John Clements, a renowned English actor, director, and producer, was born in southern England and educated at St Paul's School in London and St John's College, Cambridge. His passion for acting led him to make his stage debut at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith in 1930 in the play "Out of the Blue". He continued to hone his craft touring with the Ben Greet Company throughout the 1930s.
In 1935, Clements founded the Intimate Theatre at Palmer's Green in North London, where he presented weekly plays in repertory until 1941. During World War II, he worked with the Entertainments National Service Association (E.N.S.A) and later joined the Old Vic Company, led by Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, at the New Theatre in London.
Before the war, Clements had already begun his film career with small roles in the science fiction film "Once in a New Moon" (1934) and the historically significant films "Rembrandt" (1936) and "I, Claudius" (1937). He also appeared in the adaptation of James Hilton's novel "Knight Without Armor" (1937),as a young communist police official helping English spy Robert Donat and beautiful noblewoman Marlene Dietrich escape from the Russian Revolution.
Clements' breakthrough role came in 1938 with the film "South Riding", where he starred alongside Ralph Richardson. The next year, he played the romantic lead in "The Four Feathers" (1939),an epic film by the Korda Brothers. Although his film career was marked by fewer than 30 films, his stage appearances numbered over 200.
Clements' interest in directing led him to write, direct, and produce his own film "Call of the Blood" (1948). He also acted, directed, and produced numerous West End theater productions from the mid-1940s to the early 1950s, often alongside his second wife, actress Kay Hammond.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Clements continued to work in film and television, accepting roles in a few productions and serving as Advisor on Drama to Associated Rediffusion Ltd and a member of the Board of Directors of the Saville Theatre. He was appointed Director of the Chichester Festival Theatre from 1966 to 1973.
Clements' final film appearance was a cameo in the biographical film "Gandhi" (1982),directed by Richard Attenborough. For his distinguished work as an actor, director, and producer, Clements was awarded a CBE in 1956 and a Knight Bachelor in 1968 for his services to drama.
