David Bamber

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David Bamber
David Bamber in Urban Myths - Madonna and Basquiat 2019.jpg
Bamber in Urban Myths 2019
Born
David James Bamber

(1954-09-19) 19 September 1954 (age 70)
Walkden, Lancashire, England
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
Spouse
Julia Swift
(m. 1982)
Children2, including Ethan
Relatives David Swift (father-in-law)
Paula Jacobs (mother-in-law)

David James Bamber (born 19 September 1954) is an English actor. His credits include Privates on Parade (1983), Juliet Bravo (1983), Crown Court (1984), Call Me Mister (1986), The Buddha of Suburbia (1993), Pride and Prejudice (1995), Chalk (1997), Mile High (2004), Beethoven (2005), Rome (2005-2007), Valkyrie (2008), Psychoville (2009-2011), The Borgias (2011), The Hollow Crown (2012), What Remains (2013), Darkest Hour (2017), Borg vs McEnroe (2017), Peterloo (2018), A Very English Scandal (2018), Flesh and Blood (2020) and The Regime (2024).

Contents

His most notable achievement was winning the 1995 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance as Guy in My Night with Reg .

Early years

Bamber was born 19 September 1954 in Walkden, Lancashire. [1] His very first stage performance was aged 5 as a pig in Tom Tom the Piper's Son. [1] He joined the Manchester Youth Theatre, [2] playing Pandarus in Troilus and Cressida. Bamber studied acting at Bristol University from 1973 to 1976, [1] graduating with a drama degree. [1] He continued his training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) graduating 1979, with an Acting (RADA Diploma). [3]

Career

Bamber's first film role was in 1982 as Sergeant Charles Bishop in the World War II comedy Privates on Parade (1983). [4] he made appearances in Juliet Bravo (1983), [5] and Crown Court (1984), before securing a regular role as Fred Hurley in Call Me Mister (1986). [4]

He appeared in the BBC adaptations of Hanif Kureishi's The Buddha of Suburbia (1993), [5] and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice , [5] in which he portrayed the Bennets' clergyman cousin, Mr. Collins. He also played the part of a junior treasury minister and stamp collecting enthusiast, Julian Whitaker, in an episode of The New Statesman , [4] in which Alan frames Whitaker and forces his resignation. In 1997 he starred as Eric Slatt in two series of Steven Moffat's Chalk , [5]

His best known international television role to date was his 2005–2007 role as Marcus Tullius Cicero in the HBO/BBC2 original television series, Rome. [5] In Poirot , [4] Series 3: Episode 7 "The Double Clue", he plays the effete middleman to a jewellery collector who is robbed. Bamber also played Adolf Hitler in Bryan Singer's film, Valkyrie . [4] He played the part of Noel in the Sky Atlantic series Camping , and Admiral Ramsay in the 2017 film Darkest Hour . [4]

As a stage actor, Bamber won the 1995 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance as Guy in My Night with Reg , [1] a role he reprised in a 1996 BBC television adaptation. [5] His roles as a voice actor include Emperor Constantine in the Doctor Who audio drama, The Council of Nicaea and as Jeremy Longstaff in the 2008 radio series The Way We Live Right Now . [4]

In 2013, he starred as Mathematics teacher Joe Sellers, alongside David Threlfall and Russell Tovey in the murder mystery miniseries What Remains . [2]

Personal life

Bamber is married to the actress Julia Swift, daughter of actors David Swift and Paula Jacobs. They have two sons, Theo (1991) and Ethan (1998). Ethan has played cricket for England U19s and Middlesex. [6] [7] The family lives in North London.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 Privates on Parade Sergeant Charles Bishop
The Oresteia Chorus
1985 The Doctor and the Devils Cronin
1988 High Hopes Rupert
1991Dakota RoadMan on the Train
1997 My Night with Reg Guy
2002 The Bourne Identity Consulate Clerk
Gangs of New York Passenger on Omnibus
2003 I Capture the Castle Vicar
2006 Miss Potter Fruing Warne
2007 The All Together Robin Swain
2008 Valkyrie Adolf Hitler
2010 The King's Speech Theatre Director
2015 Christmas Eve Walt
2016 The Limehouse Golem Mr. Greatorex
Chubby Funny Mr. White
One Crazy ThingMichael Steel
2017 Mad to Be Normal Dr. Meredith
Darkest Hour Admiral Ramsay
Borg vs McEnroe UK Commentator - George Barnes
2018This Weekend Will Change Your LifeDavid
Peterloo Magistrate Rev Mallory
2020 Enola Holmes Sir Whimbrel
2021End of TermDI Jim Burman
TBA The Bitter End Filming

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 Brass Heseltine1 episode
Juliet Bravo Mr. SaddlethwaiteEpisode: "Mates"
1984 Crown Court John ElliottEpisode: "Oddball: Part 1"
Cockles GrahamRecurring role
The Brief Lieutenant DaddEpisode: "Long Glyn"
1986 Call Me Mister Fred HurleySeries regular
1987Never Say DieVerger1 episode
1988 A Very Peculiar Practice Professor Eric MiddlingEpisode: "Bad Vibrations"
1990 Who Bombed Birmingham? David Mellor MP, Home OfficeTV film
1991 The New Statesman Julian WhitakerEpisode: "Natural Selection"
Agatha Christie's Poirot Bernard ParkerEpisode: "The Double Clue"
4 PlayTed in 'Well Wishers'Episode: "Seduction"
The Bill George SmithEpisode: "Samaritan"
1992 The Good Guys Hubert ManudenEpisode: "Her Finest Hour"
1993 Comedy Playhouse ChrisEpisode: "The Complete Guide to Relationships"
The Buddha of Suburbia ShadwellTV Mini-series, 4 episodes
Stalag LuftThe ProfTV film
1994 The Chief Philip GarrickEpisode #4.9
Murder Most Horrid RayEpisode: "Smashing Bird"
Wycliffe Guy BottrellEpisode: "The Dead Flautist"
The Bill Chris BaxterEpisode: "Games"
1995Capital LivesFryEpisode: "Temp"
Pride and Prejudice Mr. Collins Mini-series, 6 episodes
Heavy Weather P. Frobisher PilbeamTV film
1996 Heartbeat Adrian ShawEpisode: "Forget Me Not"
Masterpiece P. Frobisher PilbeamEpisode: "Heavy Weather"
1997 Chalk Eric SlattSeries regular
1998 Neville's Island AngusTV film
2000 Masterpiece Doctor ForrestEpisode: "The Railway Children"
2001AntonioEpisode: "The Merchant of Venice"
2002 Daniel Deronda LushMini-series
Casualty Dr. Martin CampbellEpisode: "Scapegoat"
George Eliot: A Scandalous LifeGossipTV film
2003 Air Crash Investigation NarratorDocumentary series
Pollyanna Reverend FordTV film
2004 Mile High Bobbi Donnelly2 episodes
Animated Tales of the World Wang Bao's FatherEpisode: "The Magic Gourd"
2005 Beethoven Prince Lichnowsky Mini-series - documentary
2005-2007 Rome Marcus Tullius Cicero Recurring role
2006 Midsomer Murders John StarkeyEpisode: "Dead Letters"
2007 Trial & Retribution Rex StaffordEpisode: "Curriculum Vitae"
New Tricks Dale HewsonEpisode: "Nine Lives"
The Bill Howard GouldEpisode: "Diamonds Are Deadly"
Robin Hood Physician BlightEpisode: "Ducking and Diving"
Doc Martin Mr. PorterEpisode: "Happily Ever After"
Consenting Adults Dr. Carl WinterTV film
2008 EastEnders Bernard1 episode
The Way We Live Right Now Right Honorable Jeremy Longstaff
2009 Hotel Babylon Robert Carrick2 episodes
Collision Sidney NorrisMini-series
Midsomer Murders Anthony PrideauxEpisode: "The Black Book"
2009-2011 Psychoville RobinRecurring role
2010 The Village  [ de ]Dr. WagnerTV film
2011 The Borgias Theo2 episodes
2012 The Hollow Crown ShallowEpisode: "Henry IV, Part 2"
The Paradise Charles Chisholm1 episode
The Nazi Gospels Heinrich Himmler TV film documentary
2013 Blandings Herr SchnellhundEpisode: "Company for Gertrude"
What Remains Joe SellersMini-series
2014 Casualty Anthony KingstonEpisode: "In the Name of Love"
Doctor Who Captain QuellEpisode: "Mummy on the Orient Express"
2015 Father Brown Walter HubbleEpisode: "The Curse of Amenhotep"
Death in Paradise Alan ButlerEpisode: "Damned If You Do..."
Doctors Professor Jeremy BurroughsEpisode: "In the Presence of Beauty"
The Sound of Music Live Herr ZellerTV film
2016 Midsomer Murders Daniel FargoEpisode: "A Dying Art"
Camping NoelMini-series, 4 episodes
Plebs StraboEpisode: "The Weatherist"
Victoria Duke of Sussex 2 episodes
Medici Pope Eugenius IV 3 episodes
2017 Tina and Bobby Alf RamseyMini-series
Snatch Staff4 episodes
Quacks Dr. WyattEpisode: "The Bishops Appendix"
Gunpowder Lord NorthumberlandMini-series
2018 Silent Witness Brian HawkeEpisode: "Moment of Surrender"
Call the Midwife Stanley Hodgkiss1 episode
A Very English Scandal Lord ArranMini-series
Trust Bela von BlockRecurring role
Doctors Derek BartlettEpisode: "Face-Off"
2019 Queens of Mystery Maximilian SinclairEpisode: "Murder in the Dark: First Chapter"
Urban Myths DrunkEpisode: "Madonna and Basquiat"
2020 Grantchester John GrahamEpisode #5.2
Inside No. 9 RobinEpisode: "Death Be Not Proud"
Flesh and Blood D.I. Doug LinehamTV Mini-series, 4 episodes
2024 The Regime SchiffTV Mini-series, 2 episodes

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Interview - David Bamber". londontheatre.co.uk. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Q&A Interview with David Bamber, who plays Joe in BBC One drama What Remains". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  3. "RADA Student and Graduate Profiles - David Bamber". rada.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "David Bamber". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Drama People Index - David Bamber". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  6. "Ethan Bamber". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  7. "Ethan Bamber sets England Under 19's up for Second World Cup Victory". www.middlesexccc.com.

Further reading