Michael Kitchen

Last updated

Michael Kitchen
Michael Kitchen 2013.jpg
Kitchen in Foyle's War series 7, 2013
Born
Michael Roy Kitchen

Leicester, England
Occupation(s)Actor, television producer
Years active1966–present

Michael Roy Kitchen (born 31 October 1948) is an English actor and television producer, best known for his starring role as Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle in the ITV drama Foyle's War , which comprised eight series between 2002 and 2015. He also played the role of Bill Tanner in two James Bond films opposite Pierce Brosnan, and that of John Farrow in BBC Four's comedy series Brian Pern .

Contents

Early life

Michael Roy Kitchen was born in Leicester, to parents Arthur and Betty Kitchen. [1] He attended the City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School, [1] where he appeared on stage in a production of Cymbeline . [1]

He is the firstborn son. His brother, Jeffrey, was born three years later in 1951. He grew up at 102 Wilberforce Rd, west of the current DE Montfort campus. He was a senior scout in the 57th Leicester Scout group. [2] Aged 15, He was selected to a few weeks training at the National Youth Theatre. [3] He completed a year after school at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. [4]

An opportunity arose when Leicester City Council offered him a grant to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, [1] which he gratefully accepted, graduating in 1969, with an Acting (RADA Diploma). [5]

Career

Television and film

Kitchen's film career started in 1971 with an appearance in the film Unman, Wittering and Zigo (1971), [6] and the Hammer film Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972). [6]

His early TV appearances include roles in Man at the Top (episode 4 "The Prime of Life", 1970), [7] Play for Today (Hell's Angels by David Agnew, 1971), [7] Thriller (1976), [7] The Brontes of Haworth (1973, [7] in which he played Branwell Brontë), Tales of the Unexpected [7] and Beasts . [7] He played the role of Martin in the original 1976 production of Dennis Potter's Brimstone and Treacle , [7] Peter in Stephen Poliakoff's Caught on a Train , [7] Edmund in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of King Lear , [7] the Antipholi in the same series' production of The Comedy of Errors , Private Bamforth in the 1979 BBC television play of The Long and the Short and the Tall . [7] Also in 1979 Kitchen appeared in an episode ("Runner") of the hard-hitting police drama The Professionals . [8] He played the role of Duffy, a renegade former member of an organised crime network. [9]

His other roles at this time include Larner in the film Breaking Glass (1980), [7] Rochus Misch in The Bunker (1981), [6] Berkeley Cole in the film Out of Africa (1985), [6] the King in To Play the King (1993), a performance for which he was nominated for a BAFTA, [6] an English land agent during the Irish Famine in The Hanging Gale (1995), for which he won a Golden FIPA award in 1996, and a recurring role as Bill Tanner in the Bond films GoldenEye (1995) [6] and The World Is Not Enough (1999). [7]

His later films include The Russia House (1990), [7] Fools of Fortune (1990), [7] Enchanted April (1992), [7] The Trial (1993), [6] Fatherland (1994), [7] Doomsday Gun (1994), [7] The Hanging Gale (1995), [7] Kidnapped (1995), [7] Mrs Dalloway (1997), The Railway Children (2000), [6] Proof of Life (2000), [7] Lorna Doone (2001) [6] and My Week with Marilyn (2011). [10]

Between 2002 and 2015, he starred in the award-winning ITV mystery-drama Foyle's War as the lead character Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle; [11] he was also a producer for the show, which comprised eight series. [7] His other noted appearances include The Buccaneers as Sir Helmsley Thwaite (1995), Dandelion Dead (1994), A Royal Scandal (1996), [7] The Last Contract (Sista Kontraktet, 1998) [7] a Swedish film about the assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme, Paul Abbott's Alibi in 2003, [7] Andrew Davies' dramatisation of Falling in 2005, [7] ITV's three-part drama series Mobile (2007) [7] and Channel 4's phone hacking comedy telemovie Hacks (2012). [12] [13]

Kitchen has guest-starred in roles in other popular British television shows such as Minder , [6] Chancer , Inspector Morse , [6] A Touch of Frost , [6] Between the Lines , [7] Pie in the Sky [7] and Dalziel and Pascoe . [6] He played Richard Crane in Reckless [7] and John Farrow in the mockumentary The Life of Rock with Brian Pern . [7]

Theatre

Kitchen is also a noted theatre actor. His roles have ranged from Ptolemy in Caesar and Cleopatra at the Belgrade Theatre in 1966, to Will in Howard Brenton's Magnificence at the Royal Court in 1973, to William Hogarth in Nick Dear's The Art of Success in 1986–87. [14] [15]

He played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet for the RSC at Stratford and was a member of the National Theatre Company and the Young Vic, where he played Iago in Othello . In 1974 he appeared at Laurence Olivier's National Theatre in the play Spring Awakening opposite Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Beryl Reid and Cyril Cusack. Later he appeared opposite Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud in Harold Pinter's No Man's Land , directed by Peter Hall. [16] In 1981 he played Melchior, the manservant of Zangler, in Tom Stoppard's play On the Razzle . [17] In 1984 he played the cabin steward Dvornicheck in Stoppard's play Rough Crossing . [18] [19]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971 Unman, Wittering and Zigo BungabineDrama
1972 Dracula A.D. 1972 GregHorror
1974King Thrushbeard and the Proud PrincessKing ThrushbeardTV film
1975 Savages Carlos EsquerdoTV film
1976 A Divorce LaurenceTV film
1978 No Man's Land FosterTV film
1980 Caught on a Train PeterTV Play
Breaking Glass LarnerDrama, Musical
Bedroom Farce NickTV film
1981 The Bunker Rochus MischTV film
1985 Out of Africa BerkeleyRomantic drama
The Browning VersionFrank HunterTV film
Love SongWilliam HatchardTV film
1989 Dykket BricksThriller
1990 Fools of Fortune Mr QuintonRom-Com
The Russia House CliveThriller
1991The War That Never Ends2nd Athenian representativeTV film
1992 Enchanted April George BriggsDrama
HostageFredericksAction thriller
The GuiltySteven VeyTV film
1993 The Trial BlockThriller
1994 Fatherland Max JägerTV film
1995 GoldenEye Bill TannerThriller
1997 Mrs Dalloway Peter WalshRomantic drama
1998 The Last Contract ("Sista Kontraktet")John Gales alias Ray LambertThriller (Swedish)
1999 The World Is Not Enough Bill TannerAction adventure
2000 New Year's Day RobinDrama
Proof of Life Ian HaveryThriller
The Railway Children FatherTV film
2011 My Week with Marilyn Hugh PercevalBiopic drama
2013Clowning AroundClive Davies, Head of Clowns (voice over)Short film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1970Thirty-Minute TheatreWaller1 episode: Is That Your Body?
1971Man at the TopTrevor1 episode: The Prime of Life
Z-Cars Royal Hall2 episodes
1972ITV Sunday Night Theatre1 episode: The Web
New Scotland YardPeter Coppard1 episode: Hoax
1973Country MattersHenry Batley1 episode: The Four Beauties
Late Night TheatrePaul1 episode: Susan
Crime of PassionPhilippe Villon1 episode: Chantal
The Brontes of Haworth Branwell Brontë 4 episodes
Orson Welles Great Mysteries Herbert White1 episode: The Monkey's Paw
Love StoryRoy1 episode: Audrey had a Little Lamb
Marked PersonalSimon2 episodes
1974 Fall of Eagles Leon Trotsky 2 episodes
Seven Faces of WomanArchie1 episode
ThrillerIan/George Newton2 episodes
1975Centre PlayThe Student1 episode: The Imp of the Perverse
Churchill's People John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester1 episode
1979The ProfessionalsDuffy1 Episode: "Runner"
1981 Tales of the Unexpected ArthurS4 E4: The Best of Everything
1984Weekend PlayhouseEd1 episode: As Man and Wife
FreudErnst von Fleischi-Marxow3 episodes
1989MinderMaltese Tony1 episode: Fiddler on the Hoof
The Justice GameTim Forsythe4 episodes
Theatre NightDavid1 episode: Benefactors
Screen OneBill English1 episode: Home Run
1991 Chancer Roman2 episodes
Mozart on Tour Reader of Mozart's letters13 episodes
1992BoonDonald Blake1 episode: Shot in the Dark
Lovejoy David Herbert1 episode: Kids
Inspector Morse Russell Clark1 episode: The Death of the Self
1993 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Lloyd George1 episode: Paris, May 1919
The Good GuysGraham Croxley1 episode: Old School Ties
To Play the King The King4 episodes
1994Shakespeare: The Animated TalesPolixenes/ Narrator2 episodes
Dandelion DeadMajor Herbert Rowse Armstrong4 episodes
Pie in the Sky Dudley Hooperman1 episode The Best of Both Worlds
1995The BuccaneersSir Helmsley Thwaite5 episodes
The Hanging Gale Captain William Townsend4 episodes
1996 A Touch of Frost Jonathan Meyerbridge1 episode: The Things We Do for Love (1996)
1997Harry Enfield and ChumsDavid the Director1 episode #2.6
Reckless Richard Crane6 episodes
Sunnyside FarmLetchworth6 episodes
1998 Dalziel and Pascoe Philip Swain– Bones and Silence (1998)
1999 Oliver Twist Mr Brownlow4 episodes
1999–2002 Always and Everyone Jack Turner18 episodes
2000Masterpiece ClassicFatherepisode: The Railway Children
The Holocaust on TrialProf. Richard Evans
The Secret World of Michael FryHerbie2 episodes
2000–2006 Faking It Narrator7 seasons
2001Second SightLord Bruce RoddamEpisode: "Parasomnia", (Parts 1 & 2)
2002–2015 Foyle's War Christopher Foyle28 episodes
2003Faking It USANarrator
2003AlibiGreg BrentwoodTV film
2007 Mobile David Westepisode: The Soldier
2012White HeatJack (Present Day)episode: The Sea of Trees
2012HacksStanhope Feast
2014 The Life of Rock with Brian Pern John Farrow8 episodes
2016 The Collection Frederic LemaireThe Scent (2016)
2017 Brian Pern John Farrow
2020The Kemps: All TrueHarvey Stickles
2023The Kemps: All GoldJohn Farrow

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pat Lidiker (13 August 1992). "Three Stitches in Time, Michael Kitchen interview". Leicester Mercury. nothing-fancy.com. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  2. Leicester Chronicle Friday 27 December 1963, page 3
  3. Leicester Mercury Tuesday 21 July 1964, page 9
  4. Leicester Mercury Thursday 11 May 1967, page 20
  5. "Michael Kitchen Acting (RADA Diploma) Year of graduation 1969". rada.ac.uk. 1969. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Michael Kitchen credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 "Michael Kitchen". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  8. "The Professionals – S3 – Episode 5: Runner". Radio Times.
  9. Campbell, Martin (8 December 1979), Runner, The Professionals, retrieved 4 February 2023
  10. "Michael Kitchen | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
  11. "Michael Kitchen | TV, Documentary and Other Appearances". AllMovie.
  12. Hacks at IMDb
  13. "Hacks". Archived from the original on 7 January 2012.
  14. "Magnificence". Concord Theatricals.
  15. "Michael Kitchen | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  16. "ROB WILTON THEATRICALIA – National Theatre 1970s". Phyllis.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  17. On the Razzle by Tom Stoppard. Published 1981 by Faber and Faber, Ltd. ISBN   0-571-11835-6
  18. Rough Crossing by Tom Stoppard. Published 1985 by Faber and Faber, Ltd. ISBN   0-571-13595-1
  19. "Rough Crossing". Sff.net. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
Acting roles
Preceded by Bill Tanner actor
from the James Bond films

1995 '99
Succeeded by
Preceded by "Father" actor
from The Railway Children

2000
Most recent