Scottish actor known for sweet demeanor made Santa Fe home
Whenever Scottish actor Maurice Roëves visited Thomas Mason’s home in Santa Fe, Mason knew it wouldn’t be long before Roëves was on the floor, playing with Ricky, Mason’s tricolored corgi.
Roëves’ many roles in film, as tough and demanding characters, never captured the sweet demeanor the actor’s close friends recall, Mason said.
Roëves — who lived part time in Santa Fe for the past several years with his wife, Vanessa Rawlings-Jackson — was known for his performances in 1992’s The Last of the Mohicans, the long-running British TV show Doctor
Who and Tutti Frutti, a BBC Scotland series.
He died Wednesday at the age of 83 after a lengthy illness.
“He was a really sweet guy and really funny,” said Mason, who hosted Roëves and his wife on their first visit to Santa
Fe 14 years ago. The two men became close friends.
“They stayed here with us, and that’s when I got to know him,” Mason said. “He was a really sweet guy and really funny. We really hit it off right away.”
Roëves, known by friends as “Mo,” was a prolific actor, appearing in more than 80 films and TV shows. He is one of a select group of actors to have appeared in both the sci-fi series Doctor
Who and in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
He was born in 1937 in Sunderland, England, but grew up in Glasgow, Scotland. After serving in the Royal Scots Greys Armored Corps, Roëves discovered his passion for acting. He began performing in local drama groups in Scotland before training at the Glasgow College of Dramatic Arts.
“It found him,” Mason said of Roëves’ acting career. “It was just second nature for him to be in front of people.”
People took notice of Roëves’ natural talent under the spotlight after his first lead role, as Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice, at Glasgow’s Citizen Theater.
“I was heavily appreciated by the young schoolgirls at the time, the press jumped onto it and I was getting the Beatles treatment,” he said in a 2014 interview with the Glasgow Times.
“He wasn’t looking for the attention,” Mason said of his friend, “but he would accept it graciously.”
Roëves and his wife immediately took to Santa Fe, Mason said. “On their first visit, they were thinking about getting a place. It was that quick.”
Roëves became immersed in Western style — cowboy hats and turquoise-laden belt buckles — soon after purchasing a condo here. “He was quite a picture. He did the whole turquoise thing, with belt buckles, cowboy boots and all that stuff,” Mason said. “You had this really wonderful Scotsman who’s now adopting some of the local gear.”
Roëves’ love for Santa Fe went far beyond appearances.
“He loved Santa Fe and made every effort to do everything he could while he was here.
He loved to get to the Lensic [Performing Arts Center], the theater and every musical event. All of the things that are specific to Santa Fe,” Mason said.
Roëves’ work ethic over 60 years in the industry earned him the respect of filmmakers and fans alike. But for his friends, it was never about the fame.
“It was always about having a nice time together and being friends without any of the trappings of the entertainment world,” Mason said.
“There was no sense of him being full of himself. He was a sweet, thoughtful guy. I’ll miss him dearly.”
“He loved Santa Fe and made every effort to do everything he could while he was here.” Friend Thomas Mason