Ian McNeice

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Ian McNeice
McNeice in 2009
Born (1950-10-02) 2 October 1950 (age 73)
OccupationActor
TelevisionB&B (1992)
Doc Martin (2004–2022)
Rome (2005–2007)
Doctor Who (2010–2011)
SpouseKatie Nicholls (separated)
Children3

Ian McNeice (born 2 October 1950) is an English film and television actor, best known for playing Bert Large in the dramedy Doc Martin. He found fame portraying government agent Harcourt in the 1985 television series Edge of Darkness, and went on to feature in popular films such as The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Frank Herbert's Dune.

He has also played the Newsreader in historical drama Rome (2005–2007) and Winston Churchill in Doctor Who (2010–2011).

Early life and education[edit]

McNeice was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire. His acting training started at the Taunton School in Somerset, followed by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and two years at the Salisbury Playhouse. The next few years were spent in theatre, including a four-year period with the Royal Shakespeare Company and a production of Nicholas Nickleby on Broadway.[1][2]

Ian McNeice in The Optimist

Career[edit]

1997 ace ventura

McNeice's television breakthrough was as Harcourt in the award-winning series Edge of Darkness. He played the alcoholic sous chef Gustave LaRoche on the television series Chef!, and went on to appear in the 2000 miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune as the evil Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, a role he later reprised for the 2003 sequel Children of Dune. His television appearances have included all ten series of Doc Martin, in which he plays Bert Large, series 4 episode 4 of Midsomer Murders, and the third episode of the second series of Lewis. He appears as the Newsreader in the HBO/BBC production Rome and as the Mr. Tapling of the British diplomatic service in Hornblower - The Examination for Lieutenant.[citation needed]

McNeice has also appeared in a number of films, including 84 Charing Cross Road, Day of the Dead, No Escape, From Hell and The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain.[3] His breakthrough into American films occurred when he played Fulton Greenwall in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995). He played the Nazi Gerhard Klopfer in the 2001 BBC/HBO television film Conspiracy.[4]

Since then, he has been in Around the World in 80 Days (2004) and the 2005 supernatural thriller White Noise.[5] He also appeared as Potiphar in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.[citation needed]

McNeice gave his distinctive voice and accent to voice-acting roles like the Vogon character Kwaltz, director of the Vogon Constructor Fleet, in the 2005 film adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In 2007, he made his Doctor Who debut when he guest-starred as villain Zeus in the Big Finish BBC Digital Radio 7 drama Immortal Beloved. He had a cameo role as Joachim von Kortzfleisch, a German general who refused to put his troops under the command of officers plotting to depose Hitler's government, in Valkyrie.[6]

McNeice was initially cast in the role of Illyrio Mopatis in the HBO pilot of Game of Thrones, but because of scheduling conflicts the role was then given to Roger Allam.[7] McNeice appeared as Winston Churchill[8] in four episodes of Doctor Who in 2010 and 2011; he had previously played Churchill in the 2008 premiere production of the Howard Brenton play Never So Good, and later played him again in the 2012 stage version of The King's Speech.[9]

McNeice also starred as The Architect in the 2017 independent feature film, The House of Screaming Death.[10][11][12]

Personal life[edit]

McNeice has three children.[13]

Selected filmography[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1982 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Wackford Squeers / Scaley / Croupier TV series
1983 The Cleopatras Alexander TV series
1983 Grizzly II: The Concert Bernie
1983 Voice Over "Fats" Bannerman
1984 Minder Eric Morgan Episode: "Rocky Eight and a Half"
1984 Top Secret! Blind souvenir salesman
1985 The Optimist Thug Episode: "The Light Fantastic"
1985 Edge of Darkness Harcourt TV Mini-Series
1986 Whoops Apocalypse Thrush
1987 Personal Services Harry
1987 84 Charing Cross Road Bill Humphries
1987 Cry Freedom Uncredited
1987 The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne Bernard Rice
1987 Sputniks, Bleeps and Mr.Perry Geoffrey Perry TV drama/documentary
1987 A Perfect Spy Sefton Boyd
1988 The Raggedy Rawney Farmer
1989 Valmont Azolan
1989 Around the World in 80 Days Batcular TV Mini-Series
1990 1871 Prince of Wales
1990 The Russia House Merrydew
1991 Secret Friends First Businessman
1991 Lovejoy Gervais Rackham
1991 Inspector Wexford, Ruth Rendell Mysteries - Episode "Murder Once Being Done" Ivan Teal
1991 Miss Pym's Day Out Vicar of Finstock
1992 Year of the Comet Ian
1992 B & B Horace Gilbert
1992 The Blackheath Poisonings George Collard TV film
1992 An Ungentlemanly Act Dick Baker TV film
1993 Don't Leave Me This Way Oscar Ghilardi
1993 Inspector Morse Pathologist TV series
1993 Age of Treason Casca TV film
1994 No Escape King
1994 The Wimbledon Poisoner Dent TV mini series
1994 Pie in the Sky Barry Wilkes "Who only stand and wait" S1:E9
1995 Pie in the Sky Barry Wilkes "The Mystery of Pikey" S2:E9
1995 Funny Bones Stanley Sharkey
1995 Sharpe's Battle Wagonmaster-General Colonel Runciman TV film
1995 The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain George Garrad
1995 Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls Fulton Greenwall
1996 Chef! Gustave LaRoche TV series
1996 Cadfael: The Devil's Novice Canon Eluard TV series
1997 The Beautician and the Beast Iva Grushinsky
1997 A Life Less Ordinary Mayhew
1998 How to Make the Cruelest Month Peggy Asks
1998 Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant Mr. Tapling TV film
1999 The Auteur Theory Sir Maximilian Fair Brown
1999 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Potiphar
1999 The Cherry Orchard Pishchik
1999 A Christmas Carol Fezziwig TV film
1999 David Copperfield Mr. Dick TV film
2000 Longitude Astronomer Royal Doctor Nathanial Bliss TV series
2000 Frank Herbert's Dune Baron Vladimir Harkonnen TV miniseries
2000 The Sleeper Mr. Tarburck TV film
2000 The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz Inspector
2001 Anazapta Bishop
2001 The Body Dr. Sproul
2001 Town & Country Peter Principal
2001 Conspiracy Dr. Gerhard Klopfer TV film
2001 The Fourth Angel MI5 officer Lewison
2001 From Hell Dr. Robert Drudge
2002 Amnèsia Doug Chandler
2002 Man and Boy Nigel Batty
2002 The Final Curtain Priest
2003 Chaos and Cadavers Harry Kane
2003 Frank Herbert's Children of Dune Baron Vladimir Harkonnen TV miniseries
2003 I'll Be There Graham
2003 Blackball Hugh the Sideburns
2004 Spartacus Lentulus Batiatus TV film
2004 Spooks Judge Series 3 Episode 6
2004 Freeze Frame Forensic Profiler Saul Seger
2004 Around the World in 80 Days Colonel Kitchener
2004 The Rocket Post Alex Miln
2004 Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Quizmaster
2004–2022 Doc Martin Bert Large TV series
2005 White Noise Raymond Price
2005 Cherished Bill Bache TV film
2005 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Kwaltz Voice
2005 Oliver Twist Limbkins
2005–2007 Rome The Newsreader TV series
2006 The Black Dahlia Coroner
2007 New Tricks Michael Meadowcroft Series 4 Episode 8
2008 Day of the Dead DJ Paul
2008 Valkyrie Joachim von Kortzfleisch
2009 Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer Cassius Dio (Historian) TV film
2010–2011 Doctor Who Winston Churchill 4 episodes
2010 Jonathan Creek Father Roderick Alberic
2012 Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger Mr. Peterson Senior Film
2012 The Mystery of Edwin Drood Mayor Sapsea TV film
2017 We Are Tourists Harry
2017 The Man Who Invented Christmas Edward Chapman Film
2017 The House of Screaming Death The Architect Film
2021 Foundation Master Statistician Tivole Apple TV+ Series
2022 The Sandman Bartender Episode: "The Sound of Her Wings"
2023 Napoleon Louis XVIII Film

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ian McNeice". Theatricalia.com.
  2. ^ "Ian McNeice – Broadway Cast & Staff". IBDb.com.
  3. ^ "Ian McNeice". 2.bfi.org. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Conspiracy (2001)". 2.bfi.org. Archived from the original on 28 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Ian McNeice | Movies and Filmography". Allmovie.com.
  6. ^ "Valkyrie (2008) - Bryan Singer | Cast and Crew | AllMovie". Allmovie.com. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Illyrio recast". Winter-Is-Coming.net. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  8. ^ "First Smith 'Doctor Who' titles confirmed". Digital Spy. 3 February 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  9. ^ "The King's Speech play has its world premiere". BBC News. 3 February 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  10. ^ "April Updates – The House of Screaming Death Completes Post Production". 29 March 2017. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  11. ^ "Top actor Ian McNeice to star in Black Country horror flick". Express & Star. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  12. ^ "House of Screaming Death Completes Post-Production, Celebrates By Releasing 3 New Stills". Horror Society. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  13. ^ "The tragic story behind Ian McNeice's dating and married life, his wife, girlfriend and children" - Hitberry.com

External links[edit]