David Bowie - Scenes from The Elephant Man, 1980-1981 

There was no end to his talent...

"Sometimes I think my head is so big cause it's so full of dreams" this line gets me every time 😢 his acting was just phenomenal

Heartbreaking and beautiful... wouldn´t you just take him in your arms, hold, his hand and tell him everything will be alright? David Bowie is such a transcending actor, perfect, he just...is. Apparently, the crew thought he was a much better actor than the others who played this character...

You can tell when someones a good actor (mainly celebrities) when you forget who they actually are during there performance. I watched this in the middle of watching a documentary about bowie so watching this and then going back to the documentary was very strange as he is a completely different person in this then he is in real life and when producing music. Such a talented man. Legends always die young.

I was fortunate enough to see Elephant Man during Bowie's New York run. It was a very intimate little theatre, the sets and lighting were very minimal... and as will come as no surprise...he was simply brilliant. A heartbreaking, nuanced and extremely intelligent performance. Almost impossible to describe it in the depth deserved except to say that after fifteen minutes... you entirely forgot that it was David Bowie twenty feet in front of you.

Superb acting, no makeup or costume and David portrays John Merrick wonderfully. An extremely talented man. R. I. P

I hope the whole performance comes out on DVD one day

💔 One forgets that it is David Bowie after a short time. He so thoroughly became the character.

I need the full version of this in my life! He is such an amazing actor I am in tears!

He's such a fantastic actor. So many musicians attempt to become actors and either fail completely or succeed only on the basis of their pre-existing fame. Bowie was an incredible exception. An incredible, sincere, talented actor. Even in these few minutes he disappears so completely into the part. I can tell if this ever gets released in full I will be a sloppy mess of tears.

One of the most memorable pieces of theater I’ve ever seen… Before the show went to Broadway it actually previewed in Denver Colorado. I can’t remember what year. But I saw it and it was amazing. There was a particularly nice sequence in which a professor was explaining the elephant man to his students… it started with the prof pointing at original photographic slides of the actual grotesque original Elephant Man. the professor described all of his afflictions. Bowie was standing on the stage looking normal at first… but as the lecture proceeded, Bowie slowly contorted his body into the position he would use for the rest of the play. So you looked at the photos of the actual elephant man, you saw Bowie transform himself into the contorted theater version of that Elephant Man… and you never saw the original photographs again, but your mind carried and mapped all of those characteristics from the photographs onto the contorted Bowie. It was masterful theater!

David Bowie .. He is so strong, he is vulnerable; he is almost everything one can hope to be: has there ever been a more complete human being ?!

tell me sth he couldn't do.... i'm speechless how can one single person be so talented omg

Such a Renaissance man!

Gorgeous man. And what an actor!

I discovered this incredible play because of David Bowie; I've never been more moved by anything else I've ever read, and no one else can play the role like he did ;____;

Bowie did a performance the same day John Lennon was shot, well actually the next day as Lennon was shot at night. He said he was devastated yet somehow got through the performance. Reminds me of Elton John being able to get through "Candle in the wind" during the Lady Di memorial

This holds a special place in my heart because David invited me to see this show and invited me backstage to meet him....He was amazing in this role...but then again he was amazing in everything he did

David is perfection in this. So touching a performance...

Oh, this made me cry. How beautiful and sensitive a portrayal.

David was fantastic in this, I was fortunate enough to see this play - my older brother got me the tickets for my birthday - maybe 8th row center - knowing i was such a Bowie fan, seeing Diamond dogs and the Young Americans tour, I followed him faithfully - I saw every NY show he did, following his career with a passion - He was a Beautiful person - and is missed immensely - we all share the loss - Thank you for publishing this clip

The way he talks is so cute!

He's so charming, such a talented artist, in both acting and his music. Not to mention drop-dead gorgeous.

Majestic. Here you see what he got from joining Lindsay Kemp's mime and dance company. Such a realistic rendition of physical disability without fake emphasis nor stage excess. This was maybe ten years before Dustin Hoffman's "Rain Man"....Thank you so much for posting it.

Dear Lord...seeing Bowie do this performance makes me want to cry. I miss him so very much. He was so beautiful and so talented. But playing Mr. Merrick makes it even more heartbreaking. I would like to see the entire performance.

Tears! This is incredible.

This is incredible ! Mr. Bowie is the most talented man ever - just brilliant !👏🏻💙

The way that David was able to make his body look like that... you get a sense of what he looked like... it's very strange, but a good strange... ❤Love you Bowie!❤

Leaves me speechless and tearfull

Holy shit he can act

41 years after seeing this performance twice - the very first performance, and the official opening night, then with Patricia Elliott, who is not featured in these scenes, it still is amazing. One of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Oh How much I miss him.

Very moving performance. I have so much respect for David Bowie, as an actor and musician.

How I wish that this was in entirety.

Something kind of hit me today, if you'll pardon the pun: The "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" program that can also be seen on RU-vid, where David does an interview with Tim Rice; that shows some of these scenes shot at different angles. So, really? NO ONE thought to film the whole play? Not even a dress rehearsal? Balderdash! Someone must have. I mean, it was *_David Bowie_*. He may not have been "Let's Dance" popular in 1980, but if he had enough marquee value for legit Broadway, someone in that world must have thought about putting it on video or on PBS someday, just like what was done with _Sweeney Todd_ when Hearn and Lansbury starred. Perhaps one day we'll get lucky, and the cameraman's kid finds a stash of the film, just like the man who shot "The Jean Genie" for TOTP and forgot about the tape for 38 years. We can only hope.

Excellent acting by Mr. Bowie

Amazing David Bowie ❣👍😰🌹♥️

Thank you so much for posting this! I was fortunate enough to have played Merrick in 1985 -- and I'd read glowing things about Bowie's performance, but never saw a minute of it till this afternoon. This is a gift.

I've watched these two scenes so many times I can almost quote them word for word 😅

I was there. Brilliant Bowie.

I didnt know that Bowie was such a great actor. I would love to see the entire play.. what an extraordinary performance.

Thank You So Much for Posting This sysplex. (i wish it was on DVD).

I'll add 3 things to the Bowie LoveFest here. 1) Merry Christmas, Mister Lawrence. Brilliant performance, hard, heartbreaking movie. Deserved multiple Oscars, or at least nominations. 2) Until his death, my then-20 yr. old daughter was dedicated to building a time machine to go back and marry him at an age-appropriate year. After he died, she came to the conclusion that it will be easier to clone a personal copy for herself. 3) Watching Labyrinth, she noticed Bowie's rather large, um, Codpiece area in his trousers. Or, as she calls it "The day Puberty hit" LOL I simply MUST find a copy of this for her. PLEASE HELP

*THIS IS MY HOME*

I didnt know Bowie played Merrick. Now i do.

I got to see this play and needless to say DAVID was AMAZING in it...then the best thing was he invited me to see the play and I got to meet him after the play was over backstage....What a really super nice and funny guy...Yes I miss him ...

Thank you for this wonderful upload! BOWIE FOREVER!

IVE NEVER SEEN DAVID BOWIE ON BROADWAY, BUT FROM THESE SCENES I CAN TELL HE WAS EXCEPTIONAL. I DONT THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING HE COULDNT DO. I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE

Brilliant. I'm crying.

Thank you so very much for sharing these minutes of brilliance ❤️;but could someone out there PLEASE release the entire performance ?🙏

😭😭😭😭😭😭 One of the best performances I've ever seen. David was and still is and icon. RIP David Bowie

Absolutely Brilliant Performance By David.

Bowie is and will always be a Genius. As the musician he was (Ziggy Stardust, Starman, Bowie). The man who fall to earth, Les Prédateurs, Furyo...). He became a Legend. And legends never die ! Bowie forever & ever !❤

Impressive actor!

I wish this would come out on dvd it be great to see the full play

Thank you for posting this. . . It's been over 35 years since I had the privilege of viewing Bowie's portrayal of John Merrick, and this video clip brings this wonderful memory back.

Most beautiful and talented... David Bowie..💖

I saw this performance. The way Bowie distorted his body to try to portray the life of the poor man was amazing. I studied John.

Whoever you are your work is greatly appreciated.

Believing the strangest things, loving the elephant...

Dude, thy last scene was deep af

RIP Bowie and John Hurt. Hope they're having fun among the stars together.

He was a genius! Miss you so much David Bowie! RIP

Such a beautiful performance I would love to see the whole play

i was hoping to see a bit of this posted.it's bowie embodying yet another character with the expertise of the artist that he is.

RIP David Bowie

Brilliant . One minor point worth mentioning ; the stage play , like the film , got Merrick's first name wrong . It was Joseph , not John . Bowie was fantastic in the role .

If I didn't know this was David Bowie, I'd have to question myself. This is brilliant.

it's so great!!! I hope the whole play will come on DVD soon !!!!

Absolutely brilliant! Just like everything he did!🌗⚡❤️

GENIOS 🎭

I love Bowie so much. He was definitely “inspired “ by Bette Davis in his performance. Awesome 👏

The theatre district in New York consists of Broadway, Off-Broadway & Off-Off-Broadway. I think The Booth Theatre, the venue for The Elephant Man was classed as Off-Broadway, correct me if I'm wrong. I arrived, from England, at the theatre box office, expecting all tickets to be sold out. I was pleasantly surprised this wasn't the case. I bought as many tickets as I could, five to be precise, due to time constraints. I saw him twice in one day, for one performance I sat in the front row. I stayed in, I think, Hotel President near Times Square. Meeting up with US Bowie fans I'd met at Bowie Con 1 1980 Floor Show, Holiday Inn Chicago April 27th 1980. Some names I remember Mike from New Orlean, Linda Hess from Washington DC, Karla from New York. The set was minimalist, with a cellist perched stage right. When it got to the sad bits in came the cello solo. It was very easy to suspend disbelief, even though I probably knew the lines verbatim. Pathos, comedy, etc. made for a spellbinding performance. We partied in the hotel & presented David with flowers after the show. It coincided with John Lennon's Assassination, so we all went to the Vigil in Central Park. Also to legendary Bowery venues Max's Kansas City & CGBG's. Pete Townsend attended one performance. I had a brief conversation with him where I mentioned The Who Live At Leeds, my home town. Famous Hollywood actress Kim Novak, who appeared in Just A Gigolo, attended another performance. I got to speak to her, autograph etc. I didn't meet David this time, but couldn't have been far away from him as I bumped into his bodyguard, Tony Masia. I told him I'd seen him on the telly in a Michael Cain film. He said he'd got into acting after playing Arthur, Thomas Jerome Newton's Chauffeur in The Man Who Fell Earth. Thanks, David for a lifetime of Bowie related adventures.

I actually got to see him in New York. :) Also wish it was recorded and for sale. :(

Congratulations dear David Bowie

David Bowie is a great actor in The Elephant Man! I believe in his performence!

I have no words...

A person will never understand this until it becomes part of your existence. I saw a Father and his daughter at the grocery store last week he said World THIS is my daughter and she was right behind him and said WORLD THIS IS ME ! I KNOW that God is Love . I'm done with this i have to move on

Omfgg he is such a great and talented actor and entertainer.. i love thiss

I was lucky enough to see this at the Booth Theater. A bunch of drove down from New Hampshire.

Amazing performance by a transcendant artist.

It's a real shame to think, David performed the elephant man For September 1980 to January 1981, so the story was that John Lennon had booked tickets to see the show along with Yoko, and so did Mark David Chapman (Lennon's Killer) and apparently Mark was going to shoot David in stage if he didn't kill John And on the day after John's murder December 9th David performed the Elephant man, traumastised by the death of a friend, and there were 3 empty seats that night 1 for John, 1 for Yoko and 1 for Chapman So think if Lennon survived we wouldn't have Bowie.... Just a little thing I'd though I would put on here for a history of his performance.

I too, was fortunate enough to be at the Chicago run. So true that you actually forget that it’s David Bowie performing. He was that good. Wish I still had the stub. A great memory.

I've always wanted to see this play with bowie wow! thankyou!

In 1996, in a theatre attached to a pub, I saw the play again. With different actors of course. Excellent. The Bernard Pomerance version of The Elephant Man is slightly different to David Lynch's film version. Apparently, the stage play is more true to life. Excellent, I even got to meet the male lead actor, whose name eludes me.

Quel talent ....

First time ever seeing this clip. Wow! I didn’t even know this play existed. Young and wild, in the West, I missed out on so much. (Sigh)

I never knew he did stage acting. Captivating from the first line.

Capolavoro

Tear JERKING!!! I remember when this was broadcast on the ABC! Too young to appreciate it after having seen the John Hurt movie the year before!

What a beautifully talented man! I hope there is a full version of his performance.

There will never be another artist like him….

Talk about putting your whole self out there. This was incredibly risky for Bowie and his performance was brilliant. He would have preferred a career as a stage actor but we got the rock star and I'm ok with that. Rest in peace, Starman.

Simply stunning.

hartbreaking scene...

At the time I was a Bowie fan, but skeptical of his new works; but he nailed this. I think what I was tired of was the media version of him.

The first time I ever saw Bowie perform was in this play at the end of November 1980.

Tamb era un gran actor

The elephant man was like the version of the hunchback of notre dame and the others.

DAVID LOOK SO CUTE HEREEEEEEEEE

David Bowie , Most talented performer . Genius .