Michael Crawford

Michael Crawford (born 1942) is an accomplished British actor, comedian, and singer who has performed on radio, television, film, and stage, both in the UK and the US.

He has been showered with numerous accolades for his performances including the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Theatregoers Choice, and Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1988 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2014 for his charitable and philanthropic services.

In 2005, Michael came down with what he thought was the flu:

"I went into a kind of physical meltdown. I collapsed with what I thought was flu, but it turned out to be something much more difficult to diagnose.

"Teams of doctors were called in to try to find out why I was so completely exhausted, depleted and unable to return to work. I had brain and body scans, and virtually every test known to man before eventually discovering that I was suffering from the post-viral condition myalgic encephalopathy (ME).

"I remember Michael Winner, who'd had his own battle with serious ill health, calling me with words of encouragement. 'Oh, you'll get it back again, my dear!' he said, in his own inimitable way. And he was right, but it was a very slow road. Slower and longer than I could ever have imagined.

"In fact, for two years I was transformed by this baffling condition. I went from someone who had spent their entire career relishing the physical challenges of acting to someone who could hardly face climbing the stairs."

After six years of recuperating in New Zealand, he was able to return to the stage, albeit in smaller roles with shorter duration. He, also, continues his charitable work.

Articles

 * 12 Mar 2013, 'Frank Spencer': New Zealand cured my crippling illness NZ Herald
 * 16 Jan 2011, 'Singing in a fat suit left me so ill I could hardly walk... now I'm back in the West End': Michael Crawford on his return to the stage Daily Mail.com