
Person
Oliver Cotton
Acting · Born 1944-06-20 · London, England, UK
Biography
After training at the Drama Centre London, he has worked extensively at the Royal National Theatre playing in many productions including The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Oedipus, In His Own Write, Hamlet, Tamburlaine, No Man's Land, The Passion, Despatches, Half Life, The World Turned Upside Down, Julius Caesar, The Madras House, The Man With the Flower in His Mouth, Tales from the Vienna Woods, The Crucible, Piano, Troilus and Cressida, Money, Summerfolk, The Villain's Opera, Life x 3. At the Royal Court Theatre, he has appeared in The Local Stigmatic, The Duchess of Malfi, Man is Man, The Enoch Show, Erronenous Zones, The Tutor by Brecht, Lear and Bingo by Edward Bond and Piano/Forte by Terry Johnson. He was a founder member of Joint Stock appearing in their inaugural production The Speakers by Heathcote Williams. At The Royal Shakespeare Company he has played in The Marrying of Ann Leete, Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III, The Plain Dealer, Some Americans Abroad by Richard Nelson, Brand by Ibsen. His West End appearances include The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, Children of a Lesser God by Mark Medoff, Benefactors by Michael Frayn (in whose Liberty Hall he also appeared in at the Greenwich Theatre), An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, Life x 3 by Yasmina Reza, and Brand by Ibsen. He has also played the title role in King Lear at the Southwark Playhouse and Malvolio in Shakespeare's Globe's all-male production of Twelfth Night. His many TV appearances have included The Borgias (Cesare Borgia), David Copperfield, The Year of the French, The Play on One, Redemption, Poirot, The Camomile Lawn, Westbeach, Zorro, Sharpe's Battle, Rhodes, All Quiet on the Preston Front, Innocents, Judge John Deed, Inspector Lynley, Waking the Dead, M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team, Beastly Games, Sensitive Skin, Midsomer Murders, Hotel Babylon. His films include Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, The Day Christ Died, Firefox, Oliver Twist, The Sicilian, Eleni, Hiding Out, Christopher Columbus, Son of the Pink Panther, The Innocent Sleep, Phoenix Blue, The Opium War, Beowulf, Baby Blue, The Dancer Upstairs, Shanghai Knights, The Bone Collector, Raindogs, Colour Me Kubrick.
Known for

Midsomer Murders
Michael Maybury

Heartbeat
Harry Adams

BBC Play of the Month
Turkish Captain

The Dark Knight Rises
2 Star Air Force General

New Tricks
Hugh Dryden

Waking the Dead
Sir Charles Stewart

Bergerac
Jacques Laronde

Killing Eve
Maciek

Space: 1999
Spearman

Thirty-Minute Theatre
Spy
Filmography
- 2026Tales of the UnderworldFlowers
- 2023Clancy Sigal: Hollywood Blacklist to 'A' ListInterviewee
- 2021The Last DuelJean de Carrouges III
- 2020Wonder Woman 1984Simon Stagg
- 2020The English GameCreator
- 2018Killing EveMaciek
- 2017PylonThe Chairman
- 2015North v SouthBrian Galloway
- 2014The Musketeers
- 2013Gangs of Tooting Broadway
- 2012Ripper StreetDaniel Goldman
- 2012The Dark Knight Rises2 Star Air Force General
- 2012Henry IV, Part 2 - Live at Shakespeare's GlobeKing Henry IV
- 2012Henry IV, Part 1 - Live at Shakespeare's GlobeKing Henry IV
- 2010MoneyLorne Guyland
- 2009Pope JoanArsenius
- 2009MargaretMichael Heseltine
- 2008Attila the HunActius
- 2006Hotel Babylon
- 2005Sensitive SkinSam
- 2005Colour Me KubrickPC Metcalf (uncredited)
- 2004New TricksHugh Dryden
- 2003Murder Investigation TeamArtyom Biartoulis
- 2003Out of the AshesMoshe Perl
- 2003Shanghai KnightsJack the Ripper
- 2002The Dancer UpstairsMerino
- 2001Waking the DeadSir Charles Stewart
- 2001Baby BlueRon Wood
- 1999BeowulfHrothgar
- 1997Midsomer MurdersMichael Maybury
- 1996The Innocent SleepLusano
- 1995Sharpe's BattleBrigadier General Guy Loup
- 1995JosephArchitect
- 1994Space PrecinctTylan Gershom
- 1994(All Quiet on the) Preston FrontDeclan
- 1993HarryPaul Collier
- 1993Son of the Pink PantherKing Haroak
- 1993SharpeLoup
- 1992Christopher Columbus: The DiscoveryHarana
- 1992HeartbeatHarry Adams
- 1992The Camomile LawnMax
- 1991RedemptionNeville Nunn
- 1988The PartyAndrew Ford
- 1988The Play on OneAndrew Ford
- 1988Hannay
- 1987Hiding OutHit-Man
- 1987The SicilianCmdr. Roccofino
- 1986David CopperfieldEdward Murdstone
- 1986LovejoyFrobel
- 1985EleniKatis
- 1984Robin of SherwoodLord Owen of Clun
- 1982FirefoxDmitri Priabin
- 1982Oliver TwistMonks
- 1981BergeracJacques Laronde
- 1981The BorgiasCesare Borgia
- 1980The Day Christ DiedJohn
- 1979Henry VIIIEarl of Surrey
- 1978When the Actors ComeIstvan
- 1977BBC2 Play of the WeekIstvan
- 1975Space: 1999Spearman
- 1975Caesar and ClarettaGiacomo
- 1974Churchill's PeopleTrooper John Roper
- 1973Second City FirstsCyril
- 1970The Adventures of Don QuickBeltane
- 1970Sovereign's CompanySender
- 1969Strange ReportYoung Man
- 1968Here We Go Round the Mulberry BushCurtis
- 1967Callan
- 1965BBC Play of the MonthTurkish Captain
- 1965Thirty-Minute TheatreSpy
- 1965Public EyeRemoval Man
- —RaindogsDuke
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