![]() "Jack was keen to use his experience to help people understand the disease and its risk factors."ĭespite his illness, he continued to perform. "We are very saddened to hear of the death of Jack Wild," said Alex Markham, head of the charity. Although unable to speak after an operation two years ago, he worked on raising awareness of mouth cancer for Cancer Research UK. Wild admitted his heavy smoking and drinking made him a "walking time bomb" for mouth cancer. Jones, who became a backing singer for Kim Wilde and Suzi Quatro, left him in 1985 because of his alcoholism.Īfter giving up drink in 1989, Wild appeared in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner in 1991 and in the Channel 4 series Lock, Stock in 2000. He married his childhood sweetheart, Gaynor Jones, and appeared in the BBC's adaptation of Our Mutual Friend in 1976 but struggled to land other acting roles. ![]() In life as in art, Wild increasingly looked lost: he featured in Alan Parker's first movie, Melody, in 1971, and recorded three albums, but his cherubic features masked a growing struggle with alcoholism. On the back of its global success he landed the starring role in the surreal American TV series HR Pufnstuf, in which he played a boy marooned on an enchanted island. The film collected five Academy awards, although he did not win the Oscar for best supporting actor. "The chemistry between us was just something very, very special, which lasted throughout our lives," he said. Lester said Wild was like an elder brother during the making of the film. A promising footballer, he was spotted playing alongside Phil Collins by Collins' mother, June, a talent scout, and won the role of Oliver in the West End production of Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! Too old at 14 to play the lead when it came to casting the film, he became the pickpocket, the Artful Dodger, alongside Oliver Reed, Harry Secombe, Ron Moody and fellow child star Mark Lester, then nine, who played Oliver. Wild was discovered while living in Hounslow, west London, with his parents, who had been mill workers in Lancashire. You never heard him complain, even with his illness." "He wanted to be remembered as an entertainer," said his agent and friend Alex Jay yesterday.
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