Christopher Benjamin (actor)

Last updated

Christopher Benjamin
Born (1934-12-27) 27 December 1934 (age 89)
OccupationActor
Years active1958–2016
SpouseAnna Fox

Christopher Benjamin (born 27 December 1934) is an English retired actor with many stage and television credits since the 1960s. His television roles include three appearances in Doctor Who , portraying Sir Keith Gold in Inferno (1970), Henry Gordon Jago in The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1977) and Colonel Hugh Curbishley in The Unicorn and the Wasp (2008). He also provided the voice of Rowf in the animated film The Plague Dogs (1982). [1] His radio acting career included two BBC Radio adaptations of Christopher Lee's crime drama Colvil and Soames. [2]

Contents

Early life

Benjamin was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. [3]

Career

He is well known for his roles in some of the UK's biggest cult television programmes. [4] This included playing the same character ("Potter") in two Patrick McGoohan dramas, Danger Man and The Prisoner , fuelling speculation that they are possibly linked. [5] He played the Old Man (boss of Philip Roath) in the Thames Television comedy by Peter Tilbury, It Takes a Worried Man (1981). [6] He was also an occasional guest star in The Avengers and Doctor Who , making three appearances in each, mostly in comedy roles. [7]

He also played recurring roles in several period dramas. He was Sir John Glutton, the regular adversary in the period family adventure series Dick Turpin , Channing in several episodes of the third series of When The Boat Comes In , and Prosper Profond in the acclaimed 1967 adaptation of The Forsyte Saga . [8] [9] [3] He reprised the role of Henry Gordon Jago, from the Doctor Who serial The Talons of Weng-Chiang in thirteen series of Jago and Litefoot audio plays, after a well received episode of the Big Finish Productions audio C.D. series Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles entitled The Mahogany Murderers . [10] [11] He acted alongside Trevor Baxter who played Professor George Litefoot. He was Sir William Lucas in the acclaimed 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice . [12]

His few film roles include appearances in Ring of Bright Water (1969), Brief Encounter (1974), Hawk the Slayer (1980), The Tichborne Claimant (1998) and Angel (2007). [3] His final screen appearance was in The Legend of Tarzan (2016). [13]

Predominantly a stage actor, after six years in repertory theatres, Manchester, Salisbury and Bristol Old Vic (1958-1965) he has performed regularly over twenty years with the Royal Shakespeare Company. [14] He has played Bottom five times, at Bristol Old Vic, Regents Park, Radio 3, the RSC (including a tour of Australia and New Zealand) and finally at Glyndebourne in The Fairy-Queen , before retiring from the stage in 2012. [15] [16]

His West End performances include How the Other Half Loves at the Duke of Yorks, A Voyage Round My Father at Wyndhams, The Clandestine Marriage at the Queens Theatre, Sweeney Todd at the Royal National Theatre, and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the Saville (with Leonard Rossiter). [15] He has also appeared in several plays at the Donmar, the Kings Head, Mermaid, etc. [15] He has played Falstaff in rep at Salisbury, at Regents Park, and at the Globe in 2008 and after touring the US and UK in 2010. [17] [18]

He has appeared regularly in TV and radio since 1965. [3]

Personal life

Benjamin is now retired, and living in Hampstead, London, with his wife, Anna Fox, an actress and writer. [19]

Selected filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1965 The Wednesday Play Dan RoystonSir Jocelyn, the Minister Would Like a Word
Z-Cars Dennis LuddEpisode: "Give a Dog a Name"
The Man in Room 17 Chief Supt. CraythorpeEpisode: "The Millons of Muzafariyah"
1966 Orlando The Great Cardini5 episodes
The Baron VerelEpisode: "The Seven Eyes of Night"
1966-8 The Avengers Various roles3 episodes
1967 Danger Man PotterEpisode: "Koroshi"
The Forsyte Saga Prosper Profond4 episodes
1967-8 The Prisoner Various roles3 episodes
1968 Public Eye BarnbyEpisode: "There's No Future in Monkey Business"
Late Night Horror Algy SomervilleThe Kiss of Blood
The Saint FishEpisode: "The Master Plan"
1969 Ring of Bright Water London FishmongerFilm
Fraud Squad Lal ChoudhryEpisode: "Over a Barrel"
The Gold RobbersEdward MeakinEpisode: "An Oddly Honest Man"
1970 Ace of Wands Falk2 episodes
Doctor Who Sir Keith GoldSerial: "Inferno"
Paul Temple RoffeyEpisode: "The Artknappers"
The Roads to Freedom Assistant Superintendent1 episode
1971 Jason King The Police InspectorEpisode: "A Red Red Rose Forever"
Man at the Top Mr. FisherEpisode: "A Bit of Spare, Nothing Else"
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width Dr. ShapiroEpisode: "Manny Cohen R.I.P."
1972 Budgie ClaudeEpisode: "Twenty-Four Thousand Ball Point Pens"
The Protectors BankerEpisode: "The Quick Brown Fox"
The Strauss Family Domnayer5 episodes
The Onedin Line Said Ben AlimEpisode: "The Challenge"
1973 Bowler Supt. Chamberlain3 episodes
Jack the Ripper Club Man2 episodes
New Scotland Yard Mr. FosterEpisode: "Rogues Gallery"
Upstairs, Downstairs Max WeinbergEpisode: "A Change of Scene"
Van der Valk MulderEpisode: "Rich Man, Poor Man"
1974 Brief Encounter PorterFilm
Father Brown DukesEpisode: "The Quick One"
Special Branch Dr. Eric BlythEpisode: "Stand and Deliver"
1975 Churchill's People PeterEpisode: "On the Anvil"
Village Hall Bill JollyOld Scores
1975-6 Poldark Sir Hugh Boldrugan9 episodes
1976 Angels SamuelsEpisode: "Challenges"
Hadleigh ObermanEpisode: "Hong Kong Rock"
The Squirrels CraigEpisode: "The Cruise"
1977Doctor WhoHenry Gordon JagoSerial: "The Talons of Weng-Chiang"
RoomsBernard Metcalfe3 episodes
Target PanterEpisode: "Blow Out"
When the Boat Comes In Channing3 episodes
Yes, Honestly Roscoe B. RoscoeEpisode: "Educating Mr. Roscoe"
1978 Armchair Thriller Det. Inspector Tarrant5 episodes
Get Some In! Sergeant Foot2 episodes
Scorpion Tales ArabEpisode: "Crimes of Persuasion"
The Sandbaggers David FollettEpisode: "The Most Suitable Person"
Wilde Alliance MillerEpisode: "Affay in Amsterdam"
1979-80 Dick Turpin Sir John Glutton14 episodes
1980 Hawk the Slayer FitzwalterFilm
Shoestring LeacockEpisode: "Room with a View"
Play For Today RabbiThe Executioner
We, the Accused Inglewood3 episodes
1980-2 Holding the Fort Col. Aubrey Sanderson5 episodes
1981A Spy at EveningStevens4 episodes
Play For TodayMr. PorterA Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El Dorado
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years Air Ministry OfficialEpisode: "The Flying Peril"
1981-3 It Takes a Worried Man The Old Man16 episodes
1982 Shine on Harvey Moon Mr. Hartley2 episodes
The Life and Times of Nicholas NicklebyMr. Vincent Crummings3 episodes
The Plague Dogs Rowf (voice)Film
1984 Minder Mr. RushmereEpisode: "The Car Lot Baggers"
1985 Blott on the Landscape Chief ConstableEpisode: "Man in a Tree"
Black SilkJudgeEpisode: "Winner Takes All"
1986 Dempsey and Makepeace Sam PowellEpisode: "Mantrap"
Call Me, Mister Shop ManagerEpisode: "The Other Woman"
The Return of Sherlock Holmes Dr. HuxtableEpisode: "The Priory School"
1987 Boon Teddy RawlingstonEpisode: "A Fistful of Pesetas"
Casanova MassimoTV movie
The Diary of Anne Frank Mr Van Daan3 episodes
Yes, Prime Minister French AmbassadorEpisode: "A Diplomatic Incident"
1988 Melba Col. Otway4 episodes
King and Castle EnwrightEpisode: "Cons"
1989 Saracen Charles SaundersEpisode: "Girls' Talk"
1990 Brass Sir Dudley TilstockEpisode: "Bradley Gets on Top"
Campion CoronerEpisode: "Flowers for the Judge - Part 1"
Haggard Lord TartletEpisode: "The Great Lover"
Spymaker: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming McKinnonTV movie
1991 Rumpole of the Bailey Sir Denis TolstonEpisode: "Rumpole and the Right to Silence"
Thatcher: The Final Days George YoungerTV movie
She-Wolf of London Dr. MorrisEpisode: "Voodoo Child"
1992A Likely LadHarold Sowter6 episodes
Casualty Henry LindallEpisode: "Cry Wolf"
Maigret Guillaume SaureEpisode: "Maigret and the Burgular's Wife"
Inspector Morse Professor FurlongEpisode: "Cherubim & Seraphim"
London's Burning Mr. Brody2 episodes
1994 Lovejoy WalidEpisode: "Fruit of the Desert"
The Tomorrow People Middlemass4 episodes
1995 Pride and Prejudice Sir William Lucas5 episodes
1998 Seesaw Malcolm Green2 episodes
The Last Salute Sir GilbertEpisode: "One for the Road"
The Tichborne Claimant GibbesFilm
1999 Treasure Island Squire TrelawneyTV movie
2001 Sword of Honour DoctorTV movie
2003 Foyle's War Brigadier HarcourtEpisode: "War Games"
Looking For Victoria Lord StanleyTV movie
2003-6 Judge John Deed Steve Gaydon4 episodes
2004 Down to Earth Mr. YatesEpisode: "Family Ties"
2005 Midsomer Murders Harvey CraneEpisode: "Midsomer Rhapsody"
2006 Heartbeat Oliver RidleyEpisode: "Accidents Happen"
Rosemary & Thyme Trevor SquiresEpisode: "Seeds of Time"
2007 Angel Lord NorleyFilm
2008Doctor WhoColonel Hugh CurbishleyEpisode: "The Unicorn and the Wasp"
2009 Doctors Arthur CuthbertEpisode: "Up the Garden Path"
2011 The Merry Wives of Windsor Sir John FalstaffVideo
2016 The Legend of Tarzan Lord KnutsfordFilm

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References

  1. Profile, behindthevoiceactors.com; accessed 23 January 2016.
  2. Lee, Christopher (19 September 2019). "Colvil & Soames: The Complete Series 1-2" . Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Christopher Benjamin - BFI". Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  4. "Christopher Benjamin". TVGuide.com.
  5. "The Danger Man Website". danger-man.co.uk.
  6. "Soul Mates (1981)". BFI. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022.
  7. "Christopher Benjamin". www.aveleyman.com.
  8. "Jail Birds (1979)". BFI. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020.
  9. ".:: WHEN THE BOAT COMES IN ::". www.britishdrama.org.uk.
  10. "BBC - Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide - The Talons of Weng Chiang - Details". www.bbc.co.uk.
  11. "Jago & Litefoot Series One | Doctor Who Reviews". 9 January 2018.
  12. "BFI Screenonline: Pride and Prejudice (1995) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  13. "Christopher Benjamin | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
  14. "Search | RSC Performances | Shakespeare Birthplace Trust". collections.shakespeare.org.uk.
  15. 1 2 3 "Christopher Benjamin | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  16. "The Fairy Queen, Glyndebourne" via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  17. "Henry IV, Part One (2004): Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, London | BBA Shakespeare". bbashakespeare.warwick.ac.uk.
  18. Brantley, Ben (31 October 2010). "A World of Silliness, but No Winking This Time". The New York Times.
  19. "An Evening with Louis MacNeice - Lee Montague 10th Oct". www.keatscommunitylibrary.org.uk.