James Booth

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James Booth
Born	David Noel Geeves (1927-12-19)19 December 1927 Croydon, Surrey, England
Died	11 August 2005(2005-08-11) (aged 77) Hadleigh, Essex, England
Other names	David Geeves-Booth
Years active	1958–2005
Spouse	Paula Delaney ​ ​ (m. 1960)​
Children	4

James Booth (born David Noel Geeves; 19 December 1927 – 11 August 2005) was an English film, stage and television actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Private Henry Hook in Zulu.

Variety called him "a punchy blend of toughness, potential evil and irresistible charm."^[1]

Though many observers expected Booth to become a major star, his acting career stalled and nearly stopped. In interviews, Booth was forthcoming about the reasons for his professional difficulties. These included his appearance in the stage musical Twang!! in 1965, the film The Secret of My Success, both of which were commercial faliures. His alcoholism, his unaggressive approach to selling himself, his lack of connections and his own failure to work hard because everything came so easily to him at first, were also factors. Booth also turned down the lead role of Alfie. By 1974 he was bankrupt, heavily in debt and returned to the stage.