Christopher Benjamin (actor)

English actor (born 1934)
the American politician

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). His radio acting career included two BBC Radio adaptations of Christopher Lee's crime drama Colvil and Soames.

Benjamin was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England.

He is well known for his roles in some of the UK's biggest cult television programmes. This included playing the same character ("Potter") in two Patrick McGoohan dramas, Danger Man and The Prisoner, fuelling speculation that they are possibly linked. He played the Old Man (boss of Philip Roath) in the Thames Television comedy by Peter Tilbury, It Takes a Worried Man (1981). He was also an occasional guest star in The Avengers and Doctor Who, making three appearances in each, mostly in comedy roles. 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. He acted alongside Trevor Baxter who played Professor George Litefoot. He was Sir William Lucas in the acclaimed 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice. 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). 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. 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. 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). He has also appeared in several plays at the Donmar, the Kings Head, Mermaid, etc. He has appeared regularly in TV and radio since 1965.

+YearTitleRoleNotes1965The Wednesday PlayDan RoystonSir Jocelyn, the Minister Would Like a WordZ Cars Dennis LuddEpisode: "Give a Dog a Name"The Man in Room 17Chief Supt. CraythorpeEpisode: "The Millons of Muzafariyah"1966OrlandoThe Great Cardini5 episodesThe BaronVerelEpisode: "The Seven Eyes of Night"1966 8The AvengersVarious roles3 episodes1967Danger ManPotterEpisode: "Koroshi"The Forsyte SagaProsper Profond4 episodes1967 8The PrisonerVarious roles3 episodes1968Public EyeBarnbyEpisode: "There's No Future in Monkey Business"Late Night HorrorAlgy SomervilleThe Kiss of BloodThe SaintFishEpisode: "The Master Plan"1969Ring of Bright WaterLondon Fishmonger FilmFraud SquadLal ChoudhryEpisode: "Over a Barrel"The Gold RobbersEdward MeakinEpisode: "An Oddly Honest Man"1970Ace of WandsFalk2 episodesDoctor WhoSir Keith GoldSerial: "Inferno"Paul TempleRoffeyEpisode: "The Artknappers"The Roads to FreedomAssistant Superintendent1 episode1971Jason KingThe Police InspectorEpisode: "A Red Red Rose Forever"Man at the TopMr. FisherEpisode: "A Bit of Spare, Nothing Else"Never Mind the Quality, Feel the WidthDr. ShapiroEpisode: "Manny Cohen R. I. P."1972BudgieClaudeEpisode: "Twenty Four Thousand Ball Point Pens"The Protectors BankerEpisode: "The Quick Brown Fox"The Strauss FamilyDomnayer5 episodesThe Onedin LineSaid Ben AlimEpisode: "The Challenge"1973Bowler Supt. Chamberlain3 episodesJack the RipperClub Man2 episodesNew Scotland YardMr. FosterEpisode: "Rogues Gallery"Upstairs, DownstairsMax WeinbergEpisode: "A Change of Scene"Van der ValkMulderEpisode: "Rich Man, Poor Man"1974Brief EncounterPorter FilmFather BrownDukesEpisode: "The Quick One"Special BranchDr. Eric BlythEpisode: "Stand and Deliver"1975Churchill's PeoplePeterEpisode: "On the Anvil"Village HallBill JollyOld Scores1975 6PoldarkSir Hugh Boldrugan9 episodes1976AngelsSamuelsEpisode: "Challenges"HadleighObermanEpisode: "Hong Kong Rock"The SquirrelsCraigEpisode: "The Cruise"1977Doctor WhoHenry Gordon JagoSerial: "The Talons of Weng Chiang"RoomsBernard Metcalfe3 episodesTargetPanterEpisode: "Blow Out"When the Boat Comes InChanning3 episodesYes, Honestly Roscoe B. RoscoeEpisode: "Educating Mr. Roscoe"1978Armchair ThrillerDet. Inspector Tarrant5 episodesGet Some In!Sergeant Foot2 episodesScorpion TalesArabEpisode: "Crimes of Persuasion"The SandbaggersDavid FollettEpisode: "The Most Suitable Person"Wilde Alliance MillerEpisode: "Affay in Amsterdam"1979 80Dick TurpinSir John Glutton14 episodes1980Hawk the SlayerFitzwalterFilmShoestringLeacockEpisode: "Room with a View"Play For TodayRabbiThe ExecutionerWe, the Accused Inglewood3 episodes1980 2Holding the FortCol. Aubrey Sanderson5 episodes1981A Spy at EveningStevens 4 episodesPlay For TodayMr. PorterA Brush with Mr. Porter on the Road to El DoradoWinston Churchill: The Wilderness YearsAir Ministry OfficialEpisode: "The Flying Peril"1981 3It Takes a Worried ManThe Old Man16 episodes1982Shine on Harvey MoonMr. Hartley2 episodesThe Life and Times of Nicholas NicklebyMr. Vincent Crummings3 episodesThe Plague DogsRowf (voice)Film1984Minder Mr. RushmereEpisode: "The Car Lot Baggers"1985Blott on the LandscapeChief ConstableEpisode: "Man in a Tree"Black SilkJudgeEpisode: "Winner Takes All"1986Dempsey and MakepeaceSam PowellEpisode: "Mantrap"Call Me, MisterShop ManagerEpisode: "The Other Woman"The Return of Sherlock HolmesDr. HuxtableEpisode: "The Priory School"1987BoonTeddy RawlingstonEpisode: "A Fistful of Pesetas"CasanovaMassimoTV movieThe Diary of Anne FrankMr Van Daan3 episodesYes, Prime Minister French AmbassadorEpisode: "A Diplomatic Incident"1988MelbaCol. Otway4 episodesKing and CastleEnwrightEpisode: "Cons"1989SaracenCharles SaundersEpisode: "Girls' Talk"1990BrassSir Dudley TilstockEpisode: "Bradley Gets on Top"CampionCoronerEpisode: "Flowers for the Judge Part 1"HaggardLord TartletEpisode: "The Great Lover"Spymaker: The Secret Life of Ian FlemingMcKinnonTV movie1991Rumpole of the BaileySir Denis TolstonEpisode: "Rumpole and the Right to Silence"Thatcher: The Final DaysGeorge YoungerTV movieShe Wolf of LondonDr. MorrisEpisode: "Voodoo Child"1992A Likely LadHarold Sowter6 episodesCasualtyHenry LindallEpisode: "Cry Wolf"MaigretGuillaume SaureEpisode: "Maigret and the Burgular's Wife"Inspector MorseProfessor FurlongEpisode: "Cherubim & Seraphim"London's BurningMr. Brody2 episodes1994LovejoyWalidEpisode: "Fruit of the Desert"The Tomorrow PeopleMiddlemass4 episodes1995Pride and PrejudiceSir William Lucas5 episodes1998SeesawMalcolm Green2 episodes The Last SaluteSir GilbertEpisode: "One for the Road"The Tichborne ClaimantGibbesFilm1999Treasure IslandSquire TrelawneyTV movie2001Sword of Honour Doctor TV movie2003Foyle's WarBrigadier HarcourtEpisode: "War Games"Looking For VictoriaLord StanleyTV movie2003 6Judge John DeedSteve Gaydon4 episodes2004Down to EarthMr. YatesEpisode: "Family Ties"2005Midsomer MurdersHarvey CraneEpisode: "Midsomer Rhapsody"2006HeartbeatOliver RidleyEpisode: "Accidents Happen"Rosemary & ThymeTrevor SquiresEpisode: "Seeds of Time"2007AngelLord NorleyFilm2008Doctor WhoColonel Hugh CurbishleyEpisode: "The Unicorn and the Wasp"2009DoctorsArthur CuthbertEpisode: "Up the Garden Path"2011The Merry Wives of WindsorSir John FalstaffVideo2016The Legend of TarzanLord KnutsfordFilm