaware of his diagnosis. Iman avoided any public talk on the subject. She still honors their love on social media and posts about Bowie. She also vowed to never remarry. “I mentioned my husband the other day with a friend, and they said to me, ‘You mean your late husband?’ I said, no, he will always be my husband.”
Bowie the Theater Star?
Bowie's acting career actually predated his breakthrough as a musician. He had studied avant-garde theater and mime, taking the role of Cloud in Kemp's 1967 play "Pierrot in Turquoise." In 1976, Bowie received acclaim for his first significant film role in "The Man Who Fell to Earth," as the alien Thomas Jerome Newton.
Bowie later revealed that his medication use during the filming left him in a very flimsy state of mind, so much so that he barely understood the movie.
The Elephant Man
Bowie played Joseph Merrick in Broadway's "The Elephant Man," which he did wearing no stage make-up. His powerful performance earned him much praise. After all, he played the part over 150 times between 1980 and 1981.
But Bowie declined the role of the villain Max Zorin in "James Bond: A View to a Kill" in 1985. His other roles consisted of the hitman Colin in the 1985 John Landis film "Into the Night" and Goblin King in Jim Henson's dark symphonic fantasy "Labyrinth."