Jack Wild
Actor · Died March 1, 2006, aged 53 · Royton, near Oldham, England, UK
Born September 30, 1952, in Royton, near Oldham, England, Jack Wild was discovered by talent agent June Collins, mother of rock star Phil Collins. His breakthrough came when he landed the role of Oliver in the London stage production of "Oliver!" When it came to casting the film, the role of the Artful Dodger went to Jack, a role that resulted in his getting an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Fresh from this success, Jack was offered the lead role in the American television series "H.R. Pufnstuf" (1969). This Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft production featured Wild as a boy marooned in an enchanted land with puppets and actors in elaborate costumes. The success of this program led to Wild reprising the role for the film version, Pufnstuf (1970). Other roles followed, including Melody (1971) and Flight of the Doves (1971). Around the same time, Wild released three albums ("The Jack Wild Album"; "Everything's Coming up Roses", featuring along with cover numbers a couple of new songs written by up-and-coming songwriter Lynsey De Paul; and "Beautiful World"). By 1972, however, he was already being demoted to the role of supporting actor for The Pied Piper (1972). He also appeared in "Our Mutual Friend" (1976). He returned to films in two small roles: the miller's son in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and a peddler in Basil (1998). Wild underwent surgery for oral cancer in July 2004, and had some vocal cords and part of his tongue removed. Unfortunately, the cancer proved untreatable and he died on 1 March 2006.
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Biography from TMDB.
- September 30, 1952
- March 1, 2006 (aged 53)
- Royton, near Oldham, England, UK
- Actor
- 8 on MovieCove · 39 credits in all
Known for
What are Jack Wild's films like?
Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Power.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 5
A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 0 · Dark 2
Grounded 1 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2
Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 1
Steady 4 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0
A split, not a type: Casual 4 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 1
Resolved 4 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Ally: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.
- Allyas The Artful Dodger in Oliver! (1968)
- Heroas Jimmy in Pufnstuf (1970)
- Allyas Ornshaw in Melody (1971)
- Heroas Reg in The Wild Little Bunch (1973)
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet2
- Ambiguous1
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Jack Wild's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Jack Wild's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
39 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Moussaka & Chips (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Lock, Stock... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Basil(1998)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
E! True Hollywood Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Alice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
The Government Inspector (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Keep It Up Downstairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Our Mutual Friend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
The Wild Little Bunch(1973)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Pied Piper(1972)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Onedin Line (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Flight of the Doves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Melody(1971)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Pufnstuf(1970)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all filmsGet It Together (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
H.R. Pufnstuf(1969)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all showsFirst Confession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Oliver!(1968)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
A Game, Like, Only a Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Dannicaforilithermidor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Danny Gets Jet-Propelled (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Danny the Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Dragon Hunt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Dragon Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
In Search of Zoomite (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Potter in Pursuit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Stranger from Dragonara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
The Invisible Space Bubble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
The Runaway Bubble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
The Tent with Four Legs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Come Buttercup, Come Daisy, Come......? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Thirty-Minute Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Out of the Unknown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Theatre 625 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Z-Cars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
The Liberace Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
Career shape
Star power in the 87th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 39 titles from 1952 to 2005; peak year 1971.
Film career
Peak 1971 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Jack Wild's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 7; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th2
Shape of the crowd
4 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Jack Wild work with?
People who share at least 2 of Jack Wild's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hollingsworth Morse shares the most, 2.
Directors
- Hollingsworth MorseShared titles: Pufnstuf (1970), H.R. Pufnstuf (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Hollingsworth Morse
Actors
- Keith BuckleyShared titles: The Wild Little Bunch (1973), The Pied Piper (1972)See all 2 shared titles with Keith Buckley
- Roy KinnearShared titles: The Pied Piper (1972), Melody (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Roy Kinnear
- Mark LesterShared titles: Melody (1971), Oliver! (1968)See all 2 shared titles with Mark Lester
- Angelo RossittoShared titles: Pufnstuf (1970), H.R. Pufnstuf (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Angelo Rossitto
Cinematographers
- Peter SuschitzkyShared titles: The Pied Piper (1972), Melody (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Peter Suschitzky
- Kenneth PeachShared titles: Pufnstuf (1970), H.R. Pufnstuf (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Kenneth Peach
Producers
- David PuttnamShared titles: The Pied Piper (1972), Melody (1971)See all 2 shared titles with David Puttnam
- Ronald S. KassShared titles: The Pied Piper (1972), Melody (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Ronald S. Kass
- Malcolm AlperShared titles: Pufnstuf (1970), H.R. Pufnstuf (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Malcolm Alper
- Marty KrofftShared titles: Pufnstuf (1970), H.R. Pufnstuf (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Marty Krofft
Mixed roles
- David HemmingsShared titles: The Wild Little Bunch (1973), Melody (1971)See all 2 shared titles with David Hemmings
